Armadillo Lizard Ill??

Question
QUESTION: Our armadillo lizard has not eaten in over a week and seems lethargic. He can't seem to keep his right eye open even if his left is. We know they don't eat as often in winter, but summer he normally eats every 2 to 3 days. We normally feed him meal worms, but put a few crickets in his cage this week and he has no interest and still has not eaten. We moved him about 3 weeks ago from in front of a mirror to a corner with no mirror, sounds crazy, but might he miss seeing himself or think that he was seeing another lizard and be depressed? Thank you in advance for any input. :)

ANSWER: Hello Lou,

What type of setup are you using for him?  What type & brand of UVB lighting do you use, a flourescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  What type of basking light do you use?  A bright white light or a colored light?
What are the temps in the tank & what type of thermometer are you using?  A stick on type, a digital probe or a temp gun?
I would focus more on crickets than mealies as mealies are fatty & don't offer a whole lot of nutrition if fed as a sole feeder.  There are some worms called phoenix worms that you could try that he might really like.  
How old is he?
Are you using supplementation?  
Sometimes when you move them from one location to another, they can suffer or go through relocation stress yes because something was changed & is now different.  Reptiles don't really like change all that much.  I am not sure if he would miss seeing "another lizard" in the mirror, but, it is a possibility since interaction can entertain them.
Has he gone to the bathroom lately?

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Tracie,

Thank you for your reply and interest!

Spike has a clear tank for lizards. I don't recall the size, but it was recommended at the shop we got him at. 30 gallon maybe. He has a rock, tree, water bowl, food bowl, and log to go into.

UVB light is Reptile Glo Coil 10.0

Heat light is Zoo Med 120V bulb. Not coil.

Both lights seem to be white.

We don't have a thermometer, but we live in Georgia and during the day it is about 82 up there on our thermostat and we have the heat lamp on until noon or so.  The UVB light is on from about 8 to 4.  During the winter we leave the heat lamp on all day.

We dip the meal worms in Calcium

We spray his cage in the mornings with water.

I don't think he has gone to the bathroom recently.


Thank you for any further input, or recommendations. I will try to find some Phoenix worms. Any ideas on where to find them?

My daughter wants to know if Armadillo Lizards can eat fruits or vegetables.

Thank you!
Louisa


Answer
Hello Louisa,


Well, the Reptiglo 10 coil light is not a good light, unfortunately, so you will need to purchase a different UVB light.  Here is a link to the Reptisun 10 tube bulb you will need to get:

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-rept

The Reptiglo 10 coil produces low wavelength UVB emissions which are harmful & insufficient for D3 snythesis in that particular wavelength of UVB exposure.  So that could be a main reason why he is lethargic.   

You can find the phoenix worms from here straight from the breeder:

http://www.phoenixworm.com/servlet/StoreFront

You will need to leave the heatlamp on all day long during the time that the UVB light is on to protect his eyes & to keep him warm so he can digest his food properly.  He needs to have a basking spot at a constant 90-100 degrees while the cooler end can be maintained around 78-82 or so.
You are going to need to get a thermometer so you can see what his temperatures are, it can make a huge difference in his health.  
Here is the correct type of thermometer that you need to get him:
http://www.petmountain.com/category/289/1/reptile-thermometers.html

Get either the Coralife or the Zoomed because they have a probe with a sensor at the end.  Just make sure to leave it underneath of the basking spot for roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour to see the maximum temperature because it does take time for it to register fully.  

Good that you use calcium, he does need that at least 3 times per week.  He probably can have veggies or fruits but they are mainly carnivorous so I doubt that he would eat them though.  :-))

Let me know how he is doing.
Tracie