Question
lady
Lady was pregnant for the first time just a short time ago.
you could see the eggs very well. Something happened and
she never delivered her eggs that was almost two and a half
to three months ago. It looks like the eggs were reabsorbed
because you can't see or feel them anymore. Last night I
picked her up and noticed she had a hard lump right under
the left side under her vent, also she had little tears
one on top of the lump and another one on the right side.
The only thing i noticed different in her behavior was
she was staying in her wet hide for longer periods of
time. When I took her and her mate out of the hut, it
smelled terrible like really strong urine. I always keep
the vermiculite clean and change it often. She is eating
well no changes there, and no apparent changes in her
defecating or stool color or viscosity. I would greatly
appreciate your help and advice. I inherited the leo
geckos from my son.
the
vermiculite and cleaned the hut really well.
AnswerHi Pamela,
Thanks for sending along a picture. A few things concern me with your girl...
the size of her stomach(very large) compared to the size of her legs and tail(on the skinny side)Also the strong smell of urine. Leos normally do not lay or sleep where they go to the bathroom.
The lump and sores, my thoughts are an abscess which may have come from the male breeding her. Abscesses in reptiles are not like on humans. In reptiles they are hard and filled with bead like substance. Many times they can be treated without surgery. Generally a vet will try an oral and a topical antibiotic.
If the Vermiculite is in their warm hide(not the humid hide) I recommend removing it. Also, if its in the humid hide, I also suggest you remove it and use something that is not loose. I use moss in mine. There is too much risk using a loose substrate where they sleep.
My suggestions are: get her to a vet for a checkup..medication for the possible abscess and to check her belly for any possible retained eggs. Leos generally lay several clutches of eggs a few weeks apart.
I also recommend removing the male to his own tank for a while so she can heal after the vet visit.
Here is a direct link to more info on what to use for a female to lay eggs and more on breeding if you are wanting to breed..
http://www.thegeckospot.com/leobreeding.html
I'm including a basic care sheet I wrote. In it are links to finding a vet that can treat reptiles.
BASIC CARE FOR A LEOPARD GECKO
Leopards are pretty easy to care for but they do need
special care. Here are some of the basic needs of your gecko.
HOUSING: The need to have at least a 20 gallon long tank for one Leo. This needs to have a secure fitting screen top...they can be quite the escape artists!!! They need to have a humid hide box.You can make this with something as simple as a small plastic dish with a hole cut in one side and a small mesh bag filled with some Sphagnum moss coconut bark or Peat moss that you mist.
I made mine out of the small plastic folgers coffee containers...I cut an opening in the lid..and put the moss in..they LOVE it. I use the terrarium moss in mine.
I use that on the warm side of the tank. Be sure to provide a cool hidebox on the other end. I also provide a mid temperature hide...which is in the middle of the tank.I use the critter caves which you can purchase. NOT the ones that have heat in them!!!!
Provide secure climbing areas for your gecko. Fake plants, rocks and branches are all fine to use. be sure there are no wires or sharp ends to any fake plants you use.
*****SUBSTRATE:(that's the stuff on the floor of your tank) Newspaper, lizard carpet or paper towels work great and are easy to clean and are much safer than any loose substrate. Sand or other loose substrate is not recommended as that they can be deadly to the leo when it is ingested(eaten, even by accident while eating their insects)...A very graphic site of an impacted leo surg can be seen at http://homepage.mac.com/exoticdvm/reptile/PhotoAlbum181.html it is very graphic!!! ******What I have found that works great for safety and heat distribution is using about 1/4 inch of childrens play sand(since the tiles fit tight together, there is no sand danger) on the bottom of the tank and on top that you place ceramic or slate floor tile. What is nice is that the 12 x 12 squares fit perfect in a 20 gallon tank with no spaces between the tiles. The sand and the tile distribute the heat wonderfully. Using the under tank heater as described is what distributes the heat. Also, overhead heat will help in heating the tiles...I've been using this set up for several years and the leos love it. Using a tile that isn't smooth is recommended. **********
TEMPERATURES: They need a warm area of 88-92 degrees and a
cooler area in the upper 70s, low 80s. At night their temperature can drop to the low to mid 70's.
Never use a hot rock for a leopard gecko...or any reptile.
They can severely burn any reptile. You can use a heating
pad under the tank,under tank heater, or you can use a regular household lightbulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to keep the warm area at the 88-92 degree area.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed. The undertank heater or heating pad should cover about 1/3 of the tank....be sure to raise the tank up about 1/4-1/2 inch off the stand when using an undertank heat source to prevent heat build up which can cause the glass to break and hot spots in the glass. Be sure to have a good layer of newspaper, carpeting or, even a thin flat rock(such as tile) on top the area that the undertank heat source is placed...if you use a thin rock or tile, it helps to distribute the heat very well.
You can use the special nighttime lights that are designed for reptiles. I like using a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for nighttime heat.
DO NOT use black lights or party lights as they can cause eye damage!!!!
The wattage you use will vary based on room temperature and size of tank.
LIGHTING: Leopard geckos do not need UVB lighting but it does not hurt them to give them uvb. They should have some type of light during the day, be it a uvb tube, regular florescent light, reptile day light or regular household lightbulb. NO white lights at night!!!
FEEDING: Geckos should not be fed crickets or other insects that are bigger than the space between their eyes. Generally, hatchlings can be fed more than once a day,juvys can be fed twice a day, adults are fed once daily or every other day, in the early evening. Crickets and other food items such as silk worms, super, and an occasional treat of a wax worm, need to be dusted with a calcium supplement two times a week and also they should have a small dish of calcium in their tank. I use the lid of a milk jug for the little dish of calcium in their tank. For dusting the insects, Use a calcium with no added phosphorus. Insects must be gut loaded(fed) for at least 48 hours prior to feeding your gecko. Remove any uneaten crix or superworms after 15-20 minutes..... Place a piece of cut potato in the tank so that if you have missed any uneaten insects, they will eat the potato instead of nibbling on your gecko!!!
*************You have to be sure to feed your crickets and insects the right foods before feeding them to your gecko. If your crickets/insects are not healthy and well fed, your gecko will not get the nutrition he needs. You can gut load your crickets and insects greens, veggies, cereals or specially designed commercial foods for crickets or the insects you are feeding. ************
Be sure to have a small dish of clean water for your gecko at all times!!
You can offer them some baby food or fruits on occasion ...
Mine will even eat a small piece of watermelon now and then.WATER: always provide a dish of drinking water. If you choose to mist your gecko to drink, its best to not get the tank too wet as that they do not do well with higher humidity. Sometimes its better to take your leo out of their tank to mist them to get them to drink!!!
HANDLING: Some geckos enjoy being held...others prefer not to be handled at all. Be sure to be very gentle when holding your leo and NEVER grab them by the tail! Their tails are extremely fragile and will break.
I do suggest finding a vet that can treat reptiles BEFORE you actually need one!!! To find a vet that is able to care for reptiles:
http://www.anapsid.org/vets
http://www.arav.org/Directory.htm
For more information on leopard geckos:
http://www.thegeckospot.com/leocareindex2.html
http://www.drgecko.com
If you have any questions or don't understand something, please let me know.
texas geckos changed from brown to colorless?
QuestionQUESTION: Hi,
Three years ago we had a f
Texas Spiny lizard?
QuestionTexas Spiny Lizard?
QUESTION: My son fou
Turtle Identification
Question
Turtle?
Hi,
My kids and I found a large turtl
What is it?
Question
Lizard
I live in Key West, 22 years now
Sick leopard geckos
Questionleopard gecko
QUESTION: I have had three
