My First Lizard- Tips Please!

[Cutlass]

oh; what a relief! *lol*

 

[kribensis12]

Got any pic's of him? I have been dying to see him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kribensis12]

Update's?

 

[Cutlass]

oo sorry about lack of updating I've been busy lately.


I now have two lizards; Frodo and DotCom!!!! They seem quite happy and according to http/anoleforest.2ya.com/ Frodo is actually female and DotCom is male. Frodo shed recently and I had to help her with a bit of stubborn skin on her chin but she's fine now! (yeah, I didn't change her name ^.^) I accidentally have cricket eggs; what to do? I don't want baby crickets; they're small and escape!!!! *dies* OH!

I'll take pics for you RIGHT NOW

 

[Cutlass]

Sorry that they're brown Frodo just had a bad experience with a cat and DotCom's probably still stressed from the move(I just got him a couple hours ago)

I'll try messing with my camera settings to get better pics for you I bet my mini camera would do better for this kind of thing(the quality is nowhere near as good but it's almost never blurry)

 

[Cutlass]

Okay maybe it's better maybe it's not and DotCom was hiding...this is right after I put them away so they're still brown. Usually they're bright green.

 

[kribensis12]

Good that their bright green. Is there a black patch behind thier eye's? If so, then they are stressed. Are they lerthargic? Or skinny, or maybe have diareaha? Their first pic look's like they are either A extremely sick, or B, very very stressed. Are they eating?

 

[Cutlass]

like I said; Frodo is normally bright green but when I took the pics it was right after a bad experience with a cat...The crickets have been getting eaten but I'm not sure who's been eating them...DotCom (was) often green but did have the dark patch and I assumed he was stressed from the move since I just got him but err...DotCom's dead. (and the crickets have been getting eaten but I'm not sure who's been eating them...)

When I first got him he was very active and alert, seemingly healthy despite being a tad stressed. One day I noticed that Frodo kept going to him(often sitting on him) and he had become slightly lethargic. The next day he barely moved when I misted the terrarium(they always run and hide usually) I took him out to inspect him; there was nothing visibly wrong on the outside but he never tried to escape and his eyes were dull. When I put him back in Frodo immediately went to him and poked him a couple of times(he barely responded) He looked a bluish colour at this point...A couple hours later he was dead!

I've taken some pictures of him because now there's some definite issues visible on the outside, sorry about the quality! I used two different cameras(let me know which is better for these kind of close-ups please)
I want to draw your attention to 3 main things;
1) On his stomach there is a large dark reddish patch(it looks a lot like internal bleeding to me) and the skin around it is pale yellow
2) On the base of the tail there is a black patch(also on one of the legs)
3) There is a rather 'deflated' bit of torso(deflated, or broken ribs? I know how flexible the ribcage is...) with another black spot similar to that on the tale but paler and a pale yellow spot, too...

I also noticed a little reddish-brown thing sticking out of his anus with a little strand of white but I couldn't get any clear shots of it...

I haven't disposed of the body yet; what should I do with it!? Frodo's perfectly fine; bright green and no black spot and she's fully alert! I haven't a clue what could have happened to DotCom! Could he have had a nasty fall(broken ribs and internal bleeding? he was on a branch when I took him out the first time...) could it be some kind of parasite(the thing in his anus?) I hope Frodo doesn't get depressed; she always seemed concerned....

Oh gosh, what could I have done wrong???

 

[kribensis12]

Sorry about DotCom!!!!!!!! You didnt do anything wrong. From what i have read( i read alot) all lizards have parasites in their stomach's. And only when the lizards is too stressed/weak to stop them do they feed of the lizard. That is what i think the protruding brown/reddish thing is. Also, the color's on him/her are what they look like when they die. Every one of my lizards look like that when they die. If you lizard looks sick, it is almost always to late. Are you sure Frodo is a girl. I like the second batch of pics better, still blurry, but visable. Make sure that you have your cricket's dusted with either the reptile Calicium Dust, or Powderd Centrum( multivitamen). Female Anoles that are pregnant definatley need this. I would take him/her back, you have a warrenty, so you can get a new one, or your money back. Hope the next one( if you get one) will make it.

 

[Cutlass]

Thanks for the help! I'm glad to know that this wasn't my fault!

I do dust all my crickets with Flukers calcium powder before feeding them to the lizards. I'm mostly certain that Frodo is female...is there anywhere I can find a photo reference of the hemipenile bulge and the postanal scales?

 

[kribensis12]

Google It!!!!!!!!!!! I would gogle it for you but i've got to go and do chores!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Cutlass]

Well, it's not an anole but I found this picture of postanal scales on a Great Basin Fence Lizard

And a hemipenile bulge on a leopard ghecko

Are these what I'm looking for? If so, Frodo is definitely female and DotCom was definitely male.

 

[kribensis12]

I am haaving problems finding very good information. But i hav enoticed this. If the anoles apperance apears masculine, it is a male 9/10 times. The same with females.

 

[Cutlass]

okay!

UMMM Frodo hasn't eaten since Dotcom died

 

[kribensis12]

I wouldnt say that she is lonely. Sounds like you got your lizards from the wrong place. Try and get them somewhere else.