Hey All... Take a look at this please.

SoCaliSon

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Simi Valley, CA
My roommate has had what was sold to him as a pair of Leos. He has had them for about a year now. I took a look at his "female" and she did not seem to be doing good. He had them together in about a 40 gal glass tank, with heat from above via red lamp and a 5.0 UV tube. The male seems to be flourishing, but she is scaring me a bit. Her tail is very skinny, and she seems to sleep all day. I removed her from the tank with the male, and got her set up on her own with some belly heat, and a laying cave made from a little plastic container. I work with chameleons, and leos are not really my area, but I figured this would be a great way to learn a bit more, and try to help my buddies lizard. I want to post some pics of her... and how I got her setup now. I poured some crix in there and she seems to be eating them. I also found a small poop the other day, with a very small, but white urate. I will post some pics and would appreciate any info or advice you could offer me to help this girl. Also.... Any ideas on the morph? And is the sex correct?

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Here are some pics of how I set her up... Only gecko on a chameleon rack.lol
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Thanks in advance!
~Joe
 

snakegirl

New Member
Messages
800
Location
iowa
that looks like a very sick male, i would even take to the vet. he need food a.s.a.p wax worms are best along with dusting and other feeders..good luck. i cant tell of the morph its so washed out.
 

Haligren

is behind you.
Messages
1,380
Location
Prince George, BC
I'm inexperienced at sexing leos but that female looks quite male to me. Uh, I'd wait until someone else more experienced posts....

Good job on separating them though. I hope 'she' does well. If she is eating then there's a good chance she'll pull through. She looks like she'd be a very nice leo once fattened up.

EDIT: Oh, well speak of the devil. Others more experienced did post before me. lol
 

SoCaliSon

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Simi Valley, CA
Thanks guys!!! I had a feeling he was sold two males. I may be doing the vet thing... I have been offering supers as they are higher in fat to try to bulk him up, and get him turn around first. Since he is still eating and pooping... I am wondering if he could have been being dominated by the bigger more healthy male he was housed with and maybe that could be the issue?

They are diurnal correct? He should not be sleeping during the day?

I will get some waxies and silkies and see if those will help for a boost.

Thanks again.

~Joe

EDIT: Also just to confirm... In sexing you look at the base of the tail just below the vent for the bumps or bulges... correct? Two side by side =male... One in the middle = female?

I was just doing some reading and found out that they are nocturnal apparently... So I guess I shouldn't worry about sleeping through the day then.
 
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Kitsune

New Member
Messages
1,197
Location
Palm Bay/Melbourne, FL
Leo's are nocturnal. =)

I'd definitely take a fecal sample to the vet, but I do think dominance is part of the issue.. If not all of it~

Just make sure not to feed waxies exclusively as they are rather addicting and are more fat than anything. :3
Supers are great. =)
 

SoCaliSon

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Simi Valley, CA
I have a Cham keeping buddy with a microscope.. and we do all of our own fecal floats... I will have to put one under the microscope and see if anything can be identified.
 

GeckoTrouble

New Member
Messages
341
Location
Austin, TX
You did good!

Belly heat is important for geckos. No need for a heat lamp (unless it's really cold there) or UV at all.
The pic shows the v of pores so it's a male and was probably bullied away from the food by the other male.
I rescued a pair last year in a similar situation and the "female" has thrived after being separated. Gained a bunch of weight and is now obviously a male.
 

GeckoTrouble

New Member
Messages
341
Location
Austin, TX
To add on your set up.

I would make sure you have a hide on each the cool and warm side. A humid hide with wet paper towels should also be on the warmer side (although you can make it a little more towards the cool side than the hot hide).

I would give her a dish of pure calcium as well to free feed from. My Faraz (the bullied skinny male in my similar situation) chowed on it like crazy for the first couple of weeks.

If you have already done this and I just missed it in pics and postings then I apologize :)
 

SoCaliSon

New Member
Messages
26
Location
Simi Valley, CA
To add on your set up.

I would make sure you have a hide on each the cool and warm side. A humid hide with wet paper towels should also be on the warmer side (although you can make it a little more towards the cool side than the hot hide).

I would give her a dish of pure calcium as well to free feed from. My Faraz (the bullied skinny male in my similar situation) chowed on it like crazy for the first couple of weeks.

If you have already done this and I just missed it in pics and postings then I apologize :)

Great Advice! Thanks! I will throw in a dish of Calcium right now... You say "Pure Calcium"... Does this mean that there is no need for Vit. D3?
 

GeckoTrouble

New Member
Messages
341
Location
Austin, TX
I still dust feeders with cal+d3, but generally leave pure calcium in the tank. Based on my experience with Faraz chugging from his calcium dish, I have minor concerns of d3 toxicity. So mine still get d3 from the feeder dusting, but can also get extra calcium if they need it.

Someone here with more supplement experience may have some better information.

EDIT:
My supplementation schedule is dusting feeders with vitamins (Herpevit) 2 times a week and Calcium with D3 (Rep Cal) 2 times a week. I have heard great things about the Repashy Calcium/Vitamin supplement which is dusted daily and plan to switch to that when I buy again.
 
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L

leonewbie

Guest
He looks like he's about to shed as well, generally (and it could be bc he's ill, but generally) they tend to get that whitish/dull look right before they shed.
 

stellascura420

New Member
Messages
236
Location
Alabama
I got a skinny little leo about a week ago and she looks similar to yours. I was told it'd be difficult to definitely tell what morph because when they get really thin and malnourished they lose most of their coloring. He should brighten up once he starts putting on some weight. :main_yes:
 
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Krow

Senior Member
Messages
918
Location
East Texas
Yeah, wow, thats a definite he, lol. Males have bulges at the base of their tail (which is their "stuff", lol) & also a dark v shaped set of scales that are really pores, females have white or very light pores & no bulges.

Also, another way to fatten him up is to feed only a few wax worms, but be careful with them because they are like the equivalent to the greasiest double meat cheese buger that you have ever had. I would only feed him one or 2 wax worms every other time you feed him, which should be every 2 days, so feed him a wax or 2 every 4 days.

& they should stay separated for now on since they are both male, males will bully, fight, & kill each other sometimes, not a good thing.
 

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