No tail? :S

[Keg34]

I had a leopard gecko hatch 4 days ago without a tail. She is perfectly alert and looks very healthy. Although her clutch mate is a brighter color she is slightly duller in coloration. Could anybody tell me what the possible cause of this is?

Thank you, Keg.

 

[Jordan]

Has it not broken off when in the egg, or in the incubator before you found her?

 

[acpart]

It would be great to see a picture. I had a gecko that hatched last spring and when I went to get it out of the incubator, the tail already had a gash in it and dropped soon after. Did you see any signs of a wound?

Aliza

 

[Keg34]

There is no sign of a wound or that she dropped it. There is a stub though, which starts off black with a white rounded end. I will upload a picture.

 

[Keg34]

hopefully this helps

 

[MellowMan24]

i would say u might want to cull it, its most likely a deformity

 

[clemsonguy1125]

If everything else is alright and it eats theres no reason to cull it. It can live a great life as a pet as long as it is not bred. Before you make the decision to cull it would wait a while to see how it does. If it starts to show health problems it would be a good decision.

 

[M_surinamensis]

No partially formed tail-tip was found in the egg it hatched from?

If it had been, then it could have indicated an in-egg tail autotomy. Since it wasn't, as far as I understand it, then this animal needs to be culled. The tail contains vertebrae, any deformities of it out of the egg where an alternative cause cannot be positively identified should be considered potentially genetic and the animal should be immediately culled. Visible problems with the tail can often be associated with less visible internal deformities.

I really dislike the look of that back left foot too, though it may just be a very awkward angle.

 

[Keg34]

I have never had a deformity from this pairing before. The mother has given 8 hatchlings and the father has given 5. Is it ok to keep breeding this pair? Is it just a fluke?

I double checked her foot and it was just an awkward angle in the picture. Up until recently she has been the most defensive hatchling i have ever had and at times agressive. Her colour is more dull and she is bigger than her clutchmate.

 

[LZRDGRL]

I hatched one with a stubby tail (longer than your gecko's tail) a couple of weeks ago:

She's perfectly healthy otherwise and eats and poops well. If you don't breed yours, there's no need to cull it if it develops well otherwise. It might just be due to a temp fluctuation in your incubator, especially if you've had all healthy hatchlings from that pairing otherwise. I had two healthy hatchlings yesterday and the day before yesterday from my pairing, so I assume it was an incubation mistake. It can still be a beautiful leo :main_yes:

Chrissy

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Not to start another cull/keep debate (there are plenty of those elsewhere), but I would definitely consider culling the animal. If there is absolutely no sign of in-egg caudal autotomy, then this is a severe deformity. Visible deformities are often tell-tale signs of inner deformities (heart/lung defects, neural defects, etc).

 

[Jordan]

Agree, culling will prevent any future breeding and passing on of the deformity.
Even if you keep it as a pet, what if in ten years time you dont want it? sell it? then what happens to it? it might be bred.
And it will be a lot harder (emotionally) to cull in ten years.

 

[SA Leopards]

I am no fundi on Leos or their anatomy, but surely culling is excessive? The tail is a part of their anatomy that is developed to be lost and regenerated, so there cant be any vital organs that will be affected by an absent tail? I understand the concept of culling and if there is any suffering on the part of the gecko/animal I fully endorse it (and I have culled suffering animals), but this is a larger than average healthy hatchling that has enough energy to be aggressive?

I'd say keep it, besides, the white tail tip looks awesome IMO!

 

[Dog Shrink]

I am no fundi on Leos or their anatomy, but surely culling is excessive? The tail is a part of their anatomy that is developed to be lost and regenerated, so there cant be any vital organs that will be affected by an absent tail? I understand the concept of culling and if there is any suffering on the part of the gecko/animal I fully endorse it (and I have culled suffering animals), but this is a larger than average healthy hatchling that has enough energy to be aggressive?

I'd say keep it, besides, the white tail tip looks awesome IMO!

The point behind the culling suggestion is not that the missing tail could affect the leo so much as the missing tail is just the visible surface of what could be other internal deformities caused by whatever caused the tail to not develop.

 

[SA Leopards]

That point I get and support 100%, but culling because if something that COULD be wrong without being certain is a bit extreme. Almost like saying "sorry for living, you MAY get sick so its better you die now"?

 

[Dog Shrink]

Which is the lesser of 2 evils? Keeping this animal alive in hopes that there isn't something worse wrong with it, have something be wrong and watch it suffer while you try to fix it only to lose it later on after you're attached?

 

[SA Leopards]

LOL, seems we have a miscommunication here, I'm trying to ask if it wouldn't be wiser to cull after a serious health problem has been identified? I agree with culling to alleviate suffering, I just don't see suffering here.

 

[Keg34]

There is no other visible signs of deformity. She eats well, poops and is no longer deffensive. I am yet to to see any other difference between her and her clutchmate.

I had not used any forums for about a year. And originally in the post i thought the term "cull" was refering to not breeding her and not selling to a unkowledgable owner. Which I fully agree with. As I will be keeping her and passing her onto my younger sister for Christmas.

But I do NOT agree with "putting her out of her missery", there is no missery. This is something I would certainly consider if there was visible discomfort, lack of appetite, or something else. But doing this to an animal that COULD have a health problem is just not right and I am not comfortable with this.

I do believe that there could have been a fluctuation in my incubator temperature. Which means it might be time for a new one. I cant see this being genetic.

Thank you for everybody's input.

 

[GothicGurrrl]

woo I'm very happy that your not going to cull her. She's a little cutie... and it would be a big waste to put her to sleep if she's perfectly healthy. As long as you don't breed from her then it's fine to keep her as a pet. .. but you may want to get her checked out at the vets when she's a bit older soo they can make sure she doesn't have any internal problems, but i'm sure she'll be fine if she's pooping and eating normally

 

[M_surinamensis]

You will notice a distinct and almost complete divide between the people who are proponents of culling and those who are not.

The experienced, educated and professional members who have responded favor culling.

The inexperienced, under-educated and neophyte hobbyist members do not.

Those who have a vested interest in maintaining healthy captive populations, who understand the potential causes and who understand the potential impact such visible deformities can have all line up on one side.

If you do not align yourself with that viewpoint, then you have no business propagating animals. When you choose to breed you have a responsibility, not just to your own pets but to the entire species; when you choose not to cull you are failing to live up to that responsibility. It is not fun, it is not easy- but it is right. Do the right thing and terminally cull this deformed lizard. If you can't or won't, then stop breeding, immediately and never do so again until such a time as you can fulfill all of the obligations that come with it.