Prolapse? Male gecko licks his hemipenes

[mörten]

About your leo:
- Sex: Male
- Age & Weight: 7 months
- How long have you owned your leo: 6 months
- Where was he/she obtained (ex. Pet store, breeder, wild caught, friend): Pet store

A) Health/History
- How often do you handle your leo: Once a day he likes to climb out of his tank to poop (on my sofa....)
- Is your leo acting any different today? If so how does he/she normally act which differs from now.: He is alert and active as he usually is.
- Has he/she had any problems in the past, if so please describe.: He has been doing fine since I got him - eats and poops well, sheds well...

B) Fecals
- Describe (look any different than normal): They look normal. However, two days ago his fecals were larger than usual. He had not been pooping for about a week.
- When was the last time he/she went: Two days ago

C) Problem
- Please briefly describe the problem and how long it has been going on: I usually go to check on him while he sleeps in his warm cave - I absolutely adore him when he sleeps. In the last 3-4 months I have caught him lifting his tail up and twisting his body over to lick his vent. I can see him lick his hemipenes (they look read and swollen) for a while and then retracts them. He then switches position and repeats the procedure - licking and then retracting. I have seen him done this about 4 times or so. Before it happens I usually hear a rasping noise from inside his cave, the same noise that I hear when drags his side against the walls of the cave when he sheds. He has not been mating and does not seen to suffer from impaction (although his last feces were bigger than normal). Although this procedure of his worries me, I have not seen him not being able to retract his hemipenes. But I am concerned that these are signs of a prolapse. Is his behaviour of licking his vent normal or is he starting to show signs of a prolapse?

Housing:
A) Enclosure
- Size: 24" * 15" * 18"
- Type (ex. glass tank): Glass tank
- Type of substrate: Reptile carpet
- Hides, how many, what kind: 3 hides -warm, cold, moist

B) Heating
- Heat source: Exoterra Heatwave Desert Mat 8" * 8"
- Cage temps (hot side, cool side): Warm side 88-90 F. Cool side 72-74 F
- Method of regulating heat source: Thermostat
- What are you using to measure your temps: Digital thermometers and analog thermometers (Exoterra)
- Do you have any lights (describe): The tank receives daylight from my window

C) Cage mates
- How many (males, females) None
- Describe health, or previous problems

Describe Diet:
A) Typical diet
- What you're feeding (how often, how much) 5-6 mealworm every other day or 3-4 crickets every other day
- How are you feeding (hand fed, left in dish, ect): Mealworms are hand fed. The crickets are given to him one by one in his tank (he is quite a hunter)
B) Supplements (describe how often)
- What vitamin/minerals are you using (list brands): I dust the mealworms and crickets with Repashy Calcium Plus with every feeding
- What are you gut loading food with: Oat bran, wheat bran, apples and veggies for the mealworms. Zoo Med cricket care, oat bran, apples, potatoes, carrots for the crickets.

Thanks for reading!

 

[acpart]

If there's a prolapse, the hemipenes won't retract. It's not unusual for male geckos to drag their butts around the bottom of the cage since this is how they mark their territory and deposit their pheremones (as I understand it) which are excreted through those pre-anal pores. Possibly your male leo is just reaching sexual maturity and is trying out the equipment. I don't think you have to worry unless the hemipenes don't retract or the bulges look swollen and sore (not so likely).

Aliza

 

[mörten]

Thank you Aliza That´s what I was hoping for!