Thread: What killed this Turner gecko? (Warning: gruesome images)

[Firetail]

So here's what's happened.

I had a pair of turner geckos for the past 3 and half years, last 3 in the same terrarium. I always fed them vitamin powdered crickets. They were both doing fine up to a few weeks ago.

I noticed it was looking thinner but I figured it might have been the changing weather due to springtime, and sometimes I barely see them out at all for weeks (they are in a side room) , so I wasn't really suspecting much.

I had a complete cleaning of their enclosure last Wednesday, so I don't have any feces for analysis.
I noticed next day that it was having problems shedding. Basically all of its skin was still on the gecko and it even spraying it with water didn't help. It was weak and couldn't wall climb at all following this. Next day I gave it a warm bath and helped to peel off the skin carefully. I went to a local reptile breeder and they recommended raising the temperatures, which I did. The gecko would stay on the edge of the extra heating mat area after this, rather than on it all the time. As well as trying to feed it soldier fly larvae, as they are smaller and easier to catch than crickets. I isolated the sick gecko by taking out the healthy one.

I thought the gecko was eating them for a few days, but it turned out the larvae could climb out of the feeding box and hide elsewhere.
It showed no interest in them after I returned from my weekend away. As carefully as I could, I force fed it a few worms, but the gecko regurgitated them all after a couple of hours. It was still alive this morning, moving its head in reaction and all, and I wanted to take it to a vet today as soon as I got back home. Unfortunately, I found it dead, with weird holes on the head and the side of the ribs.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/csdgwuzop7350vo/head.jpg?dl=0

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/284bahpsr6pkrjm/side.jpg?dl=0


I could find no sign of parasites, like worms. I'd suspect hidden crickets but I purposefully left them food pellets in the enclosure so that they would not try to harass the geckos, and only about 4 hours passed since I last saw it alive.

Could anyone offer me some help what could have happened and how to prevent it happening again? Thanks.

 

[acpart]

I wish I could help, but it's a mystery to me. I do think that the "holes" and other marks were made by some kind of scavenger after the death. Could the black soldier fly larvae have done it? I have found with my own geckos that sometimes one just starts to go downhill for no good reason. Maybe something is wrong inside that we can't know about. I fell that these animals tend to act as if they're OK when they're just a bit sick and we may not notice anything until they get really bad. I'm sorry for your loss.

Aliza

 

[DrCarrotTail]

As with Aliza, I don't know what happened to your little guy but would assume the wounds were either from a fight with the other gecko or occurred after death by some insect in the cage. Most exotic animals can be very ill and not show any sign until they're near death. I also don't know the life expectancy of that species but it may have just been her time. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Firetail]

Thanks.

I separated them days before the sick one died. The hole on the side looks like something chewed it's way out of the inside... could have been crickets after it died but it happened in a matter of hours. They were a male-female couple that got along well, they even had three hatchlings a few years ago.

I'll disinfect the whole enclosure before I move the remaining one back and pay extra attention to any sign of parasites, but I couldn't see any suspects when I removed the body.

 

[Firetail]

Thanks, I looked into the soldier fly theory, it looks like they do eat carrion... though I'm pretty sure all were regurgitated by the gecko before it's demise. I'll look around once I disinfect the enclosure before moving the remaining one back.

 

[Firetail]

Thanks for all the help, I'm not sure I'm replying to the actual comments, I do press the reply button below the ones I try to respond to but afterwards I see no indication that it was sent as one.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I've seen lots of posts about insects eating their way out of geckos but absolutely no concrete evidence. I've been keeping multiple species of geckos for several years and leopard geckos and fat tails for over a decade and have never seen anything like that happen. I feed mealworms, superworms, crickets, dubia and more. In short, I seriously doubt anything ate its way out.

I've never been too successful with the comments thing either and just tend to respond to everything haha.

 

[Firetail]

I've seen lots of posts about insects eating their way out of geckos but absolutely no concrete evidence. I've been keeping multiple species of geckos for several years and leopard geckos and fat tails for over a decade and have never seen anything like that happen. I feed mealworms, superworms, crickets, dubia and more. In short, I seriously doubt anything ate its way out.

I've never been too successful with the comments thing either and just tend to respond to everything haha.

Thanks. The holes are still weirding me out, especially how fast they appeared, and the cavity that seemed to be on the inside. I'll report back soon after I cleaned the whole terrarium out.

 

[Firetail]

I'm done with the cleaning, only found a couple of hidden crickets and more soldier fly larvae. Seeing how fast the holes appeared and how high they were up, and their hiding place, they still sound like an unlikely culprit to me, but I'm out of ideas. Also, the last worm I fed the gecko was killed beforehand, and was regurgitated.

Thanks for all the feedback and help, everyone. I hope the other one doesn't have whatever ailment the deceased one had.