Hi, > Recently I had two grandis hatchlings (~1.5-2mos old, I think) die > within 2 days of each other. (They were "roommates".) They had > previously been seemed very healthy, ate very well (like most > geckos--everything in sight!) and were quite active. Then they just > quit eating (I couldn't swear that they never ate any baby food, but I > don't think they did), though initially remained fairly active. I found > one on the bottom on his side, like he'd fallen off the silk plant, so I > picked him up to see if I could get him to eat or drink something. In > my hand he was trembling like my female pictus did when she almost died > of hypocalcemia, and his tail was waving around they way they do when > they've dropped it. He wouldn't drink anything, and died that evening. > I didn't notice the trembling with the other--it did seem stuck on the > floor for a bit, but them climbed up into a piece of bamboo and > died there.
Sounds like an problem with not enough vitamin- and maybe calcium-supply to me - I�d try this as a quick-fix: use light UV-lighting (a ReptiSun 5.0 or such) with the cages of the hatchlings to improove the Vitamin D3-use, then get some good vitamin- and calcium-supplements (ask your fellow listers for a hint on which are good AND available in your country) and increase the amount of vitamins, as beepollen alone will not suffice. > Now, another hatchling, different tank, has gone off his feed. He still > seems fairly active, but is loosing weight, and hasn't eaten in several > days, perhaps a week. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? > Nothing has changed in their environment that I can think of. They are > in my bathroom, which is heated separately, and stay between 85 & 90 (I > try to keep it below 90, but it does fluctuate between those two > throughout the day) and about 68-72 at night. They have been primarily > eating mealworms, since that is what I have a reliable supply of, with > babyfood offered periodically (with calcium & sometimes beepollen mixed > in) and occasionally other small insects (including but not limited to > crickets). Mealworms are a fat diet and should not be excessively given - try to give a larger variety of foods to your animals, and your animals should overall improve. According to veterinarians in germany overmuch fat is the major cause for early death in captive reptile husbandry. Hope it�ll help, and good luck Hartmut Lipp (Germany) _______________________________________________ Global Gecko Association http://www.gekkota.com Classifieds http://www.gekkota.com/cgi-gekkota/classifieds.cgi gecko mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.gekkota.com/mailman/listinfo/gecko
