[Zoodulcis]

As they belly up to the bar, are they maintaining proper social distancing? 😆

When you mean family, is this a male, female, and one offspring unit? I assume so since you have a gravid female.

What made you get interested in fire skinks?

[Zoodulcis]

Super cute! Was the product of breeding in your household, or somewhere else? Does he have siblings?

[Zoodulcis]

Looks like a real party animal 😋 Have you had him his entire life?

[Zoodulcis]

Greetings Kamiee,

Start by reading the Leopard Gecko guide posted on this website.

It does sound like maybe your new pet was dehydrated. Keep providing him with fresh water daily. Check out his tail, after you read the care guide. The tail should be slightly smaller than the body width. If it is very thin, that is an indication of malnourishment. Begin feeding him as many crickets and dubia roaches or silk worms that he will eat. Avoid mealworms. Don’t handle him much until you are sure he is in perfect health. It’s very good of you to take over his care!

[Zoodulcis]

An oven mitt, what a clever idea. You will really thank yourself for setting up a biotank when you do get around to it. So nice not to have to clean it! Plus they look really attractive.

[Zoodulcis]

Seems like a nice set-up that is easily cleaned. Your right about the red light. A lot of work for you. I hope you can get a digital thermometer really soon. You will thank yourself for it and it is so money well spent. Have you ordered one online yet? Sometimes that’s the way to get the best deals.

[Zoodulcis]

What a pleasant image. Are the mum’s pride and joys little boys or girls?

[Zoodulcis]

She looks so big for her age!! I am glad that she is quite well. Nice for your peace of mind as well. More reptile owners should be that conscientious.

I have nothing against small, well run family pet stores. Some of them are really knowledgable and careful to sell only healthy animals from reputable breeders. It is the big box stores I have issues with. They pay poorly, have a high turnover and poor working conditions, and often buy from reptile mills. Their staff often have no idea what to tell customers about proper care for their new pet. That said, and I almost hate to ask now, where did you get her?

[Zoodulcis]

Well she is a beautiful creature. I’m assuming she was a lockdown pet. Since she seems to be a pretty mature girl, not a little tiny hatchling, I’m wondering if she is a rescue? Although some people have had to give up their pets, just as many seem to be taking them on. It all depends on people’s individual circumstances, as I am seeing every day on the forum. So I am just curious. Is the purpose of the vet check a clean bill of health or germane to a particular concern?

[Zoodulcis]

Greetings,

Although it is difficult to be sure without an examination or a video, I think the prudent course of action is to assume that it IS this condition. By taking this stance you can begin to manage the animal’s stress levels in a systematic way, and draw conclusions about the best way to manage his environment, how to handle him more to his liking, changes to feeding and furniture and so forth. For instance, he became agitated at the beginning of the handling session when you needed to take him out to clean his enclosure. I must assume that you picked him up in a forthright manner that both you and he were used to before this gene kicked in. Experiment with time and approach, and see if he alters his response. Perhaps putting your hand under him for a bit before lifting him up will help? Or handling him at dusk, when he is most active and alert. You may find through trial error that dusk is a terrible time, but morning is fine, and so forth. Consider his enclosure design the way a parent with an autistic child must do. Eliminate any tall plants or branches, because if he has a seizure, he can fall and break a leg. Like autistic persons, this genetic condition is not fatal, but cannot be cured. That’s OK, because with some adjustments to routine and environment, he should still be a fine pet for you for years to come, he is just going to have special needs.

Many owners of ES Leos have found that positive results were achieved by increasing calcium in the lizard’s diet. I think there is warrant for this observation, scientifically, so do try that, just make sure and do the research needed to provide a supplement with a proper calcium/phosphorus balance (2/1 ratio). Also, like autistic persons, bright lights and sudden loud sounds can produce abnormal behavioral responses. You may want to experiment with lighting. If you do have good results with light reduction, be sure that your supplement of choice includes D3.

Do not increase the current dosage of supplement too dramatically, as in don’t double it, because excess levels of calcium can cause their own problems. I have addressed this in several care guides on this site, so cruise through some of those to get ideas on mineral formulations and amounts. Just make sure the product you use is high quality, well balanced, and increase his intake about 25% for two weeks and observe the results. If they are positive, keep the dosage there, rather than increasing it.

Like any parent of a special child, you will need to become a bit of a scientist to find out what works and what doesn’t. Of course, you may decide that a veterinary opinion is needed, and if you come to suspect the problem is not ES, then by all means do that. If it is ES, the vet will tell you pretty much what I just have. Very best of luck and please keep us informed of his progress, because ES is pretty common and other forum members will benefit from your observations, as will I.

[Zoodulcis]

The intense concentration of a cricket ambush moment..both eyes forward! She sure blends in with her surroundings. How old is she?

[Zoodulcis]

Aha, so the sock monitor is named Iggy. What an adorable picture, a real portrait of lockdown relaxation. How old is Iggy?

[Zoodulcis]

That’s cute. Does this sock monitor have a name?

[Zoodulcis]

Howdy, photo didn’t attach. Why don’t you try posting again?

[Zoodulcis]

Smart strategy. I have had that problem with local suppliers as well, which is a bummer. To get that yearly supply, get all of your friends to log in to this site and give you a critter gold. And even if you don’t win, ordering monthly from Critter Depot might save you some headaches.

How old is Drago?

[Author]

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