[Zoodulcis]

This is in the top three best pix for this month, IMHO. Where did you get that awesome little bed?

[Zoodulcis]

It’s up to you, but neither one of these species requires company, so if another enclosure is within your budget, go for it.

[Zoodulcis]

An additional thought on solving the stuck shed occurred to me. If you have access to mineral oil, you might want to use a tiny, tiny bit right on the crusty area after moistening. Many homes are so dry in winter, like mine, that even misting twice a day would not keep those tissues pliable. A little mineral may help to seal the moisture in between mistings. Do not use vegetable oil of any kind, as this can become attractive to bacteria.

Judging from the size of the tail, the one in the photo is not undernourished, but given what you’ve described of their previous care, they may be malnourished. Try to avoid feeding mealworms since leopard geckos have a really short digestive tract and mealworms are almost all chitin, so not terribly nutritious. Be sure to gut-load all food items no more than 24 hours prior to offering them to your guys for maximum nutrition. A vitamin-mineral supplement in addition to calcium is probably an excellent call as well.

[Zoodulcis]

This is a terrible situation!! You are very brave for taking this on. The only suggestion I have is to gently spray decholorinated water that is room temperature onto their stuck sheds twice daily. Wait 48 hours and see if they are able to rub it off themselves. Which seems unlikely at this point. If they can’t, then you may have to try to work it off even if they bite. Gloves will help. This may end up being a job for a vet.

Let us know if this course of action helps. Why do people take on pets they can’t care for!!! It’s good that they are now in your care.

[Zoodulcis]

And you are patient with him. Has he always had a tendency to go the hair?

[Zoodulcis]

Nothing like giving credit where credit is due!!

[Zoodulcis]

That’s quite an endorsement! We have a post started about recommending amazing dragon breeders. If you get a chance, perhaps you could post something there to give other folks a heads-up that these guys are superior and very conscientious in their breeding practices.

So cute that he gives you kisses!

[Zoodulcis]

Very sensible. I love it. I bet HRH Caitlyn was pretty psyched. Is she learning from home entirely these days?

[Zoodulcis]

Now that is really interesting. Antique auctions do something similar. I think you scored big time. Were you nervous about who you might get?

[Zoodulcis]

Ah excellent. I bow before their magnificence. And what was the occasion of their coronation?

[Zoodulcis]

Ah ha, I see. But tell me, what is a mystery box dragon?

[Zoodulcis]

That’s awesome, congratulations!! What is the name of this new royalty?

[Zoodulcis]

What a show-off! But totally adorable. How old?

[Zoodulcis]

He is very photogenic and this artsy picture of him is wonderful. If all of the students in cyber class log onto this site and give him a critter gold, he might win this month. How old is Mr. Bean?

[Zoodulcis]

Any animal can have depression or anxiety. These are not psychological disorders that are the strict purview of humans. These feelings are not even disorders, but can be very adaptive under the right circumstances. For instance, an animal that has no kinship bonds will suffer no slings and arrows at the loss of a blood relative. OK, fine. But ties of kinship mean that an organism will act in a manner that promotes gene replication. The purest gene replication is, of course, through one’s own offspring. But there is a certain amount of evolutionary sense for an animal to feel affinity for, and friendship toward, one’s own kind in general. But that implies a framework, a template, for caring. Under certain circumstances, that template can be highjacked and filial affinity toward a totally inappropriate species can be engendered. Higher-order thought, such as that which makes philosopher’s out of monkeys, is not necessary for an animal to feel bonds of attachment, and depression or anxiety when those bonds are broken. This is an emerging field of ethology that is very exciting, especially so since many religious and cultural assumptions concerning humans as distinctively different from animals in all ways are being broken down, and broken through. So the less professorly answer is…sure. Maybe your beardie was traumatized at some point in his young life and has chosen this particular animal to assist him with coping. Or perhaps they just like the way each other smells!! Who can be sure, but what a fun adventure in animal behavior you have ahead of you!

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