It has actually been over a couple off weeks now. I miss him terribly, he was my buddy who went nearly everywhere with me. It has actually been a couple of weeks now, but I just didn't have the heart to log on here.
For about a month he had breathing difficulty that came and went. He would have good days and bad days. He never lost weight, quit eating, bobbing his head or going after the ladies until a couple days before he died. He was treated as if he had a respiratory infection and went to the vet several times. But upon autopsy it was found that he died of heart failure. His heart was enlarged and not working effectively, causing fluid to back up into his lungs. There was no reason for this to be found.
I hope Otis was just an old guy, and that his last years with me were good for him and that he was happy. After watching all 4 of my collareds die this summer I have questioned myself whether it is even right for me to be keeping them. But I have these 3 new little girls to watch over.
Mariah, the one from west Texas, is a face banger. She has literally torn her pretty face up on the screen top of the terrarium. I was hoping it would hurt so bad that she would stop, but she hasn't. When she is not banging, she is digging. She wants OUT and does it in any cage I put her in. She will be disfigured, at the very least, or she will get repeated infections from it that kill her. She is pretty good when I handle her.
Snicket and Chimera, the 2 girls from southern Utah are doing well. Chimera still offers to bite me, but never follows through anymore. She wanted to bite a lot at first, and I just let her gnaw on the end of a finger until she figured out that it was not getting her anywhere. She does not like to be handled and I have not gotten very far with her. She is beautiful, with lots of yellow and blue.
Snicket is the smallest one. She has electric yellow around her neck and is starting to get some blue and green in her legs. She is the easiest to handle now that I can finally catch her. These lizards seem much harder to tame than the others did. I wonder why? Anyway, I don't have any pictures yet because no one will ever sit still long enough. Hopefully soon.
Goodbye Otis
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Valerie
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--
God bless the USA
plus the screen is soft and not near as face grating as metal screen.
