Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I lost my handsome male yellerhead Nashoba today! Long story short I can't figure out what happened except I found him in a corner trying to attack/ bite a female a couple days ago, he has NEVER been the least bit aggressive not even with males. I reached in to get him and he was like a wild beast.
As his mouth was opened to bite me, I noticed what appeared to be a superworm looped down the back of his throat like an upside down horseshoe. I figured it was caught somehow and I put him down to go and get some long tweezers. I also wanted to close the lid on the tank I took him from, as I was doing this I was shocked to see one of my lovely females (shasta) with half her tail gone/ and bleeding.

I then picked up Nashoba and realized what was down his throat was Shastas tail. He would swallow and it( the looped part would disappear and then come back up in back of throat still in a looped shape, other words not being able to be swallowed or come out . He continued to try and bite so keeping his mouth open was not a problem. I grabed one side of the looped tail thinking I could work up one side from down his throat (gently) and I did, the rest came up as I gently pulled like a long snake. He stayed so still knowing I think, he was being helped.

I kept him alone , gave him water, but his coordination seemed off, I don't know if having the tail stuck down there cut off his oxygen a bit, or harmed something internal when I removed it or what, but he seemed mentally weird. Thinking it may be a lot stress I left him for the night. He never came out of it and died early today. I still can not figure WHY he would have bitten Shastas tail off, he was so very gentle, I will never know what the hell happened. So sad and very weird!

Such a beautiful boy!

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PHEve / Eve

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss Eve.

Always sad when we lose one but thanks everybody! I know you ALL understand.
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PHEve / Eve

Oh, how awful! Poor little kids. Completely bizarre. I hope Shasta's tail heals up. I'm so sorry about Nashoba.
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

oh eve that is terrible and very bizarre. seems like something out of a collared horror film.

with all my deaths, i noticed that towards the very end they became more aggressive than usual, maybe feeling more vulnerable because they were weak?
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vonnie

***I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers. Kahlil Gibran***

Eve,
Tragic and bizarre.
How long had the two lizards been together?
Is it possible that the male lizard attacked her tail as a prey item?
I would think that he would have to have chewed for some time to separate the tail.
And, you are probably right, it may have been occluding his airway, assuming he
was unable to swallow the tail, and he may have died of brain damage due to
oxygen deprivation.
I think most any animal could become aggressive when struggling for their life.

Sorry for you loss.
Oldcrota

I agree, as weird as it was I too think he was after a cricket or superworm (near or on her tail) and just clamped down.

I have had my female Shasta for more than a few years and she is very sweet natured, and Nashoba has been in the tank with her and other girls, for almost 2 years with NO problems ever. He is/was very friendly when out with other males as well.

So it had to have been a tragic accident. It was surley a FIRST, I have had a female C. nebrius that I had got from Will years ago PURPOSELY knawl off her male mates tail. It healed like a big ole club tail. Shastas tail, looked like a clean cut. just a terrible thing and such a waste of life, but I know strange things happen sometimes, even in nature.

Thanks buddy for your kind post!
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PHEve / Eve

hello eve

what an awful story
sorry for your lose with this beautiful collard
hopefully the tail of your female with heal good

greetings arjan, holland

Aww Eve, Hugs!

hi dear.....jim kendrick here...........
sorry about the news of your little friend. i know how attached we get to these little guys. why lizards do what they do can be a mystery. they seem to be unpredictable at times as any animal can be. i hope your little lady Shasta recovers okay dear. i know i'll miss those cool and colorful pictures of the boy. please let me know if there's anything you need.
take care eve.