Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi guys, my one lizard all the sudden has a dark tail tip. i have no clue why, other than i just got a new mercury vapor bulb, and maybe she got burned? does black skin means shes burned or what? its wierd. my male has a tail injury as well. id take a picture but i cant, but the half inch or so of her tail is black ( wasnt like that before). any thoughts???
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

Guy, it is not likely that the Megaray caused it unless !) they can get close enough to burn their tails and not burn any other part of their bodies. You shouldn't be letting them closer than 12 inches, so it isn't likely if you are respecting that distance.

Now, are you checking your basking and floor temps under that megaray? You would be surprised how hot it can get on the floor below the basking spot. It is possible that if they are hiding somewhere under it and the tail tips are sticking out, I guess they could burn, but I would think they would feel the heat before they let it burn. They feel heat from above, but not from below.

Here are some other things to consider. Do you keep them all together in one viv? Could they be biting each other's tails?

They could still have mites. What you describe sounds a lot like the lesions that Eve described when we were discussing mites. Get a magnifying glass and have a close look at the tail tips and any other irregular spot on them.

Finally, are you collecting all of the uneaten crix from the viv at night? Crix can be brutal! I have a batch now that WILL eat my lizards if they don't eat them. I saw a cricket carry off a phenix worm bigger than itself to eat! Make sure you are removing uneaten crix every night.

its may not be however, i did for couple hours tade have the basking sight at about 6 inches. my fault i lowered it. i didnt read the chart that came with the bulb. however my mom took her new puppy to the vet and i had her ask the vet about it, and she said it could be a lack of vitamins.it doesnt seem to be affecting the lizard, its just weird this is happening.
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

Be watchful it does nto spread up the tail. Black tail tip can be caused by inuries from getting it stuck, fighting, bites, mite damage, many things. Black on tails usually means the tissue is dying or dead and can if not treated with povodone iodine solution / and neosporin or triple antibiotic ointment it can continue to spread to good tissue , going further up the tail.

Not saying this will happen it may just stay at the tip but keep an eye on it. If it continues to blacken further up the tail then this is called dry gangrene and must be treated, if it does not heal they have to remove the parts that are blackened. Just watch for now and see if it just stops there.
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PHEve / Eve

well im not sure if it spread but it does look darker, maybe that is spreading. doesnt seem like its reacting to me touching it. i did find a small wound right above where its blackened. not sure what caused the wound. maybe a bite maybe mites? seems to be painful to her when i touch it.im going to soak it and keep it clean.
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

Guy, if it is swollen or pussy, you need to get her to the vet. Eve is right. Tail injuries can turn into tail rot really quickly, and sometimes only amputation of the infected area and possibly oral antibiotics can stop it.

It definitely sounds likeeither a bite or she injured it somehow.

With dry gangrene you do not have swelling, pus ( which btw in lizards looks like solid cheese type matter in case you wanted to know, Guy)

You won't see that with dry gangerine/ it's without infection or bacteria, just dead tissue, lack of blood supply to the tail from something, injury, bite,,,,,

A blackened dried up piece or portion of tail or DRY gangerine, is so named because it is dry, and dark/black, like for example * an old dead twig looking dry as time goes on. NO live tissue, as in DEAD but can spread up the tail, then if it can not be treated must be amputated. BUT lets not jump the gun, just watch it closely Guy, keep it clean.

Rosebud, you are thinking of WET gangrene with infection and bacteria. There are 2 types, and gas gangerene but thats just a form of wet or from wet.

I learned this when one I took in had blackened tail many years ago.

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PHEve / Eve

Actually, I'm just thinking of the generic term, tail rot, period. I have seen it and treated it in a variety of animals over the years, several each year, from possums, to squirrels, to lizards. If I get an animal in with what we rehabbers call tail rot, it is usually fairly severe, so we take it to the vet who usually does some degree of amputation followed by a round of antibiotics. I guess he decides which kind it is! LOL! I never looked that far into it.

umm its doesnt seem to be like a twig yet, but it is still black. i put Neo. on it, didnt have any iodine solution. probly have to get some. how much of their tail can they grow back, cuz if it gets worse, i may have it amputated. on that note, would it be better to have the lizard drop that part of the tail or actually aputate it. isnt dropping a tail different than having it cut off. dosent the tail close off. however i really cant control how much the lizard drops. just thinking about. obviously my primary concern is to stop the invection and make it go away but if worse come to worse i guess i have to get it done.
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

They don't drop tails like some other lizards. Collareds tails are used alot for balance so they have been created to keep them, lol.

Anyway Guy I would not worry about it yet. Some collareds keep a tiny end portion dark or blackened for their lifetime and it does not harm them or spread. i'm talkign if you would see it continuing up the tail as time goes on and it looks as if a lot is startign to go dark/ blackened.

Otherwise just wait and see and put on the neposporin
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PHEve / Eve

idk about that i had a peice of tail come off in my hands awhile back. luckily it was the tip, and it grew back.

this mourning the tail looked like some color came back to it. im going to keep treating it, and watching it.
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

Let me clarify my statement, lol

Collareds "Rarely" ever lose their tails, I suppose with a really hard TUG ya might break it, and it will break because if injured, or dead tissue, but what I'm saying is it is RARE that you grab a collared and the tail drops like a lot of lizards.

The collareds tail is much more sturdy as they use it for balance.

In 10 years I have never had one drop their tail.
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PHEve / Eve

it makes sense that they dont because they cant regrow it past a certain lose of tail.
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)