Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, hopefully someone can give some advice or encouragement. Last Friday I accidentally stepped on an anole lizard (a whole bunch darted out in front of me as I walked along a sidewalk and this one ran under my foot as i stepped down, i didn't even see him but felt it). I didn't crush him completely but enough to make one of his eyes pop out of its socket. I took him home because he semmed to be in shock and there were a bunch of fire ants around and I didn't want him to get eaten. He seemed dead, not moving or breathing much but by the next day he was moving around and had managed to escape his enclosure (though it wasn't too hard and he never moved more than a few inches from it). Since it has happened he keeps his good eye closed most of the time and only opens it a little bit for a few seconds and then closes it again. He can see from it but he just won't keep it open. I am worried about him being able to find food on his own. I have had a UV light on him all week and have been feeding him mealworms. I have to take tweezers and hold the mealworm directly in front of his mouth and poke with it, when he opens his mouth i put the worm in and he eats it. I just found out the other day about keeping him warm so he can digest and humidity concerns and misting so he'll drink. So I have been trying but not doing too well with keeping him healthy. He is pretty lethargic except sometimes when his heat light is on he gets active and wants out. I put him outside under a bush yesterday and kept an eye on him while I did yardwork. He didn't move more than a few inches in about 4 hours and finally I brought him back in. Now I'm misting the enclosure like crazy, checking temperature, feeding him but he still seems to be getting worse. His skin is quite dark and the area of his head between his snout and eyes is a really pale whitish color which I think seems bad. The only good thing is that he holds himself up a lot, doesn't lay flat, and seems strong still.
So, what should be done for him? I really would like to let him go, probably being in captivity is really upsetting him and I don't think I am very good at keeping his environment right. But he seems so sluggish and I am concerned about him not opening his good eye very much. Will that pass? Plus the weather here in Florida has been cool and cloudy and he really seems to need warmth and light now. I'm really confused as to what to do.
Thank you for any help,
Sarah

As you can see in the post right below one of my anoles eyes is gone. She wasn't born that way we think she poked a stick in her eye in her cage. Anyway.... about the first week after we really started looking at her and holding her she got really stressed and didn't move at all! I was really afraid that i was going to lose her but she came through. In fact she's about to be a proud new mom! Try getting on the internet and doing as much research as you can try to match her captive habitat as close as you can with her wild one. Keep the humidity between 50 and 70. Don't handle her to much cause that could be stressing her more. It is good that she is eating it will keep her strength up. If you realized that he might not need to hibernate cause he's in this condition then you can keep him over the winter and if he's healthy by then you could let him go. Is there a vet around you area?!?! If there is try to take it to the vet. Hope this helps, Katie
onegreenfroggy@peoplepc.com
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Owner of 1.2 Leopard Geckos, 3.0 Fire Belly Toads, 1.1 Bahaman Anoles, 1.0 Japanese Fire Belly Newt
and 0.0.1 Turtle

Sarah-

I'm afraid I can't be much help with suggestions or answers, but I wanted to let you know that I'm very impressed that you would take the time to try to save it. Most people would have left it for the fire ants. Even if the poor thing doesn't make it, at least you're trying! The captivity is probably stressful, but without it, he would certainly die.

For all my advice is worth, I would probably keep doing what you're doing. Mist about twice a day - more than that is probably too much. It's a good sign that he's eating. Good luck, and please let us know what happens!
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Torey
0.0.1 - D'oh! Uromastyx Geyri (Arthur)
0.1 Anolis Carolinensis (Leeloo)
1.0 Betta Splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis Domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Wow, he does seem bad. Just keep doing as you're doing and don't worry about it not getting enough sun for just a few days. Place a lamp at the top of your enclosure pointing downwards to cover one side so that it can keep warm (or move to the cooler side if it bothers him) because warmth will help it heal. Make sure the humidity is high, but keep it under 90% so that it's not like a germ-house in there. Also, you can put Neosporin (the plain kind, without the pain-relievers) on any open wounds to prevent infection and speed healing. Also, make sure there is adequate air circulation (warm, humid air, though) in the enclosure.

Now, brown anoles and fire ants... sounds like South Florida (although it's been cloudy, it hasn't been cold, so maybe not?). Where are you located? I'm in South Miami and I really understand when you say that a gang of brown anoles ran in front of you on the sidewalk. I actually had a pretty bad experience once involving me on rollerblades and an adult brown anole

Good luck with your anole and I really hope he makes it, although his future does, honestly, sound dim if he's being handfed and such. If you can, also, try to feed him dusted crickets (also handfed) mostly, instead of mealworms. They're easier to digest by far and can usually be better gut-loaded.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

Yes I am in south Florida, up near Sarasota/Tampa. The anoles around here must have suicide wishes or something, the way they always run out in front of people and bikes.
The lizard seems to be doing better. The skin on his face was peeling, that is why it looked white. It's all back to normal now. It was cool for a few days but now it is back to being warm so I have been putting him in the sunlight for a few days and he seems to enjoy it. He is getting pretty good at responding when I poke him in the nose with a meal worm, he opens his mouth and takes it or waits for me to put it in. He opens his good eye while he eats and then closes it as soon as he's done. If it wasn't for that I think he'd be ok to let loose, I don't know how he'd find food if he won't keep his eye open. I have a bunch of leaves and branches in his enclosure, which used to be a large tupperware for cakes, and he navigates around them well. I took a branch from the jasmine bush that he was running to when he got stepped on and gave it to him and he kept sleeping on and clutching it. He doesn't seem too sickly now, except for not being overly active which seems to make sense if his eye stil hurts. I'll keep people posted on how he does.
Thanks for the input,
Sarah

Cool, I have some friends up in Sarasota right now... although I've found it to be quite a boring town! And, being North of Okeechobee, it's actually Central Florida.

Anyhow, it's REALLY GREAT news that the anole is doing so well! Again, I really understand when you tell me about suicidal anoles. It's like an animal freaks that you're coming towards it, but instead of running away, runs in front of you to get to the other side of the grass... not smart.

I'd keep the anole as long as you can, at least until after winter if possible. An anole letting you hand feed it like that is pretty incredible to me because it's never been a pet, you know? You're doing a great job and a great thing by nursing him back to health
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame