Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today our baby DI has been the most active since we purchased him. Running around eating wax worms, and climbing my shirt. But I noticed some things about him I am wondering what is going on. Has anyone else noticed this with their lizards? The last day or two when I pick him up I feel a vibration from him. At first I thought it was wheezing from his lungs but he don't do it when he breaths. He sits there and he vibrates his body. You can see a slight movement of his body real fast. Also just today I was looking at his left eye, he was squinting and poking it out. A film of blood could be seen go across his eye. Sometimes he trys to wipe it off by rubbing his eye on the floor of the cage. But when he looks out normally the blood is not visible the film receeds to the corner, and is no longer visible. Has anyone had this experience with their DI's. I would appreciate it if anyone could maybe give me an idea of what is going on with this little guy! Thank you! Bill.

I feel like a Brit. I say old bean! Cheerio pip-pip and all that rot! My DI's and Collareds do it . Usually after coming up from the underground as this is the way they expell sand from the eye.

As far as the vibrations go: is it posturing head bobs or pushups?
If so thats normal. Mine do ita ll of the time male or female...

To answer your question that you emailed to me as to how I keep my viv clean. I vacume it with the hose attachment from our household vacume cleaner. I hold it just above the sand and it sucks up the poops. I never change the sand as the top layer is the only one that gets dirty and the vac takes care of it. Occasionally I have to add sand.
John Styner

Thanks John for your reply! The baby is not in a cage with sand. He is isolated in his own cage with newspaper on the bottom. As far as the vibrations are concerned he does it when I pick him up! Might be a nervous reaction. The last two days he was very active, even jumping to get out of the cage. Today he is alert, but not very active at all. He wants to sleep. But when I get him up he then looks around, and gets alert. But when I put him back in the cage he goes back to sleep. I hope it is possible he wants to hibernate. Its that time of year for them in the desert. It's getting chilly at nights there. My other three guys are still very active, but I have had them for over a year now. Bill.

I was at a pet shop tonight and had to look at the reptiles. I saw a collard lizard leap to the screen top and hold on with all fours. He vibrated himself back and forth like he was shaking the cage top in order to get out! However, this spot wa right beneath the light, and I thought he might be doing this in order to warm out. Some what like when we shiver- our muscles relax and contract in order to produce a bit more heat and warm us up. Perhaps that is why he does it when you pick him up. You probably feel very warm to him and he's taking advantage of your body heat. I'm not an expert by any means, but thought about that after seeing this fellow tonight.

Alot of mine jump to the top, like that and hang on and it is usually under the lights as the whole top has a strip and basking. Anyway, anytime I have seen this they shake or quiver a bit as they pull their nails(feet) back off the screen to jump down. Their tiny nails are clinging to the very small openings in the screen. Thats kind of what I have observed as far as the upside down collareds. (but who knows)

I have no idea about why the little chuck is doing that, wish I did.

I think I may have figured out why he vibrates. I think it may be a nervous reaction. He does it most of the time when I pick him up, or something startles him. I have had six other Desert Iguanas including the other three I have now, and none of them do that! Interesting! Bill.