Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had three alligator lizards in a huge terrarium along with frogs/geckos for the last three years. There are two large males and one medium-sized female. They have all been growing healthy for these three years. I just checked on them and one of my big (and probably old) males was twitching. I picked him up and he continued to twitch in my hand. He has been feeding well, his tail is nice and meaty, and he's still flicking his tongue. The temps in the cage are as they've always been and there are no new animals in the cage. Despite all this, he can't stop twitching and is very sluggish. Does anyone have any ideas???

I have no idea what could be causing your al's problems. They sound neurologic. Some poisons / toxins can induce seizures, but as your al hasn't been exposed to anything new this is probably not the case.

I'm not sure that a vet could do much for him, but if you're inclined it's worth a try. If he appears to be suffering with no hope of recovery putting him down may be the most humane option. Otherwise I'd recommend giving him a few days of supportive care (perhaps in his own cage) to see if he can recover on his own.

-Alice

Thanks for the ideas...
I'm gonna just keep tabs on him. I think if I move him out of the cage he's been in for the last three years it'll be more of a stress for him. If his twitching progesses, I'll put him down.
I'll keep you posted...
Anyone else have any ideas?

I decided to my my guy down as he stopped twitching but was listless and unable to right himself after I flipped him onto his back. Never figured out what was wrong but I hope I saved him some misery at the end...

np