Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, I am new to this forum, but I've had northern alligator lizards for many years now. I was given a baby back in October, and it's been doing pretty good. I powder it's crickets with calcium suppliment, but until last week didn't have the UV light. I noticed last week that it was having trouble eating. it can't seem to bite and hold onto crickets. At first I thought it might have injured its jaw somehow, but on closer inspection noticed that the jaw is seemed softened. So, I'm guessing that this is MBD, and just want some advice from veteren baby gator keepers. I've never had a baby before, just caught adults. Any advice would be great. Thanks all!!

~Lizz~

I agree, it sounds like MBD. What brand of calcium supplement are you using? Check the ingredients, if it contains phospherus (calcium phosphate etc.) it is still possible for insect eating / carnivorus lizards to develop MBD; these supplements are meant for herbivorous lizards. Insect eating lizards get a lot of phosperus in their diet so in order to get the proper 2:1 calcium : phospherus ratio they need a calcium supplement that doesn't contain phospherus. A UV light could also help, I've successfully reared baby southerns without one, but things might be different with northerns.

Make sure all his food is well powdered. Try feeding smaller prey items as sometimes these are easier to hold onto, you can also help him out by only leaving a couple of legs on his crickets. If he still can't eat, try hand feeding him small dusted pre-killed prey items.

Hope this helps,
Alice

I agree with Alice in that this definitely seems to be MBD. I once had almost identical symptoms presented in a very young pair of TALs (Gerrhonotus infernalis).

I also feel that my main problem was using a supplement containing phosphorus and possibly too many mealworms in the diet.

It seems that when they get to this point the prognosis is bleak, regardless of corrective measures taken. Mine were able to feed from the hand for a while, but shortly weakened to the point where they could not eat at all. At that point, I put them down. Lesson learned.

Good luck.

Tom Lott