Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My P. androyensis male appears to be paralyzed and has been for several days. I initially found him Saturday evening literally belly-up in his enclosure (sterilite shirtbox) which he shares with a female. My first reaction was obviously that he was dead. I picked him up and he just didn't have the dead gecko "look" - so I looked closely and I could still see him very barely breathing. Well, I thought the problem was that the herp room had gotten too hot for him on accident, but the more I think about it, I don't think that was the problem. Here are my reasons - when I first got them in January, Iwas misinformed by the breeder and told that they were an arid species like viper geckos - so for about 2 1/2 weeks, I kept them at 88 on sand. They must have been miserable, and I can't believe they didn't die, but they ate and acted normal. Then after more research, I realized my mistake and bumped them back down to 78, put them on a sand/peat moss mixture, and misted every 2-3 days. So if that didn't kill them, I don't see why the herp room getting to around 83-84 would have. Secondly, the female has acted completely normal the entire time - no signs of stress or anything. These animals are well supplements with calcium/sandfire leopard dust/herptivite, so that's not the problem. This was not a gradual thing - he was hunting excellently the night before, running around, tail-waving, etc. Then next afternoon, bam, upside down and not moving. He is still hanging in there, surprisingly. It seems as though he cannot move at all - he is totally limp. I have seen the very tip of his tail quiver, and he can lick. That's about it. I have been misting around him once a day, and I have left him in his enclosure since the female isn't bothering him. Didn't want to stress him more by moing him. I am keeping a little pile of dead leaves over him so he feels secure. Today I dropped some crested gecko diet on his nose, and he licked a little bit. What else can I do? Anyone have any theories/opinions what caused this? Has anyone even seen paralysis in a gecko before? Thanks for any input, and sorry for the length of this. I am truly puzzled at this, and I hate to lose this male as they are not easy to come by, especially CB, as these supposedly were. Thanks for any comments or help.
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, and a pair of Taiwan Beauties

Unfortunatelly paralysis can occur from a variety of reasons. Since you have been taking good care of them I doubt it is that. It may be a chronic failiure of a nerve or a chunk of the system or he may even have had something stuck going down his throat. Unfortunatelly I dont know enough about their anatomy to give you an accurate range of things that could have caused this. Even in humans there are cases in which we are not sure of the cause and since there is even less knowledge about geckos I would argue that it would be even harder to find the exact cause of every failure. Sorry I cant help much, but what would probably help is if people who have had previous experiences with this list what they think caused it, how long it lasted or how they fixed it. A trip to the vet would also probably be beneficial.

Thanks for the response. I know I'll probably never figure out the cause, as you said. I guess it's just human nature to be terribly frustrated by the unknown. I thought about going to the vet, but the animal is soooo small (1 1/2 inches total), that Idoubt there is much they could do. That, and the fact that stressing such a frail species that much could probably kill a relatively healthy specimen, let alone my little male who is clinging to life. Thanks for the reply!
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, and a pair of Taiwan Beauties

I don't even know if this is possible, but do you suppose geckos are susceptible to encephalitis/meningitis the way snakes are? If so, maybe it would be advisable to quarantine the male, as the condition is usually bacteriological in origin, although as I recall it can also be brought on by overheating also.

Best of luck with your patient.

Chris

Hi Chris,

That's a really good thought, and you may have a point. Perhaps overheating did cause this. I'm going to move the female outto a seperate enclosure just in case though. I have already removed him from the herp room, so no problem there. Thanks for the idea, who knows, you may have hit the nail on the head.
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, and a pair of Taiwan Beauties

A bacterial infection is the most-likely cause. A bit of mold or contaminated water ingested could be the culprit. Also, make sure the leaves are not known to be poisonous and leaves that have high amounts resin on them of any kind would probably not be a good choice (mine usually drink from water collected in the bottom of a up turned leaf). I had a juvenile O. monilis become very weak (it layed on its side and moved its legs like trying to walk) and die because of a mold I eventually found growing in the crevice where it hid at the cooler end of the enclosure. Molds cause problems with the nervous system and degenerative muscular disorders in most animals, so I really think that was it. I keep all of mine in the same way you are speaking of. I keep basically two zones of temp and humidity. One end is 50% peat moss, 25% calcium-carbonate sand, and 25% cypress mulch. The other end is about 60% sand, 30% cypress and 10% peat. The end with the lower percentage of sand is misted far less than the area with the higher percentage of sand. Also over mainly peat moss area, the lid of the box has been cut out and a black screening is over it. The substrate never stays really moist longer than 6 hours of misting them so I mist in the morning and night. I kept them even more humid than this, but I adjusted a few things because of a bit of white mold "sprinkling" that started to grow on the peat moss. The pic you posted of them before looked like the low contrast pattern/coloration (mainly brown) some of mine get when it becomes really humid. I do not know if any of this is the case with yours, but just another thought. Sorry to hear this has happened, hopefully there could be chance at survival. Best wishes...
Ashton

Thanks Ashton - this may very likely have been the culprit, but I noticed something else yesterday as well. He has a "knot" on his knee and on his other hip joint. The one on the hip joint looks like a fleshy protrusion, and it is hard. The one on his knee looks like it actually affects the joint. The female has always had something - like a growth underneath her chin. I had never inspected him this closely, so I may have missed these knots before. I just don't know. I am unfortunately out of town right now, and I'm just hoping he does okay until I get back. Thanks for the reply though, I'll try to get better ventilation into their enclosure. I may need to replace some of the lid with screen, as you said. Thanks for all the help, I'll let you know how he does. Take care.
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, and a pair of Taiwan Beauties

Your mention of the "knots" on your gecko reminded me of an article someone posted on the GGA listserve a while back--I don't know how appropriate this is to your situation, just thought I'd mention it.

SPHAGNUM MOSS WARNING
First off, be advised that this warning applies only to sphagnum moss, not to sphagnum peat moss used as a soil conditioner. Sphagnum moss is the stringy moss used to line wire hanging baskets, in wreath-making and other crafts, and for air-layering plants.
According to the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, sphagnum moss can be a source of a chronic fungal disease called sporotricohosis, which enters the skin through scratches and abrasions. From there it can get into your lymph nodes and cause swelling of the joints. The entry point will develop blisters. If treatment is not given, amputation of the infected area can become necessary; death from the disease can also occur.
The spores of the disease increase when sphagnum moss is kept moist or is stored in a moist place. Keep your moss dry until you are ready to use it.
When using sphagnum moss, always wear long sleeves and rubber gloves. Afterwards, wash your hands with soap and water.

John Kline, Smith County Master Gardener

Thanks for passing that on, I wasn't aware of that. My guys are on a sand/spaghnum peat moss mixture though, no long stringy spaghnum moss. He's never been in contact with that since I had him, so that wasn't the cause of the knots. That's a good thing to keep in mind when using that stuff as cage decoration, which I know a lot of people do. Take care, and your efforts are very much appreciated.
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, and a pair of Taiwan Beauties