Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am not having much luck with any of my Collared lizards. None have them have done good in the past and I have lost a few over the years. I AM DOING SOMETHING WRONG - but don't know what it is.

Here is the setup. I have 2 40 gallon tanks - each has 1 male and 2 females. I am using crushed walnut shells as bedding and we clean up the poo every couple days. We have 2 lights on each end and a UV 8.0 24" light in between, so the UV and heat are all good.
We feed them crickets every day, dusting them with powder every other or at least every third day. I give them water every few days and they have plenty of room to run and play.

I have lost a few in the past due to parasites - they will just basically shrivel up and die over a 1-2 week period. I have had 2 very respected vets look them over and give them all medicine. First time it was panacur powder - no luck. Then came Ivomec - that killed one of them and another just continued to die. This time I had them examined they gave me Flagyl - I have been giving that to them with instructions to does every 10th day.

Right now I have one that is on death's doorstep, 2 that are very thin and the rest are just not as big as they should be. I have NEVER been able to get my lizards to be as "fat and happy" as the ones I see here.

Here is a picture of other collareds on this forum ---

Here is my healthiest male --

and the best female --

The female is actually bigger than normal - she got pissy and puffed up for the picture.
The male was one of 2 males that I bought this spring -- both were twice the size when I got them -- they have either been on the Atkin's diet or I am doing something wrong

PLEASE --- WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING WRONG !! I have posted before and never really got any clear answers. 2 Vets can't tell me anything other than what I know - they keep dying off.

Are you keeping wild caught or captive bred?

Captive or wild -- Currently the two males were wild (with excellent health) and all the females are captive. In the past all the ones we've had before have all been captive born.

is to get rid of the crushed walnut shell. The stuff is a killer. It somehow seems to suck the fluids right out of even desert lizards such as uromastyx and chuckwallas especially when young. And since it is so dry and porous it sticks to anything that contains moisture such as the inside of lizards mouths and eyes etc and because of this it is very easily ingested and can cause havoc in the digestive track. The stuff is nasty. Go to wwwwells(Will Wells') Crazy Crotaphytus page and read. And you came to the right place to ask questions. This is one of the best forums(Except for the chuckwalla forum, hehe) for people to help without being jerks. What are your temps in the cool end and undewr the basking lights? You will get a lot of questions as you can see before people can try to help. Tom

i am sorry that you are having such trouble with your lizards. i will have to agree with tgreb. i have never heard anything good about that walnut stuff. sand also clumps up their poop for easy sifting and cleaning.
so far everyone has asked really good questions. i do have one though. when you give the meds to the lizards do you offer them water more regularly? the meds can really dehydrate them. try offering water with a needleless syringe or soaking them in luke warm water for like five minutes. i hope we are all helping you and that your lizards get better.
also the pics of eve's lizards are vestigums (spelling?) and you have collaris collaris or whatever the technical name is. the vestigums have larger tails so it makes the collaris look puny. i made the same mistake when i saw all the lizards too, however your lizards did look skinny to me, although i am no expert.
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vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

Ok - tomorrow I will ditch all the walnut shell stuff. I hear playground sand from Home Depot is pretty much what others have been using - is that right ?

Also, when giving meds, I usually do give them water that same day. I will look at soaking them more often though.

Any other suggestions for these guys to put on some weight and keep healthy? I will take anything I can get.

Yes, playsand from home depot! First I would like to say the pic of mine you used of the C. Vestigium, is not a good comparison, the female in the pic is gravid and naturally was larger.

Okay, your lizards are very pretty, a little thin. Heres a question, do you feed your crickets well?

Nice greens, carrots, fruits, cereals, dry dog or cat food, many different things you can use, they are not real picky.

But always keep in mind, If your crickets are fed well, then so are your lizards. Thats the way I look at it.

* The only nutrition your collareds get are from the bugs they eat. (SO LET THOSE BUGS FEAST!)

I would try buying some superworms also, alot of mine love them, they along with crickets bulk them up. I feed them both, daily.
Some people use wax worms to put on some fat.

Hope they fatten up and everything starts going better for you and them, let us know how you make out!
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Eve

If so try introduceing them to some kingworms and some pinky mice once a week to every other week and also if you can keep track of their weight on a bi-weekly basis. Sometimes crickets judt dont cut it especially if you try to put on weight also gutloading will help if your not already doing that.

yeah ---- they eat plenty of crickets.
I have tried wax worms. Sometimes they turn their noses up at them, sometimes they eat them so much they end up puking them back up.
I am thinking of trying pinkies, since I understand they eat small lizards in the wild.

Gutloading ? -- We keep the crickets in a large plastic bin with plenty oatmeal, cricket feed and cricket water. We feed them lettuce and other veggies as well. From there I take them out of the bin, dust them if it's time, and then dump them in the cage and watch the lizards pounce and chow down on them.

>>yeah ---- they eat plenty of crickets.
>>I have tried wax worms. Sometimes they turn their noses up at them, sometimes they eat them so much they end up puking them back up.
>>I am thinking of trying pinkies, since I understand they eat small lizards in the wild.
>>
>>Gutloading ? -- We keep the crickets in a large plastic bin with plenty oatmeal, cricket feed and cricket water. We feed them lettuce and other veggies as well. From there I take them out of the bin, dust them if it's time, and then dump them in the cage and watch the lizards pounce and chow down on them.
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infinitescales.com

Sorry about that. I live in an area where I can catch side-blotched lizards and feed those at least once a month. If you live in such an area maybe you should try it. It sounds like you're doing everything else right with the crickets.
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infinitescales.com