I work at a pet shop, and a few days ago a boy brought his male crested gecko back to us in very poor condition. He had originally bought a pair or cresteds some five months ago; he brought the female back two months ago stating that she stopped moving and eating - and then told us that the pair has been housed TOGETHER in a twenty high tank WITH salamanders and several wild-caught treefrogs and anoles. I took the female home and after an extensive quarantine period, have her set up alone in an arboreal 29-gal tank where she's doing wonderfully.
The male, however, breaks my heart. When he came in at first he was dehydrated and there were a few small spots of mites - I soaked him with snake oil to stifle the mites and put him in a sterilized critter keeper with damp paper towels and a few leaves to hide under. I misted the sides of the tanks and he immediately started lapping the water, and I put a small dish of fruit baby food (with a little calcium powder mixed in) for him to lap - apparently he had never been offered anything other than crickets. He never touched the fruit and the next day, as the mites weren't gone, I oiled him again. However, I noticed a few raised bumps on his belly - they were tiny, and looked like one or two scales were raised up. I looked in the shop's books for parasite ID - no help - and kept a close eye on him. I put a few crickets in with him, hoping he'd eat those, but to no avail. Now, two days later, the small bumps have grown to look almost like pimples, and they have multiplied. They are hard and whitish, about 1 - 2 mm across, and there are a few spreading under his armpits and chin. I have only a limited knowledge of reptile parasites, but this doesn't match anything I've found!
I am extremely hesitant to take him to a vet, as the two that handle exotics in my area have NO experience with cresteds - one had never even heard of them (or Rhacodactylii, period) and kept repeating that "they're just like other geckos." Both of their experience is limited to only a few encounters with leopards and fat-tails - neither have any practical knowledge of the more tropical/arboreal/delicate geckos like Rhacos and Uroplatus. This forum and my breeder (Travis Cossette of Gainesville, FL) are my best hopes for information and aid!
Please, I would very much appreciate any advice or suggestions! He is currently housed in the critter-keeper (two rooms away from the female!) with leaves and a small dish of water. He still does not eat (or eats very, very little) but continues to lap water. The cage is kept dark and damp, and it is changed twice a day (to prevent stagnation) and sterilized every day.
Thank you so much for any help you can offer!
