Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I found a Alligator Lizard in my garden today, and well... it doesnt look to well. Around the torso area there are weird bumps all around its body, and it moves a lot slower than the others. It also didnt run away.

- I also found a few babies being hatched, they are in there with the other guys... and Alice, before you say this is bad. The only ally that ever attacked another, was the big one. And she has her own cage. The little ones have been laying on top of the 4 biggest ones and seem fine.

P.S-Will they eat small crickets at this young or should I wait awhile?

Do the bumps look at all like this?

This is what my current Alligator Lizard looked like when I first caught him. Those black bumps you see on him are ticks (nymphs to be exact). The ticks don't move too much, so at first glance they will appear to be a growth of some sort. Look closely and see if the bumps move at all. If they do, then you will need to do a few things to the Alligator Lizard to get rid of the ticks. I'm sure he/she will love you for it.

They are way bigger than that, and look like the scales. Its like its ribs are broken out.

How long have you had the lizard?

It sounds like it may be some kind of infection in which case veterinary care would be its only hope.

If it's a long term captive, what kind of light and supplementation are you using? Is it eating? The reason I ask is als are prone to MBD and it is conceivable that if it does have an advanced case the ribs really are deformed / broken and producing the bumps. A case this severe would, however, take months to develop.

A picture might help. If you have access to a digicam or a scanner, you can sign up for a free 1 mb photo gallery on kingsnake and upload the pic.

-Alice

My camera sucks, and wouldnt even get a outside picture of it. I have had it for 3-4 days now after finding it in my garden (he had the bumps then). It ate 1 cricket and that was all today. One is the size of 2 scales and protrudes out about 1/8 of an inch.

I isolated it because all my other lizards are fat and happy. I dont want them getting like this one. I think his days are numbered too, he only moves to drink water and go on the heat rock.

My best guess would be some kind of infection. I'm glad you're keeping him isolated from the other als. Hopefully he's able to pull through.
-Alice

Well, Last night or this morning it must have died. I found it dead on the tree when I got up today, one of the bumps had broken its skin... looks like it was a bleeding death.

I cut it open to see what they were and it looks like all the ribs were broken, including part of its back. I wonder if a cat attacked it or a dog.

hate to say it... but it sounds like a painful death

That's a sad ending It sounds like your al may have been crushed. Animal attacks usually leave some external lacerations.

I had something similar happen with a hatchling I found a couple of years ago. When I found it, it was missimg a foot and most of a leg. It ate, but then seemed to get bloated. A few days later it died after passing the food undigested along with what appeared to be part of its intestine. I can't think of what could have caused its internal injuries, since there were no lacerations and it still had its tail.

-Alice