Reptile & Amphibian Forums

At a recent (Sunday) local show I found a baby yellow ackie with it's foot bitten off by a sib. It had sat in with it's clutch, on dirt, with a oozy stump. It had started to infect. I am a soft touch and took her home.
I soaked her and cleaned the stub. It was raw bone about midway up the forearm under the gob of dirt. I had my vet check her and he put her on Ceftazidime once every three days, injected IM and Nitrofuranzone ointment and neosporin cream. He nipped the bone back so it could heal over the end.
I have her in a 20 long on paper towel until it heals then she can go back on dirt. Right now she has a hotspot at 110-130, pad under half the tank that is set at 85-90 and the hot end temp is mid 90s. I can set up a ceramic emitter to basically prevent a night time low dip of more than 5 degrees. Otherwise it goes down and she is on the pad at night, under the papertowel. Cool end is 75. She has several cardboard hides, snug, only until she is healed and then she gets the dirt and stacks (if you think that is good for an ackie) and she has a ceramic C shaped hide wall about 4inches tall and climb at the basking spot. She has a water dish about an inch deep that I had to show her twice but she has figured out, drunk from like she was REALLY thirsty and was soaking in earlier. Will that be okay for water? Will she need misting like some neonate lizards that suck water off the glass? She will drink drops off my fingers at times. She has taken lobster roach babies that I slowed down for her by pinching their heads. She has taken roaches from my hand as well as small pinky parts (gross, but effective). She had had crix available but wasn't chasing them.
I know she is new and stressed. What would you change? How would you set her up once she is healed?
Is there ever a hope that in future she could be introduced to another Ackie? I have read about raising clutches together for breeding groups but not much about introducing sub adults or adults later. Your input would be great.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

It sounds like you have the right idea, I would maybe lean a bit more toward the pinky parts or other high calorie/fat foods (definitely supplemented) until she gets better. Ackies don't seem to appreciate being sprayed directly or soaked, so I would avoid that if at all possible. They do need humidity though, so spraying the basking spot periodically and covering most of the top is probably a good idea. I have seen some pretty nasty fights between both adults and juvies before, but nothing like severed limbs. Peace, quiet, heat, cover, and good food should do the trick. I've never had an ackie on meds though, so your mileage may vary.

As an aside, its a bummer this species has become so disposable already. =/
Glad you are taking care of it, but hope you talked the dealer into giving it to you.

Good Luck,

Andy

Poor little thing! She is lucky to have you. I would not mist her as they really don't like to be sprayed. You mentioned a ceramic hide, you can soak the hide in water to keep humidity up, and keep the tank covered almost completely to keep the humidity up. There are some new humidity mats from one of the reptile companies that you can wet and just set in the cageand they can be reused. You could also use the viva type paper towels and wet them and put them on one side of the cage. Until the stump is healed completely I would not switch to dirt. Once everything is healed up you can put her on dirt and keep it nice and moist. When mine were little they were buried a lot, they really enjoyed their little dirt home. As far as introducing another ackie...I would be very careful. I would also get one about the same size, have plenty of space and plenty of food. You have to be vigilant and watch for any aggression. Good luck!

Pam

but that does not mean others do not. know what i mean? although he doesn't think so, that would be like robert actually believing that ackies do not breed in plain sight, as the photo above clearly contradicts.

ps: I spray my ackies down everyother day and they sit there and lap it up, they also stick their whole head in the water bowl and drink.

cheers, andrew

You should learn to read, because I never said any such thing.

--Robert

because i said actually assume, not that you do assume that. I was referring to the fact that you do not believe that ackies do not breed out in the open but that they may, just not in your cages.

so robert, touche.

andrew

Why don't you just talk about yourself and stop ASSuming.

I am sure you should have lots to talk about, just pick one of those seven species you have bred. Or is that number higher now?

--Robert

you do believe that ackies do not breed out in the open? interesting....

have fun with that robert.

andrew

What I said is right in my posts, clear as day.

If you can't read or understand it, that is your problem, not mine.

--Robert

My recomendation is get back on them.(this is a joke, at least I hope it is)

Andrew, you seem to be very sensible at times and really trying. Then, at other times, you are simply trying.

About ackies, I do have a tiny bit of experience with them. Awwww really, it could be about any monitor, or heck even people. They really do not have to breed in the open. I for one, Have not witnessed lots of my monitors breeding, only to end up with beautiful healthy babies. Which is the important and meaningful result of breeding. You know what babies are, those little lizards that come out of the eggs. Now to be fair, both you and robert are vying(vie) for the, how many eggs does it take to make one baby, award. A case of the blind fighting the blind.

Robert said, he has received eggs(fertile, what ever that means with both you guys) without witnessing breeding. He also has posted pics of them breeding.

What I ask of you Andrew and I want you to research this, what desease or syndrome, is it that demands that you only pick a part of a post and ignore the rest. That does seem to be a trait of the, talkers without results club. Robert clearly stated, he has seen them bred, but not all or every time. In this, I totally agree. So please, both of you kiss and make up. To make this worthwhile. I have a five spot sitting here for the first one of you two, to hatch an egg. Please Andrew, I don't want to hear about your argus, that seems like seven lifetimes ago and starting to appear as a act of luck or heavenly intervention. Always remember, humor. FR

Yeah Frank, we have the same pharmacist, lol.

I was just saying that ackies indeed do breed out in the open. I know for a fact that monitors sometimes do it when we are not looking (does a tree fall in a forest without anyone hearing it?).

About Argus, I decided to take on harder species and it has kicked my butt (kimberlys atleast, we will see with pilbaras) but i do have some ackies in the incubator and more appear to be on the way.

Here's the deal frank, instead of a 5 spot why don't you up the antie (and yeah I do play poker). With ackies, I have posted my blind and am ready for the river baby (december, jan.?)

and damnit I will hatch kimberlys soon.

lol, thanks for the humor frank.

andrew

Heck man, I thought you bred dumeril's and hatched them on your book shelf.
Remember, you told me hatching eggs was easy?

i thought we already went over this. you were right and i was wrong on hatching eggs.

small eggs have been a pain in the butt but i am looking forward to the reward of all this hard work.

andrew

You are right on the how many eggs to get a baby. It'll get worked out, I am motivated to get it done, and I don't give up easily. Your ackies are doing just fine.

I'm sure you realize this, but it's not really about monitors, it has to do with someone putting words in my mouth. Perhaps I'm a bit old fashioned, but I think credibility is an important thing.

--Robert

go ahead and tell me where I said that you believe that ackies do not breed out in the open here:

although he doesn't think so, that would be like robert actually believing that ackies do not breed in plain sight, as the photo above clearly contradicts.

you will notice in the first part of the sentence the words 'although he doesn't think so'

I knew you would see it my way

cheers, andrew