Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got back from my trip to the states to see my parents and left my room mate which knows a bit about lizards in charge of my U.Henkeli for a week and a half. Big Mistake. He is now in very rough shape. It appears that he had tried to shed a while ago and did not complete it. there is a patch on his back that looks like my roommate decided he was going to help him shed when he wasnt ready. The patch is sticky and a bit whiteish. Also all his frills have gone haywire and are up, down and twisted. his tail is all shriviled and he has a white rim along the top of his eyes. I picked him up and was trying to give him an electrolyte drink and he threw up a semi-digested cricket. Needless to say me and my roommate are undergoing some friction. Please help me, i dont want to lose him.

I like to give them a bath if they look really dehydrated. fill a bowl with water so that your henk wades but is not submerged. Make sure everything is as clean as possible. keep the enclosure at high humidity (90-100) as well. I would leave if to rest as much as possible too. What are his movements like, is he active around the enclosure? And does he feed still?
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ryan
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Uroplatus sikorae

You may want to try the same idea as the bath, but a lot easier than confining them to a bowl. Stick him on a plant in the shower, and turn the water on a fine mist, so the spray only contacts half the plant. Lukewarm water, and leave him in there 30 minutes, turn off the water and leave him another 20 minutes. Do this daily for a week if you can, it works miracles...
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www.wildeyereptiles.com

Chameleons, geckos & invertebrates

Leah,

Between you, Neil, Ben, and a friend of mine out here on the west coast I can get all my uroplatus answers without having to crack the Da Vinci code. I love the internet. Where else can great minds meet.

Cheers,
Jason

Ok i will do that, thanks for the help. What is the whiteish sticky layer on his back and should i be concerned about it?

Thanks

Jason,

Honestly, I have no idea how people managed to keep anything without the internet...

I cant tell you what the white sticky stuff is without seeing it, I would imagine its skin. It SHOULD come off in the shower after a few days, dont pick at it though, he'll get it off himself. Can you post a pic?

FYI - for anyone getting newly imported uroplatus, showing them is the key to successful acclimation, it works miracles for not only hydration, but activity level and appetite... I dont do this with ebanaui, phantasticus or pietschmani however. A garden sprayer will suffice.
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www.wildeyereptiles.com

Chameleons, geckos & invertebrates