I'm new to Gila world. I bought three from Jim Merli who has great animals. Jim warned me to watch out because one day I would come home and find one of the kids lying upside down in the cage.
Well ... yesterday I came home and, you guessed it, one of the gilas was lying upside down looking deader than dead! I'm glad Jim told me not to freak if I saw them do it.
Has anybody else seen this behavior? and does anyone know why they do it?
Steve
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Has this happened to you??
stevep
Jan 29, 2005 03:25 PM
Replies (4)
ee
Jan 30, 2005 08:26 AM
VERY COMMON. They just like to be comfortable! I have pics I will see if I can find them of one of mine sleeping upside down accross one of those half logs, Pretty funny looking, they just have toooo much personality to lay like animals 
clehreptiles
Jan 30, 2005 02:55 PM
I also found a few of my animals lying upside down on more then one occasion. One of my older females was lying upside down , front legs up with her tongue out !! She looked like a puppy sleeping..
stevep
Jan 30, 2005 03:04 PM
Do other lizards do this?? Or is this a gila thing?
HorridumAngeli
Jan 30, 2005 05:54 PM
It is very common for both species of lizards in the family Helodermatidae to sleep on their backs. I have found my beadeds sleeping in this manner more times than I can remember. In theory, the animals sleep in this fearless manner for the fact that in the wild they would be protected in their tunnel home. Just another difference between Heloderms and other lizards.
Take Care,
HorridumAngeli
HorridumAngeli's Beaded Lizard Web Site
