Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have recently discovered some ultra tiny work like creatures floating in the water dish of my mountain horned dragons. this is not from the substrait, and I change the water regularly. they are about the size of a particle of dust, gray-black in color. when i get them onto a piece of paper towel, i can definitly see that they are living. i have had the MHD's for 6 months, these little bugs jsut started to appear. i did have the lizards checked out at a vet when i got them.

anybody know what these are? how can I get rid of them?

Are these lizards wild-caught? While I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that these are parasitic it is something to consider. How are your lizards doing? If happy and healthy I wouldn't worry. It is possible that the creatures originated in the water, and grow under the temps given in the cage. (with spring run-off happening sometimes the water treatment plant gets overrun.

From what you described in your post, I think you have springtails. They're tiny little white/tan bugs that look like worms and are often mistaken for parasites. However, this is just a guess based on personal experience.

Springtails appear in cool moist substrates like cypress mulch or bed-a-beast, often in high numbers. The good news is that they're completely harmless. I've had them in my fire salamander enclosures many times with no ill effects. The feed on decaying substrates and waste products so they can actually benefit a mini ecosystem. Unless their numbers get to high, I usually just leave them.

I'm assuming that your set-up is moist so it's reasonable to assume that these guys are the culprits. However, you should rule out any parasitic organisms to be on the safe side. My advice to you is to change your substrate and have a fecaL float done by a vet. Switch to a quarantine substrate such as paper towels or newspaper for a while and see what happens. If the float comes back negative it's probably springtails and you're in the clear.

PS. Here is a link on springtails

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/factsheets/springta.html
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0.1.1 argentine horn
0.0.2 pixie
1.1.0 fire salamanders
0.1.0 axolotl
0.1.0 golden gecko
0.1.0 skunk gecko
0.0.1 cali king
0.1.0 sumatran blood python
0.1.0 ball python
0.0.1 corn snake
1.0.0 jungle carpet python
0.0.2 giant black millipdes
0.0.2 dumpys
0.1.0 Argentine B&W
1.1.0 sunbeam snake
0.0.2 pill millipedes
1.0.0 RES

how common is it for mountain horned dragons to get parasites after then have been checked by a vet?

the lizards appear ok, the female is definitly less active than the male, which is oppisite their normal behaivor.

the thing that concerns me is that they are in their drinking water. no matter how often i change the water, the little bugs come back.

for the spring worms you mentioned, do these appear to be thin and hairlike to the naked eye? i can not see moving legs or a head, but they are definitly crawling around...

From your description, what you are seeing in the water is harmless. If still concerned, you can take a sample to your local university or invertebrate club for identification; possibly a large task to search for the proper contacts.

As for parasites in general, they cause harm when on/in the lizards and are of no concern in the water. If your lizards are captive bred from well-off healthy parents the chances of a parasitic burden are slim. However if these are long term captives, it will be nearly impossible to prove that they are parasite free. Here's why. Due do the nature of parasites, they hide, thus finding them are difficult. External parasites live under scales, in skin folds and ears. Internal parasites try to stay inside, only releasing microscopic eggs. Because of this, detection is difficult. A veterinarian can look in the feces for eggs, but not finding them may mean many things. 1) That the reptile has no intestinal parasites 2) That it does but no eggs were defecated that day 3) there are no parasites in the intestine at the moment but exist elsewhere in the body at the current time.

Now for the key part of my response. If your female lizard is acting lethargic and/or otherwise gives you indication that she may be sick then I advise you to take her to a reptile vet with fresh water and fecal samples. The problem may not be parasitic at all and the vet will determine this with the different diagnostic tools at his/her disposal.

Good luck

it seems as if they are clearing up on their own. the little bugs in question have nearly dissapeared. from the description of the spring tail bugs, it looks like these may be it...

if it is a parasite, do they naturally go away (die off) on their own?

In healthy animals, and no treatment (and often with treatment) parasites never dissappear, but reach a balance with the host. In other words, it lives in sustainable numbers with the host's immune system keeping them in check. This is why, seemingly parasite free animals begin showing signs of parasitism when stressed or sick for other reasons.

It is good that things seem to be coming under control for you