Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, I got home from work yesterday, and there is no Mosca in his tank... So I rip apart the tank, making sure he isn't just hiding someplace odd (he can make himself VERY flat), still no Mosca.. When it occurs to me, that when I first put the big fake log in his tank I was worried about whether he would crawl into the hollow inside. When he expressed no interest in it I stopped worrying, and Archie never did such a silly thing...

So I choose to assume he is in the fake log, it seems heavy, and though I can't see him it seems like a good guess. The tank was still closed and i know he was in teh tank when I went to bed the night before. So I just feed him and figure he will come out. No Mosca. So before I went to bed, after my semi-significant other decided it would be fun to point out that maybe he jsut wasn't in the tank at all... I find a flashlight and look into the log. Sure enough, a Mosca, seemingly quite wedged in, but that is how they like it, right? So I put the log back in the tank, in the hopes he would be out this morning, no such luck.

So here is the question. How long should I wait before I should worry he is actually stuck? and then what should I do about it? It is one of those cast resin logs, mostly up and down (how he climbed UP the inside is beyond me), and he was pretty much at the top.

Any thoughts on this are appreciated. It seems to me if he got IN, he sh0ould be able to get OUT, once he is hungry enough... but the little lizards seem to have more zeal than brains. lol

Elizabeth

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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

Yipes! They're surprisingly wily and agile, so he may come out on his own still. Personally, I'd look into options for forcibly removing him if he doesn't show after two days of being in there at the very most. Do you have a good relationship with your vet? Maybe you can call and see if they would be willing to do an extraction somehow. I would be afraid to do anything myself.

I wish you all the very best luck in getting him out safely!!!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.1 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
2.1 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Sprocket, and Leeloo)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

I actually encountered a problem like this with my mali.

I went and got them a little staircase thing to run up and down on in their tank (it was from the fish department, I buried the bottom in the sand thinking that they wouldn't dig under and just use it as a bask spot). Well he decided to dig under it and then wedge himself in it. I found him and he didn't look to happy to be stuck under it. So I had to get him out.

Same thing happened with my bearded dragon. He decided to dig under it, and wedge himself in there. It took me and my mom to get him out. Boy was he po'd at me for the next few days.

I say give Mosca a day or two to come out. At least make sure the foods near the end of the "tunnel" and see if mosca sees it and comes out to eat. Then if she/he does, you can put ducttape over the spot that he/she's getting in at.

So, the silly lizard still hasn't come out to my knowledge, but when I looked in there this morning he was in a different spot, and looked significantly less wedged, seemed to just be sleeping there. He was quite awake enough to try to tail thwap me for poking at him (had to make sure he was still alive... :-D ) so I am guessing he is ok, and will come out on his own.

I did put the food under the hole in the log, the weird thing IS that he doesn't seem to be as interested in his food. Usually he is such a pig. I am going to give him another day, and then off to the vet the log goes. Archie has an appointment anyway, so it might as well be a family event!

Thanks for the thoughts!

Elizabeth
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1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

I apologize for not having read all the posts yet, but when Rocky doesn't come out daily as usual, it is from lack of heat. His tank is plenty hot enough, but it like if the heat in the morning doesn't reach HIM, then he doesn't get active enough to come out. I can't picture where he is, but maybe the heat is not getting to him, and that he's not stuck, just "chillin' out"

Just a thought.

Jim
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2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII (my care sheets)

I hope the issue is resolved by now!

Incase not, I just wanted to say that maybe something scary happened to him, and he is hiding out for a little while? Of course, this would depend on the lizard's personality, but when I switched to my new tank, my uro did not come out of her hole in the log (yep, a different log hole) for almost 5 days. I poked her to make sure she was still alive, and it seemed to set her back even more, so I just left her alone totally and she came out on the 5th day.

I hope all is well!
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~ Vamppire
Queens, New York City