Reptile & Amphibian Forums

All,
Just wanted to drop you all a line and let you know that my A. capra is laying her eggs right now, looks to be about 7-8. I'll keep you all posted.

Evan

She might fool you and drop 13 or more. Poor girls are packed tight with eggs. My youngest dragon laid 18.

Congratulations.
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BONNIE

You know, this is way too unfair. Everyone keeps having their dragons pop out eggs, but me. I have yet to even aquire a pair! (mostly because I keep screwing up on sexes). And now I don't think I can get another MHD. I did have one clutch, but I had nocho clue about what to do with them. Then her second clutch never caim out, I think because of unfavorable nesting conditions (this was when I didn't have the Big cage). Now I think she is gravid agin... I guess I just have to wait (and hopefully get apair soon)

By the way, if she does lay eggs, their is about a 1 million to 1 chance of them being infertile. Sigh.
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Ryan

All,
My capra finished laying sometime in the night. She has presented me with 12 eggs! We'll see about them being fertile or not. And Ryan, I didn't understand your million to one comment? You think they won't be fertile? Also, does anyone else now have the little spelling checker red line that appears under misspelled words?

Regards, EMWhite

I've never noticed that. Bet there's alot of red lines in my posts.
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BONNIE

Yeah, I don't think she will lay gravid eggs since it's been almost a year since she has been with a male of her own specie.

Red lines? Nope. Gess I jus spel 2 goood!
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Ryan

Ryan,
I must have mis-typed something, she's been in with a male for probably about three and a half months now. So my hopes are high! Also, I wouldn't wait until next summer to get your lizards de-wormed. They might be healthy now, but they can go downhill very quickly! Just a word of caution. That's pretty cool that you can do fecal exams yourself!

Regards, Evan

Yeah, well, I don't know when I would really get another chance. Ah, that's not true, I always have weekends. But I'm just so darn busy... (I actually work a whole lot longer during summer months, but it just seems like I have more time)

Anyway, Jobi doesn't get his dewormed and they do just fine so I'm not all that worried about it. Plus, I already have had them semi-dewormed so it can't be that bad.

Plus I am going to do a fecal on each of my dragons after I am done procrastinatig (I swear I am going to quit soon!) The only problem: I have little idea of what to actually look for... but I can get the idea of anything moving/alive is bad. Plus my vet has showed my the pararsites when I took my dragons in so I always have that... and now I am procrastinating again so I bid you au revoir!
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Ryan

Ryan,
Hmmmm, that has to be the issue I disagree with jobi about the most. It has been my experience that these lizards will not thrive, even live, without being wormed. Now, if you are unpersuaded, I ask you; what about other animals that have commonly accepted high mortality rates due to parasites. These could be, hingeback tortoises, and almost all Asian chelonians. I refuse, point blank, to believe that the parasite issue is one of the industry's biggest conspiracies. I don't find it possible. How jobi manages to keep his lizards alive is a mystery to me. I hardly find it possible really. However, they are your lizards and it is no one's place to boss you around and pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. Believe you me, I too have a hectic weekly agenda, with only one day of the weekend free. Plus the closest reptile vet to me is 45 min-one hour away in Berkeley. So I understand where you're coming from there. But, I can't stress enough to you that I have seen one example where the animal thrived for months and then suddenly just died! But, as jobi would say, that is only my experience with these animals, and may not be shared by everyone.

Regards, Evan

I've read that all reptiles have parasites and the key is not to stress the reptile to the point that they take over. Thus killing it. I still like to get them dewormed when I get a new wild caught.

Ryan, I have a book called Understanding Reptile Parasites, A basic manual for herptoculturists and veterinarians. Got it on Amazon. Only $12 or $13 I think. Has pictures of what to look for. Also different medications and dosages. This might be a big help to you.
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BONNIE

?

I already had them dewormed. Is it mandetory that you get them dewormed bi-anually or something?
Anyway, I to disagree with Jobi. He said that certain parasites live in symbiosis with there hosts, by creating a protien or something... totally disagree. If that is true, then they aren't a parasite.

Parasite- 1.an organism that lives on or within a plant or animal of another species, from which it obtains nutrients 2. one who recieves support or advantage from another without giving any useful return.

MHDs live for years and years in the wild without getting dewormed. I think mine can go a year (before getting dewormedagain)

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Ryan

Ryan,
Once a lizard is de-wormed, it is usually not repeated. That is to say, if one was treating a lizard with fenbendazole (panacur), the treatment is repeated once or twice every two weeks. Once that is done, that's it. It is, however, a good idea to have fecal exams done once again after six months, if those are clean, than you can go to every year or so. Chances are though, there won't need to be any more treatment. If you haven't had a lizard de-wormed at all, I wouldn't wait a year, after a year there may no longer be any reason to treat the lizard () if you catch my drift.

Regards, Evan

P.S. Buy the parasite book "Understanding Reptile Parasites", like Bonnie said, great book. Very informative.