Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Unfortunately 3 of the 4 hatchlings from this years first clutch are exhibiting full body seizures. The seizures cause them to go into a full body clentch, which can last from a couple of seconds to nearly a minute. Last year I saw one of my fringed toed do the same thing. He lasted for a short while then eventually died. Now that I'm seeing this again in the collared, I have to assume the results will be the same.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this phemonemon, and if this is fixable. I think I can rule out feeding issues, since 3 of the 4 I've seen exhibit the symptom did so before I saw them feeding. I'm wondering what I might be doing to cause this, is the incubation method, the use of tap water, lack of sun light, etc?, or is it an in-breeding issue (I know the parents in both cases are probably 1st generation siblings?

Anywise, I'm all ears. Still have a clutch in the incubator and would really like to figure this out before they hatch.

Thanks,
Roger

Roger,
What kind of calcium/D3 supplement do you use? Do you dust every insect? I'm assuming the babies are indoors.

We have seen the same thing, and always attributed it to calcium/D3 defficiency. We never found out for sure what caused it, but as I recall, we switched supplements, and subsequent clutches seemed to do fine. We switched to Miner-all, but are now trying the Repashy brand supplements.
Collared lizards do seem to have a prety high demand for D3.

The vitamins are a good thought, only @ ~2 week old I haven't seen them eat hardly at all yet. Have to assume they are eating some of the crickets I've put in there. Seems a little early to be having vitamin deficiency issues, however you do make a good point, maybe there's an issue with the crickets I am feeding them, or how am housing the crickets. I made the assumption that the crickets are fine because the larger animals are doing fine on them...but then they aren't babies. I will look into changing that system up right away.

PS: Put them outside today because I was thinking the same D3 issue as well.

Thanks for the quick feedback.
Roger

Hey Rodger, sorry to hear the kids are sick. I saw you said they are too young to already have vit defiencies. But you can not just assume it's them that JUST got deficient. You have to look back and maybe assume mom was decient or lacking something, and that the kids may not have gotten what they needed. Sometimes the eggs/ hatchlings zap everything from her but if she is also lacking then EVERYONE IS DEFICIENT.

I know from having a human baby many years ago.... breech and he had seizures for a few days after birth, where he would get stiff so stiff the dr. said they could not bend his arm while it was happeneing. Anyway turned out it wa not from being breech they found he hardly had a calcium level it was so low,,,, my fault as I'm not a milk drinker and back then they did not push vitimims or calcium supplements. When they got my sons calcium levels up he was fine.

If I were you besides the D3 I would give them "liquid calcium" a few drops 3 times a day for about a week, then maybe 2 drops a day another week see how they do after that and go from there, just give you an idea if this may be the problem. They are so tiny so you would have to get that liquid WAY back of the throat past the glotis/hole in the back of tongue, or you cna asperate them, gets into the lungs.

I hope they come around.
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Eve
Suncharmers Colorful Collareds & More

Very interesting theory. The female is just one and still developing, and although she was very healthy at laying time, and the eggs seem very healthy, the fact that she pretty much only eats crickets does relate to the theory. On the otherhand, all my collareds were outside for months before egg laying, so they should have been good with the D3, but maybe not with the calcium? Along that line of thought, do you feed your collared anything with bones? I'm wondering about a diet difficiency related to not giving them a natural prey item, lizards or mice, or at least something with bones in them? Just a thought.

3 gone, but #4 seems to be recovering as outside theraby seems to be working. Will start the vitamin/calcium theraby you mention.

Thanks,
Roger