First time lizard lover, be gentle.
I have had an Australian Water Dragon (eastern type) Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii, for five weeks. It is about 11 inches long including tail. Sex unknown at this stage. It does have some red coloring on it's chest, otherwise looks very female.
I made a few mistakes in the beginning as I did not realize how sensitive and nervous they can be. Apparently they often take a few days to settle in and become comfortable enough to feel safe and start eating.
My biggest mistake was not having the final enclosure finished and ready for the move in day. So some time was spent messing with various aquarium setups and rearrangements, adding unnecessary stress for the critter. And the aquarium was too close to my computer, so I was too close to the lizard.
For the last three weeks it has been far across the room in a home built cage. Approximately 5X2X1. The top and bottom are aluminum sheeting. Enclosed with wire mesh screen walls. With aspen chip substrate and a plastic aquarium plant jungle. All of that is wrapped in a clear plastic bag to hold in moisture and heat.
After some experimenting with venting the basking spot maintains a steady 89'F. (UVA/UVB/Heat light 12 inches to cage floor, less to basking rock) Web info tells me this lizard can survive up to and beyond 115'F. But I don't want to push it that high.
Away from the basking spot the cage is divided by wire mesh and the last foot is a 1X2X1 wire mesh box housing a group of mice. This area is not covered by plastic, allowing a cooler area for the reptile.
The mice were meant to be breeders for a more carnivorous lizard, before I settled on the Dragon.
They are a worthless mixed breed but have already proven themselves at multiplication. And are good parents. After a reptile jacuzzi flood, they moved all the babies to high ground pronto.
The lizard likes to spend hours watching the mice on their crazy spinning wheel. They often climb together on the divider and check each other out.
And it sees me handle the mice. With the mice freely climbing onto and off my hands. Nobody gets hurt or forced. The Dragon seems a bit less terrified of me.
I do handle the Dragon. We have some issues. In the first days it managed an escape and got under the stand of a 55 full of Convicts. It took two days, a fish net, a mag light and a web cam to get it out.
It is now comfortable enough to sit in my hand for hours while we both watch TV. If I do this while the sun goes down it will relax and go to sleep.
Or randomly freak out and head for the hills.
But I plugged the hole under the 55 so it doesn't get far.
So it's all good yeah?
Nope.
It won't eat anything. None of the recommended foods. No fruits or vegetables of any kind or any preparation. No crickets or worms of any kind or size. No fish or fish parts, live, chopped, frozen or canned. Nor raw or cooked meats or organs, of any size.
It is not interested in the small live fish swimming in the heated (80'F) and filtered jacuzzi/cat litter box in the cage.
It does like to sit by the water, wild ones escape into rivers. And when new it would spend an amazing 30+ minutes underwater at a time. But now it climbs on the wire and avoids getting wet most of the time, when travailing from the heat lamp to go visit the mice.
And it sleeps under the jacuzzi, as it is supported by 3 inch cardboard tubes. So even with lights out it does not get too cold.
It will take a soak now and then, to shed and poop. That's the good thing about this guy. It uses the water as a toilet and keeps the cage clean. Yes, I keep the water fresh and filtered.
It may have eaten some raw egg, or just took a bath in it.
I may try cooked cereals next. It did eat some cooked white rice. But that's it. 5 weeks and all it has eaten on it's own was a little rice.
Anything I give it is ignored and eventually I pass it over the divider to the mice.
It lost weight and dehydrated enough that even I could tell it was in trouble.
It's skin hung wrinkly around its ribs and I was sure it would die. It was captive bred (all of them are, Australia does not export) and from the best store in my area, who are developing a reputation for quality. It was in good health at purchase. I was fairly sure it did not have parasites. This was certainly a matter of poor husbandry on my part.
So based on web info I changed the water to a 50% Gatorade mixture. This is supposed to replace electrolytes and aid hydration. (Gatorade and fish do not mix well BTW)
It did seem to help, but after 2 days the little lizard was still not eating anything. So I began to force feed it human meal replacement shakes with an eye dropper.
It took some time to figure out how to do that without breaking it's jaw. While holding the lizard in one hand and the eye dropper in the other.
Eventually I just worked the dropper between it's lips on the side of it's head and held the Dragon vertically so a few drops ran down it's throat and it had to swallow or drown.
Nether one of us enjoyed the first attempts. But it now understands the program. I don't have to really force it anymore. I rub it's jaw with the dropper and it will open up and bite the tube while I inject the shake. It eats like a baby bird. It will willingly do this 3 times per feeding, for a total of 1.5 ml of liquid. After that it must be forced and then it freaks and pukes.
So we have agreed on 3 droppers and 1.5 ml. Then we watch TV and take a nap.
I have tried human baby food, as it is liquefied enough for the dropper. I was hoping to get it used to the smell and taste of veggies. But baby food results in an immediate freak out.
The daily/2nd day shakes are working. It's rehydrated with a fat little belly. It's very active running around it's 4 foot cage, pulling off the most amazing Spider Man moves. It seems healthy and happy, for a lizard in a box.
Except that it's natural color is grey and now it's dyed Gatorade green.
But it still won't eat anything on it's own.
I don't mind the eye dropper ritual. It seems to help with teaching the little guy that I'm not trying to kill him/her. But this can't be healthy long term.
Any tips?
Ideally I'd like it to eat live fish. I have 25 billion Convicts...26 billion...27...
Maybe now it's not hungry and I should stop the shakes?
If it gets crackville skinny again I know the proper rehab.
I understand reptiles are very efficient with calories as they don't wast any on heating. Maybe I'm over feeding? It does not always want the shake every day.
BTW if you do the electrolyte/water thing check the pharmacy or grocery store infant section. They have liquid electrolyte for cheap and it has no dye to paint your reptile.
And if you add a few drops of vanilla extract to mouse water they don't stink.
Cut an air line tube bushing for the metal mouse wheel. No more squeak squeak squeak all night. Unless you like that sort of thing.
I have had an Australian Water Dragon (eastern type) Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii, for five weeks. It is about 11 inches long including tail. Sex unknown at this stage. It does have some red coloring on it's chest, otherwise looks very female.
I made a few mistakes in the beginning as I did not realize how sensitive and nervous they can be. Apparently they often take a few days to settle in and become comfortable enough to feel safe and start eating.
My biggest mistake was not having the final enclosure finished and ready for the move in day. So some time was spent messing with various aquarium setups and rearrangements, adding unnecessary stress for the critter. And the aquarium was too close to my computer, so I was too close to the lizard.
For the last three weeks it has been far across the room in a home built cage. Approximately 5X2X1. The top and bottom are aluminum sheeting. Enclosed with wire mesh screen walls. With aspen chip substrate and a plastic aquarium plant jungle. All of that is wrapped in a clear plastic bag to hold in moisture and heat.
After some experimenting with venting the basking spot maintains a steady 89'F. (UVA/UVB/Heat light 12 inches to cage floor, less to basking rock) Web info tells me this lizard can survive up to and beyond 115'F. But I don't want to push it that high.
Away from the basking spot the cage is divided by wire mesh and the last foot is a 1X2X1 wire mesh box housing a group of mice. This area is not covered by plastic, allowing a cooler area for the reptile.
The mice were meant to be breeders for a more carnivorous lizard, before I settled on the Dragon.
They are a worthless mixed breed but have already proven themselves at multiplication. And are good parents. After a reptile jacuzzi flood, they moved all the babies to high ground pronto.
The lizard likes to spend hours watching the mice on their crazy spinning wheel. They often climb together on the divider and check each other out.
And it sees me handle the mice. With the mice freely climbing onto and off my hands. Nobody gets hurt or forced. The Dragon seems a bit less terrified of me.
I do handle the Dragon. We have some issues. In the first days it managed an escape and got under the stand of a 55 full of Convicts. It took two days, a fish net, a mag light and a web cam to get it out.
It is now comfortable enough to sit in my hand for hours while we both watch TV. If I do this while the sun goes down it will relax and go to sleep.
Or randomly freak out and head for the hills.
But I plugged the hole under the 55 so it doesn't get far.
So it's all good yeah?
Nope.
It won't eat anything. None of the recommended foods. No fruits or vegetables of any kind or any preparation. No crickets or worms of any kind or size. No fish or fish parts, live, chopped, frozen or canned. Nor raw or cooked meats or organs, of any size.
It is not interested in the small live fish swimming in the heated (80'F) and filtered jacuzzi/cat litter box in the cage.
It does like to sit by the water, wild ones escape into rivers. And when new it would spend an amazing 30+ minutes underwater at a time. But now it climbs on the wire and avoids getting wet most of the time, when travailing from the heat lamp to go visit the mice.
And it sleeps under the jacuzzi, as it is supported by 3 inch cardboard tubes. So even with lights out it does not get too cold.
It will take a soak now and then, to shed and poop. That's the good thing about this guy. It uses the water as a toilet and keeps the cage clean. Yes, I keep the water fresh and filtered.
It may have eaten some raw egg, or just took a bath in it.
I may try cooked cereals next. It did eat some cooked white rice. But that's it. 5 weeks and all it has eaten on it's own was a little rice.
Anything I give it is ignored and eventually I pass it over the divider to the mice.
It lost weight and dehydrated enough that even I could tell it was in trouble.
It's skin hung wrinkly around its ribs and I was sure it would die. It was captive bred (all of them are, Australia does not export) and from the best store in my area, who are developing a reputation for quality. It was in good health at purchase. I was fairly sure it did not have parasites. This was certainly a matter of poor husbandry on my part.
So based on web info I changed the water to a 50% Gatorade mixture. This is supposed to replace electrolytes and aid hydration. (Gatorade and fish do not mix well BTW)
It did seem to help, but after 2 days the little lizard was still not eating anything. So I began to force feed it human meal replacement shakes with an eye dropper.
It took some time to figure out how to do that without breaking it's jaw. While holding the lizard in one hand and the eye dropper in the other.
Eventually I just worked the dropper between it's lips on the side of it's head and held the Dragon vertically so a few drops ran down it's throat and it had to swallow or drown.
Nether one of us enjoyed the first attempts. But it now understands the program. I don't have to really force it anymore. I rub it's jaw with the dropper and it will open up and bite the tube while I inject the shake. It eats like a baby bird. It will willingly do this 3 times per feeding, for a total of 1.5 ml of liquid. After that it must be forced and then it freaks and pukes.
So we have agreed on 3 droppers and 1.5 ml. Then we watch TV and take a nap.
I have tried human baby food, as it is liquefied enough for the dropper. I was hoping to get it used to the smell and taste of veggies. But baby food results in an immediate freak out.
The daily/2nd day shakes are working. It's rehydrated with a fat little belly. It's very active running around it's 4 foot cage, pulling off the most amazing Spider Man moves. It seems healthy and happy, for a lizard in a box.
Except that it's natural color is grey and now it's dyed Gatorade green.
But it still won't eat anything on it's own.
I don't mind the eye dropper ritual. It seems to help with teaching the little guy that I'm not trying to kill him/her. But this can't be healthy long term.
Any tips?
Ideally I'd like it to eat live fish. I have 25 billion Convicts...26 billion...27...
Maybe now it's not hungry and I should stop the shakes?
If it gets crackville skinny again I know the proper rehab.
I understand reptiles are very efficient with calories as they don't wast any on heating. Maybe I'm over feeding? It does not always want the shake every day.
BTW if you do the electrolyte/water thing check the pharmacy or grocery store infant section. They have liquid electrolyte for cheap and it has no dye to paint your reptile.
And if you add a few drops of vanilla extract to mouse water they don't stink.
Cut an air line tube bushing for the metal mouse wheel. No more squeak squeak squeak all night. Unless you like that sort of thing.
For now keep him as a hands of pet and manipulate him only when its extricly necessary. Next I think you are ofering him very inadequate foods. Remenbar this guys are basicly insectivorus. Fish, roedonts, fruit and veggis can make part of a very varied diet that must be mainly insects and they must chosen on your lizard will and desire, not your´s. Rice ,meat , mealsubstitutes, Are a big no-no. Since your lizard is not eating on its own try this. Get a hand full of crickets, put them on a smalll ventilated box and give them something like a turnip green leaf to eat. Keep them that way for 24 hours. Next pick up one cricket at a time, kill it (crush its head with a nail for example) and put it between your lizard´s jaws. See if he eats. Im certain if he´s only underweigth he will eat him. Ive tryed this before with water dragons and allways reached very good results. If he doesant eat it, than its time for you to find a exotic vet. Many things can be hiting him from parasites to respiratory distress. Also make shure to keep him on warm but not hot temps. I think that temperature amplitude you saw on the web is exagerated and sertanly it will not work with a debilitated, lizard like yours. The ideal temp regimen woulb be 30 degrees celcius in the hottes spot to about 25 in the freshest place and about 23 degrees celcius in the nigth
with everything above but want to add water dragons are not a good starter lizard i see alot sell (i work at a lps) and i would say a good %80 die its a sad thing most come in from the wholesalers in ruff shape and they tend not to eat much but crickets ive never owned one personally have never owned one but have done my homework cause ive had to care for them for the last 3 yrs lol can you post pics of your cage i think that may be your problem along with the mice thing and o ya wd will eat mice and are you giving it calcium ?