[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble
shedding ...
Sherron
gecko@lists.gekkota.com
Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:29:26 -1000
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Aloha, Elizabeth
I have started covering the top of her cage with some flexible window
screen we have and that does help. She is so cute when she stalks the
flies -- and she is getting better! It doesn't take many to fill her
tummy, but she gets hungry again quickly.
Actually, I probably have some tiny scissors in a travel sewing kit
somewhere!! Didn't think of that, as I seldom have need for them. I will
have to look for them. I have gotten pretty good with the Swiss army
knife, though. The hardest part is catching the flies and then getting
hold of them before they warm back up from the refrigerator! It doesn't
take long in our weather! ;D
Oh darn! I really appreciate the Sunshine Mealworms source, but they
said there is a nationwide shortage of mealworms right now so they
aren't accepting new customers!! I wonder why there would be a shortage?
I know my supplier got out of the business, but I don't think one person
could cause a "nationwide shortage!" I wonder what is going on?? Back
to google, I guess, and I will put a watch on them & try them again later.
I don't actually have a tank, I have one of those fold-up mesh screened
things that you can take out with you on "hunting trips". Since we
really don't normally keep them captive, it seemed like that might serve
better for when actually needed some kind of container. And we also had
the 10-gallon glass aquarium with screen top from when we had our rats
years ago, so we can use that, too. But I will check the fold-up one
very carefully before I put anyone into it to be sure there isn't any
way they can escape. We have already experienced their amazing escape
abilities when we have tried to keep hatchlings overnight for morning
release! ;)
I have been looking around for some nice rocks, branches, and the like
for the bottom of her cage. It should give her something more
interesting than leaves, too. Is there anything I should avoid that
might harm her? I have read that sand should not be used because they
might eat it and become impacted. Is there anything else I should avoid
or watch out for? I really don't want to hurt her!
Wow! 17.5 years is wonderful! That is so sad that she ran away. I wonder
if she survived, the poor little thing. Sometimes they are just too
smart for their own good. That was smart! We first visited the islands
in 1976 and I fell in love with the geckos, but I never thought about
trying to catch them and take them back with me! We were on our
honeymoon and I remember watching the baby house geckos all over the
place over in Hilo. They were so common back then. Of course, they might
have been mourning geckos, too! I didn't know that much about the
differences then. ;D
What kind do you keep now? I love some of the colors and would love to
be have some I could hold ... but of course none of them are allowed
into Hawaii. All the ones running around here do keep me busy, though,
so I can't complain. ;)
Sherron
ElizabethFreer@aol.com wrote:
> Mahalo, All~
>
> Any chance you could buy a very small sewing scissors? My sewing
> scissors have much smaller points and blades than the scissors on my
> Swiss army knife.
>
> I admire you clipping the wings of the fruit flies. I don't know
> whether my fingers would be nimble enough. Sounds like "clipped
> flies" is becoming a popular menu item at your home with four-legged
> visitors and the like ;-] You might try covering the top of Li?i's
> cage with a loosely woven cloth at feeding time to keep the flies in
> till they are consumed. I cover the tops of all my cricket cages just
> to keep them from escaping...even the 1.5 wos.
>
> Melody and I order our crickets from Sunshine Mealworms
> (www.sunshinemealworms.com, 1-800-322-1100) in Silverton, Oregon.
> Perhaps they would be a fine and quicker source for your mealworms.
> The Beanfarm (www.beanfarm.com) near Seattle, Washington carries the
> pink label Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Ultrafine Powder with D3.
>
> I have heard that the Exo-Terra tanks might have an "escape hole" in
> the back where the tube outlet is.
>
> I think the roughness of a rough rock or small branch would be good
> for your rescued Gold Dust. Now it sounds as if she has more energy
> than before and might even use such to rough up her toes and
> especially her tail after a few more steam baths.
>
> I was going to suggest "Mahalo" or the Hawaiian word expressing her
> thanks, but I see you've already decided upon a name. I mean she owes
> her life to you and Dennis!
>
> I have only visited Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. I first visited Maui in
> 1984. I visited Kauai in 1988 and caught my first three
> Lepidodactylus lugubris. At the time all I needed to do to bring them
> home was take them to a Kauai vet who certified them as "healthy".
> Then we were off to Seattle. One of those mourning geckos lived more
> than 17.5 years and was still laying eggs! Then I inadvertently left
> the screen top ajar and she escaped.
>
> Cheers,
> Elizabeth
>
>
>> Subj:*Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having
>> trouble shedding ...*
>> Date:6/7/08 5:38:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>> From: gecko.hale@gmail.com (Sherron)
>> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com
>>
> Aloha, Elizabeth
>
> I really appreciate the help the GGA list has given me! We actually
> tried getting the skin off before we posted to the GGA list, but it
> didn't do much good without the "pre-soak" in the humidity chamber for
> several hours first. There is nothing like experience to know what you
> can do without causing more harm than good. That is always my worry
> when trying something I haven't done before is that it may be worse
> than doing nothing. :(
>
> She is definitely interested in eating; always a good sign! And she is
> much better at getting around without that gunky skin inhibiting her
> movements. I will need to see what pet/supply stores there are in this
> area. I don't think there are many, but I can always do mail order if
> there isn't something local. There isn't a large selection of anything
> here. ;)
>
> We have named her!! Her name is Li?i, which is the Hawaiian name for
> "small", and is pronounced lee-ee. The "?" is an ?okina which
> indicates a glottal stop or short break/pause between the two i's. ;)
>
> So I have also updated the web page on her and it is now located at:
> http://hale-pohaku.net/gecko_lii.html
>
> She is really getting around very well without the excess skin,
> although I think she still has a little trouble with that right leg.
> The toes on the right foot still tend to clump together a little,
> although I suspect that she may grow to adjust to it and learn to live
> with it. We see quite a few maimed geckos around and many of them do
> quite well, all things considered. She certainly is doing much, much
> better with it. She doesn't "lurch" anymore, but actually uses it
> nearly like a normal leg. ;)
>
> We sure don't want her to lose any toes or her tail if we can prevent
> it, so like it or not, Li?i is going to get steam bath! Or two. If we
> could keep her still, we could probably do it quicker, but there is
> not much to hold onto and she is a fast little devil! ;)
>
> She sure has lots of friends, thank goodness!! ;)
>
> Mahalo nui loa,
> Sherron, Dennis & Li?i
>
> ElizabethFreer@aol.com <mailto:ElizabethFreer@aol.com> wrote:
>> Sherron ~
>>
>> You are totally welcome for the assistance I was able to give thanks
>> to this Global Gecko Association listserv!
>>
>> I really appreciate your detailed photos. As they say, "A picture is
>> worth a thousand words."
>>
>> If judging by photos is a reliable sign, her belly definitely seems
>> to be full of the bugs you've been catching. If she proves to be a
>> long-term captive you may want to dust her bugs with a calcium
>> supplement. That will be easier once she is eating bigger stuff ;-}
>> I recommend Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Ultrafine Powder with D3. Can
>> you get that on the island?
>>
>> Your survivor needs a name! You've given her a new life!!! How is
>> her gait since you've removed the excess skin except for her tail?
>> In your recent photos her right leg seems to bend like normal.
>>
>> The thing about retained skin, which may have ultimately been
>> affecting her breathing (?) is that the digit (toe) can become
>> necrotic and then slough off. That is why I'm worried about the
>> retained skin on her tail as I said in an earlier post tonight. You
>> have resolved the crucial things first while still saving the
>> "patient". So in a few days you can try again with her tail.
>>
>> Cheers!
>> Elizabeth
>>
>>
>>
>>> Subj:*Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having
>>> trouble shedding ... Ok! But what about the tail?*
>>> Date:6/5/08 11:07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
>>> From: gecko.hale@gmail.com <mailto:gecko.hale@gmail.com> (Sherron)
>>> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
>>> <mailto:gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com>
>>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>>>
>>> Aloha, Elizabeth
>>>
>>> Oh, she is VERY active!!! She doesn't hold still for more than a
>>> few seconds and she is so tiny, we are afraid to try to hold her down!
>>>
>>> But we have now managed to get everything off except the skin on her
>>> tail. We had hoped that she might be able to chew it off since that
>>> is all that is left, but she doesn't seem to be doing so. Will the
>>> skin wear off by itself just from her moving around or do we need to
>>> make sure it is off, too? We are just so afraid of the tail
>>> breaking off.
>>>
>>> We did notice that she has a toe on her right foot that seems
>>> blackened and crumpled. And the lines on the bottoms of her hands
>>> don't seem very well developed.
>>>
>>> Right foot Right hand
>>>
>>>
>>> We had to repeat the steam bath/clean-up routines multiple times and
>>> she didn't like it, but she was really a good girl. She is very
>>> alert & curious and always comes out to look at us when we go over
>>> to look in her cage. ;)
>>>
>>> We thank you all so much for your help. I am afraid she would not
>>> have made it without your assistance. I have never actually held a
>>> live gecko before, although I have had them jump or fall on me
>>> quite a bit. It is really nice having her around. ;)
>>>
>>> I am trying to put some photos of her up on the web and I will post
>>> the address when I get them up. We have taken lots!! ;)
>>>
>>> Mahalo nui loa,
>>> Sherron
>>>
>>> elizabethfreer@aol.com <mailto:elizabethfreer@aol.com> wrote:
>>>> Do you have a small scissors for sewing (or even perhaps a straight
>>>> pin) that could perhaps begin a split/tear in her skin at the neck?
>>>> I don't know how active she is, but you might be able to hold her
>>>> firmly against some solid padded surface like a table. Hope that
>>>> something works for you both.
>>>>
>>>> Elizabeth
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: elizabethfreer@aol.com <mailto:elizabethfreer@aol.com>
>>>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>>>> Sent: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:52 am
>>>> Subject: Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko
>>>> having trouble shedding ...
>>>>
>>>> And Aloha Sherron ~
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for these details. Please try the humidity chamber near a
>>>> lamp for a few hours. Use a wet washcloth that has been wrung out
>>>> and place it in the vented, plastic container. Watch the water
>>>> droplets form. After only a few hours I imagine her skin might be
>>>> loose enough to start a split.
>>>>
>>>> Another idea! Have something like a twig, small branch, or a
>>>> section of choya wood --- something rough that she could snuggle up
>>>> against to assist in the shed.
>>>>
>>>> I hope the skin shed helps her right leg work more efficiently!
>>>>
>>>> Keep us posted!
>>>>
>>>> Wish I lived near the beach in a place warm enough where geckos
>>>> roamed freely ;-]
>>>>
>>>> Elizabeth
>>>>
>>>>> Aloha, Elizabeth
>>>>>
>>>>> She is about 3/4" from nose to vent -- she is the smallest day
>>>>> gecko hatchling we have ever seen, although some of our mourning
>>>>> gecko hatchlings are even tinier.
>>>>>
>>>>> This sounds like it might work! If it would just soften enough to
>>>>> pull off her or get a split started, I think we could get the neck
>>>>> skin off. We have been misting her little cage and putting a
>>>>> heating pad next to it, but that only helps a little and wasn't
>>>>> keeping the humidity up high enough.
>>>>>
>>>>> She has never seemed to be able to fully control her right leg,
>>>>> and her right foot is smaller than her left and the toes kind of
>>>>> clumped together. She often tends to move the joint and leg
>>>>> together as a unit, so there may be something wrong with the
>>>>> joint, too. Although in watching her with the skin problem, some
>>>>> of that may just be the skin being so tight it restricts her
>>>>> movement.
>>>>>
>>>>> Usually when we find the hatchlings, most of that first skin has
>>>>> already been shed, but she was fully covered with it and it has
>>>>> only recently started splitting. We do think it hinders her use of
>>>>> her limbs -- her arms are only about the size of thin pencil lead,
>>>>> and the skin seems to fully coat those.
>>>>>
>>>>> She has been doing okay up until the last couple of days, though,
>>>>> when the skin (I hope that it isn't something else, too) started
>>>>> really becoming a problem. She now gets around by lurching her
>>>>> body back and forth because her little arms & legs are still
>>>>> encased in the skin, although it has come off some of the back.
>>>>> And she is green underneath, not gray!
>>>>>
>>>>> We haven't ever actually kept any of the geckos before, as they
>>>>> run all around our house, lanai and garden (Phelsuma laticauda,
>>>>> house - Hemidactylus frenatus, & Mourning - Lepidodactylus
>>>>> lugubris). But we had to make an exception in her case, since she
>>>>> couldn't fend for herself. Usually we just take the hatchlings
>>>>> outside so they have a better chance of survival -- we have lots
>>>>> of big geckos running around inside and they don't last long if we
>>>>> don't get to them first. :(
>>>>>
>>>>> Mahalo, Sherron
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ElizabethFreer@aol.com <mailto:ElizabethFreer@aol.com> wrote:
>>>>> Hello Sherron ~
>>>>>
>>>>> Try the humidity chamber trick. I can't view your photos at home
>>>>> because my laptop is really memory-challenged, so I don't know how
>>>>> big this gecko is! However, my mourning geckos are 1" 3/8" at
>>>>> hatching. Try placing your gecko in a *vented* plastic container
>>>>> with a damp washcloth inside. Place this near a light. Almost
>>>>> immediately you will notice beads of water accumulate on the
>>>>> sides/top of the container. After a few hours or so perhaps you
>>>>> can remove the rings of old skin around her neck gently with a
>>>>> tweezers or small scissors.
>>>>>
>>>>> What is the problem with her right leg? Might you have a new pet
>>>>> here?
>>>>>
>>>>> Elizabeth
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Subj:*[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having
>>>>> trouble shedding "egg skin"*
>>>>> Date:6/1/08 4:16:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>>>>> From: gecko.hale@gmail.com <mailto:gecko.hale@gmail.com> (Sherron)
>>>>> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
>>>>> <mailto:gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com>
>>>>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>>>>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
>
> We found a tiny hatchling on May 13 that was a little underdeveloped
> and was still in that grayish skin they have when they first come out
> of the shell. She was dehydrated and has a problem with her right leg,
> but is spunky.
>
> We haven't been able to release her outside like we do the rest of the
> hatchings we find, as her bad leg has kept her from being very mobile,
> but she has been doing pretty well eating tiny bugs & aphids I collect
> for her. She has also shown a real interest in the fruit flies around
> her papaya, but I don't think she has managed to catch any yet.
>
> But she started having trouble yesterday and was real cold & clammy,
> so we put a heating pad near her cage to help warm her up. It seems to
> have started her molting her "egg skin", but she has a bunch of it
> around her neck that she can't get off.
>
> Is there anything we can do to help her? She is so tiny we don't see
> how we could try to cut it off! The rest of the skin except for around
> her neck should slough off okay, but the stuff around her neck is
> several layers and is a ring, so it may be another matter. :(
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated as she is really a spunky little
> girl.
>
> Mahalo, Sherron
>
>
> *Elizabeth**
> ~~~geckos make my heart sing (and dance)~~~
> *
> l l l
> ^^ /..\ ^^ /..\ ^^ ^^ /..\ ^^
> l l ^^ llll \\\
> l l llll ///
> l l llll \\\
> l l ~~ llll ///
> ~~ ( ~~ ) ~~ ~~ ( ~~
> ) ( )
> ( ) (
> ) ( )
> lappert(a) robert(a) hubert(a)
> 17.50 yo r.i.p.
> r.i.p.
>
> (All */Lepidodactylus lugubris/*!)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> **************
> Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler
> Florence" on AOL Food.
> (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002)
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gecko aka Sherron, Kailua Kona, Hawaii (on the Big Island of Hawaii)
Homepage: http://hale-pohaku.com/sherron - mailto:gecko@hale-pohaku.com
See our rats: http://hale-pohaku.com/dennis/ratgallery.html
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Aloha, Elizabeth<br>
<br>
I have started covering the top of her cage with some flexible window
screen we have and that does help. She is so cute when she stalks the
flies -- and she is getting better! It doesn't take many to fill her
tummy, but she gets hungry again quickly. <br>
<br>
Actually, I probably have some tiny scissors in a travel sewing kit
somewhere!! Didn't think of that, as I seldom have need for them. I
will have to look for them. I have gotten pretty good with the Swiss
army knife, though. The hardest part is catching the flies and then
getting hold of them before they warm back up from the refrigerator! It
doesn't take long in our weather! ;D<br>
<br>
Oh darn! I really appreciate the Sunshine Mealworms source, but they
said there is a nationwide shortage of mealworms right now so they
aren't accepting new customers!! I wonder why there would be a
shortage? I know my supplier got out of the business, but I don't think
one person could cause a "nationwide shortage!" I wonder what is going
on?? Back to google, I guess, and I will put a watch on them & try
them again later.<br>
<br>
I don't actually have a tank, I have one of those fold-up mesh screened
things that you can take out with you on "hunting trips". Since we
really don't normally keep them captive, it seemed like that might
serve better for when actually needed some kind of container. And we
also had the 10-gallon glass aquarium with screen top from when we had
our rats years ago, so we can use that, too. But I will check the
fold-up one very carefully before I put anyone into it to be sure there
isn't any way they can escape. We have already experienced their
amazing escape abilities when we have tried to keep hatchlings
overnight for morning release! ;)<br>
<br>
I have been looking around for some nice rocks, branches, and the like
for the bottom of her cage. It should give her something more
interesting than leaves, too. Is there anything I should avoid that
might harm her? I have read that sand should not be used because they
might eat it and become impacted. Is there anything else I should avoid
or watch out for? I really don't want to hurt her!<br>
<br>
Wow! 17.5 years is wonderful! That is so sad that she ran away. I
wonder if she survived, the poor little thing. Sometimes they are just
too smart for their own good. That was smart! We first visited the
islands in 1976 and I fell in love with the geckos, but I never thought
about trying to catch them and take them back with me! We were on our
honeymoon and I remember watching the baby house geckos all over the
place over in Hilo. They were so common back then. Of course, they
might have been mourning geckos, too! I didn't know that much about the
differences then. ;D<br>
<br>
What kind do you keep now? I love some of the colors and would love to
be have some I could hold ... but of course none of them are allowed
into Hawaii. All the ones running around here do keep me busy, though,
so I can't complain. ;)<br>
<br>
Sherron<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ElizabethFreer@aol.com">ElizabethFreer@aol.com</a> wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:bb8.2c9a0286.357c9632@aol.com" type="cite"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><font ptsize="10" family="SCRIPT"
color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2">Mahalo, All~
<br>
<br>
Any chance you could buy a very small sewing scissors? My sewing
scissors have much smaller points and blades than the scissors on my
Swiss army knife.
<br>
<br>
I admire you clipping the wings of the fruit flies. I don't know
whether my fingers would be nimble enough. Sounds like "clipped flies"
is becoming a popular menu item at your home with four-legged visitors
and the like ;-] You might try covering the top of Li?i's cage with a
loosely woven cloth at feeding time to keep the flies in till they are
consumed. I cover the tops of all my cricket cages just to keep them
from escaping...even the 1.5 wos.
<br>
<br>
Melody and I order our crickets from Sunshine Mealworms
(<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.sunshinemealworms.com">www.sunshinemealworms.com</a>, 1-800-322-1100) in Silverton, Oregon.
Perhaps they would be a fine and quicker source for your mealworms.
The Beanfarm (<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.beanfarm.com">www.beanfarm.com</a>) near Seattle, Washington carries the
pink label Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Ultrafine Powder with D3.
<br>
<br>
I have heard that the Exo-Terra tanks might have an "escape hole" in
the back where the tube outlet is.
<br>
<br>
I think the roughness of a rough rock or small branch would be good for
your rescued Gold Dust. Now it sounds as if she has more energy than
before and might even use such to rough up her toes and especially her
tail after a few more steam baths.
<br>
<br>
I was going to suggest "Mahalo" or the Hawaiian word expressing her
thanks, but I see you've already decided upon a name. I mean she owes
her life to you and Dennis!
<br>
<br>
I have only visited Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. I first visited Maui in
1984. I visited Kauai in 1988 and caught my first three Lepidodactylus
lugubris. At the time all I needed to do to bring them home was take
them to a Kauai vet who certified them as "healthy". Then we were off
to Seattle. One of those mourning geckos lived more than 17.5 years
and was still laying eggs! Then I inadvertently left the screen top
ajar and she escaped.
<br>
<br>
Cheers,
<br>
Elizabeth
<br>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
</font></font>
<blockquote type="CITE"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Subj:<b>Re:
[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble
shedding ...</b>
<br>
Date:6/7/08 5:38:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time
<br>
From: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:gecko.hale@gmail.com">gecko.hale@gmail.com</a> (Sherron)
<br>
Sender: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com">gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com</a>
<br>
Reply-to: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2">
<br>
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
</font></font></blockquote>
<font face="arial,helvetica"><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="14"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="3"><big><big><big>Aloha,
Elizabeth
<br>
<br>
I really appreciate the help the GGA list has given me! We actually
tried getting the skin off before we posted to the GGA list, but it
didn't do much good without the "pre-soak" in the humidity chamber for
several hours first. There is nothing like experience to know what you
can do without causing more harm than good. That is always my worry
when trying something I haven't done before is that it may be worse
than doing nothing. :(
<br>
<br>
She is definitely interested in eating; always a good sign! And she is
much better at getting around without that gunky skin inhibiting her
movements. I will need to see what pet/supply stores there are in this
area. I don't think there are many, but I can always do mail order if
there isn't something local. There isn't a large selection of anything
here. ;)
<br>
<br>
We have named her!! Her name is Li?i, which is the Hawaiian name for
"small", and is pronounced lee-ee. The "?" is an ?okina which indicates
a glottal stop or short break/pause between the two i's. ;)
<br>
<br>
So I have also updated the web page on her and it is now located at: <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://hale-pohaku.net/gecko_lii.html">http://hale-pohaku.net/gecko_lii.html</a></big></big></big></font><big><big><big><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="14" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="3">
<br>
<br>
She is really getting around very well without the excess skin,
although I think she still has a little trouble with that right leg.
The toes on the right foot still tend to clump together a little,
although I suspect that she may grow to adjust to it and learn to live
with it. We see quite a few maimed geckos around and many of them do
quite well, all things considered. She certainly is doing much, much
better with it. She doesn't "lurch" anymore, but actually uses it
nearly like a normal leg. ;)
<br>
<br>
We sure don't want her to lose any toes or her tail if we can prevent
it, so like it or not, Li?i is going to get steam bath! Or two. If we
could keep her still, we could probably do it quicker, but there is not
much to hold onto and she is a fast little devil! ;)
<br>
<br>
She sure has lots of friends, thank goodness!! ;)
<br>
<br>
Mahalo nui loa,
<br>
Sherron, Dennis & Li?i</font></big></big>
<font back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="3"><br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:ElizabethFreer@aol.com">ElizabethFreer@aol.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="3"> wrote: </font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">
<br>
</font></big></font>
<blockquote type="CITE"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><big><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2">Sherron
~ <br>
<br>
You are totally welcome for the assistance I was able to give thanks to
this Global Gecko Association listserv! <br>
<br>
I really appreciate your detailed photos. As they say, "A picture is
worth a thousand words." <br>
<br>
If judging by photos is a reliable sign, her belly definitely seems to
be full of the bugs you've been catching. If she proves to be a
long-term captive you may want to dust her bugs with a calcium
supplement. That will be easier once she is eating bigger stuff ;-} I
recommend Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Ultrafine Powder with D3. Can you
get that on the island? <br>
<br>
Your survivor needs a name! You've given her a new life!!! How is her
gait since you've removed the excess skin except for her tail? In your
recent photos her right leg seems to bend like normal. <br>
<br>
The thing about retained skin, which may have ultimately been affecting
her breathing (?) is that the digit (toe) can become necrotic and then
slough off. That is why I'm worried about the retained skin on her
tail as I said in an earlier post tonight. You have resolved the
crucial things first while still saving the "patient". So in a few
days you can try again with her tail. <br>
<br>
Cheers! <br>
Elizabeth <br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
</font></big></font>
<blockquote type="CITE"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><big><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Subj:<b>Re:
[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble
shedding ... Ok! But what about the tail?</b> <br>
Date:6/5/08 11:07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time <br>
From: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:gecko.hale@gmail.com">gecko.hale@gmail.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> (Sherron) <br>
Sender: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com">gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
Reply-to: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
To: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
Aloha, Elizabeth <br>
<br>
Oh, she is VERY active!!! She doesn't hold still for more than a few
seconds and she is so tiny, we are afraid to try to hold her down! <br>
<br>
But we have now managed to get everything off except the skin on her
tail. We had hoped that she might be able to chew it off since that is
all that is left, but she doesn't seem to be doing so. Will the skin
wear off by itself just from her moving around or do we need to make
sure it is off, too? We are just so afraid of the tail breaking off. <br>
<br>
We did notice that she has a toe on her right foot that seems blackened
and crumpled. And the lines on the bottoms of her hands don't seem very
well developed. <br>
<br>
Right foot Right hand <br>
<br>
<br>
We had to repeat the steam bath/clean-up routines multiple times and
she didn't like it, but she was really a good girl. She is very alert
& curious and always comes out to look at us when we go over to
look in her cage. ;) <br>
<br>
We thank you all so much for your help. I am afraid she would not have
made it without your assistance. I have never actually held a live
gecko before, although I have had them jump or fall on me quite a bit.
It is really nice having her around. ;) <br>
<br>
I am trying to put some photos of her up on the web and I will post the
address when I get them up. We have taken lots!! ;) <br>
<br>
Mahalo nui loa, <br>
Sherron <br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:elizabethfreer@aol.com">elizabethfreer@aol.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> wrote: </font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">
<br>
</font></big></font>
<blockquote type="CITE"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><big><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Do
you have a small scissors for sewing (or even perhaps a straight pin)
that could perhaps begin a split/tear in her skin at the neck? I don't
know how active she is, but you might be able to hold her firmly
against some solid padded surface like a table. Hope that something
works for you both. <br>
<br>
Elizabeth <br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message----- <br>
From: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:elizabethfreer@aol.com">elizabethfreer@aol.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
To: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
Sent: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:52 am <br>
Subject: Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having
trouble shedding ... <br>
<br>
And Aloha Sherron ~ <br>
<br>
Thanks for these details. Please try the humidity chamber near a lamp
for a few hours. Use a wet washcloth that has been wrung out and place
it in the vented, plastic container. Watch the water droplets form.
After only a few hours I imagine her skin might be loose enough to
start a split. <br>
<br>
Another idea! Have something like a twig, small branch, or a section
of choya wood --- something rough that she could snuggle up against to
assist in the shed. <br>
<br>
I hope the skin shed helps her right leg work more efficiently! <br>
<br>
Keep us posted! <br>
<br>
Wish I lived near the beach in a place warm enough where geckos roamed
freely ;-] <br>
<br>
Elizabeth <br>
<br>
</font></big></font>
<blockquote type="CITE"
style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 255); margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px;"><font
face="arial,helvetica"><big><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">Aloha,
Elizabeth <br>
<br>
She is about 3/4" from nose to vent -- she is the smallest day gecko
hatchling we have ever seen, although some of our mourning gecko
hatchlings are even tinier. <br>
<br>
This sounds like it might work! If it would just soften enough to pull
off her or get a split started, I think we could get the neck skin off.
We have been misting her little cage and putting a heating pad next to
it, but that only helps a little and wasn't keeping the humidity up
high enough.
<br>
<br>
She has never seemed to be able to fully control her right leg, and her
right foot is smaller than her left and the toes kind of clumped
together. She often tends to move the joint and leg together as a unit,
so there may be something wrong with the joint, too. Although in
watching her with the skin problem, some of that may just be the skin
being so tight it restricts her movement. <br>
<br>
Usually when we find the hatchlings, most of that first skin has
already been shed, but she was fully covered with it and it has only
recently started splitting. We do think it hinders her use of her limbs
-- her arms are only about the size of thin pencil lead, and the skin
seems to fully coat those. <br>
<br>
She has been doing okay up until the last couple of days, though, when
the skin (I hope that it isn't something else, too) started really
becoming a problem. She now gets around by lurching her body back and
forth because her little arms & legs are still encased in the skin,
although it has come off some of the back. And she is green
underneath, not gray! <br>
<br>
We haven't ever actually kept any of the geckos before, as they run all
around our house, lanai and garden (Phelsuma laticauda, house -
Hemidactylus frenatus, & Mourning - Lepidodactylus lugubris). But
we had to make an exception in her case, since she couldn't fend for
herself. Usually we just take the hatchlings outside so they have a
better chance of survival -- we have lots of big geckos running around
inside and they don't last long if we don't get to them first. :( <br>
<br>
Mahalo, Sherron <br>
<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:ElizabethFreer@aol.com">ElizabethFreer@aol.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> wrote: </font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2">Hello
Sherron ~ <br>
<br>
Try the humidity chamber trick. I can't view your photos at home
because my laptop is really memory-challenged, so I don't know how big
this gecko is! However, my mourning geckos are 1" 3/8" at hatching.
Try placing your gecko in a <b>vented</b> plastic container with a
damp washcloth inside. Place this near a light. Almost immediately
you will notice beads of water accumulate on the sides/top of the
container. After a few hours or so perhaps you can remove the rings of
old skin around her neck gently with a tweezers or small scissors. <br>
<br>
What is the problem with her right leg? Might you have a new pet here?
<br>
<br>
Elizabeth
<br>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
Subj:<b>[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble
shedding "egg skin"</b> <br>
Date:6/1/08 4:16:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time <br>
From: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:gecko.hale@gmail.com">gecko.hale@gmail.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> (Sherron) <br>
Sender: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com">gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
Reply-to: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
To: <a moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</a></font><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SANSSERIF" color="#804000" face="Arial" lang="0"
size="2"> <br>
</font></big></font></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<font face="arial,helvetica"><big><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2"><br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="12"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="3">We
found a tiny hatchling on May 13 that was a little underdeveloped and
was still in that grayish skin they have when they first come out of
the shell. She was dehydrated and has a problem with her right leg, but
is spunky. <br>
<br>
We haven't been able to release her outside like we do the rest of the
hatchings we find, as her bad leg has kept her from being very mobile,
but she has been doing pretty well eating tiny bugs & aphids I
collect for her. She has also shown a real interest in the fruit flies
around her papaya, but I don't think she has managed to catch any yet. <br>
<br>
But she started having trouble yesterday and was real cold &
clammy, so we put a heating pad near her cage to help warm her up. It
seems to have started her molting her "egg skin", but she has a bunch
of it around her neck that she can't get off. <br>
<br>
Is there anything we can do to help her? She is so tiny we don't see
how we could try to cut it off! The rest of the skin except for around
her neck should slough off okay, but the stuff around her neck is
several layers and is a ring, so it may be another matter. :( <br>
<br>
Any help would be greatly appreciated as she is really a spunky little
girl. <br>
<br>
Mahalo, Sherron </font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SANSSERIF" color="#000000" face="Arial" lang="0" size="2">
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#008000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2"><b>Elizabeth</b></font><b><font
back="#ffffff" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"
ptsize="10" family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS"
lang="0" size="2">
<br>
~~~geckos make my heart sing (and dance)~~~
<br>
</font></b><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2"><br>
l l l
<br>
^^ /..\ ^^ /..\ ^^ ^^ /..\ ^^
<br>
l l ^^ llll \\\
<br>
l l llll ///
<br>
l l llll \\\
<br>
l l ~~ llll ///
<br>
~~ ( ~~ ) ~~ ~~ ( ~~
<br>
) ( )
<br>
( ) (
<br>
) ( )
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="8"
family="SCRIPT" color="#800080" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="1">
lappert(a) robert(a) hubert(a)
<br>
17.50 yo r.i.p.
r.i.p.
<br>
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="8"
family="SCRIPT" color="#008000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="1">(All
<b><i>Lepidodactylus lugubris</i></b>!)</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="8"
family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="1">
<br>
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#800080" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2">
</font><font back="#ffffff"
style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" ptsize="10"
family="SCRIPT" color="#804000" face="Comic Sans MS" lang="0" size="2">
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font></big><br>
<br>
**************<br>
Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler
Florence" on AOL Food.<br>
(<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002">http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002</a>)</font></blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
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Gecko aka Sherron, Kailua Kona, Hawaii (on the Big Island of Hawaii)
Homepage: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://hale-pohaku.com/sherron">http://hale-pohaku.com/sherron</a> - <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:gecko@hale-pohaku.com">mailto:gecko@hale-pohaku.com</a>
See our rats: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://hale-pohaku.com/dennis/ratgallery.html">http://hale-pohaku.com/dennis/ratgallery.html</a></pre>
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