[gecko]Li'i isn't cooperating!
gecko@lists.gekkota.com
gecko@lists.gekkota.com
Mon, 9 Jun 2008 00:37:59 EDT
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Aloha, Sherron, Dennis, & Li'i ~
In my experience Day Geckos (if one can group them all) seem more susceptible
to stress than my other geckos.
The gaping signals that Li'i is not having fun, now that she has energy to
tell you so. In this case I don't think it's a breathing thing. It's a threat
display...so you'd better get away (if you were not trying to help)...ha, ha,
ha.
What about a smooth padded surface to place Li'i on, maybe like a potholder
against a table? Press her against the surface gently while Dennis works on
her tail. Never had to work on a gecko as small as Li'i for extended stuff like
her tail.
Do you know that Lepidodactylus lugubris are parthenogenetic? They don't
need males to reproduce. The babies are basically clones of the moms. I have
seen them arch their backs like cats and have a go at each other kinda sideways.
Although I hold mine from time to time, and occasionally assist with an
initial shed just gently, there's not much to hold. I really have not purposely
kept them on the loose. However, with a large captive population (they are
like the Energizer Bunny...they keep going and going and going) occasionally some
get loose. A couple weeks ago I was running the water for my bath and all of
a sudden one Ll appeared on the top of the faucet. The bad news times are
when I see one of the moms upsidedown on the screen lid with a hatchling in her
mouth. Now that's a one way street if I don't catch the situation in time.
My favorite geckos for holding (and I do like to hold my geckos) are Oedura
castelnaui (northern velvet geckos) indigeous to Australia and my tailless
Rhacodactylus ciliatus (crested gecko) from Melody. The Ocs are nearly 7" long
from snout to tail tip at maturity. And George (the crested) weighs about 50
grams without his tail...a good handful. I wish you could keep these geckos in
Hawaii. I think you might really like them.
I'm sorry that Sunshine Mealworms could not take you on right now. You should
be at the top of their list. Have you ever bred mealworms? I think it is
not that hard. Hopefully Tracy has started a new thread about that.
Mahalo,
Elizabeth
> Subj:Re: [gecko]Li'i isn't cooperating!
> Date:6/8/08 7:22:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time
> From: gecko.hale@gmail.com (Sherron)
> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
> Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com">gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A>
> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com
>
> Aloha, Melody
>
> Thanks for the info on Ed's, I will see if they can ship to me. Or will
> see if Sunshine will take me with your references. So much appreciated! ;)
>
> We are trying to get that tail skin off again and are having so many
> problems! We thought she was hard to handle before, but now she is a
> little terror!! She is faster than a speeding bullet -- must be all
> those fruit flies she is eating! We don't know how to actually hold her
> down -- we are afraid we will break her, as she is so tiny and she is
> really fast! She is only holding still for a fraction of a second --
> she knows the drill now, and all the tricks to get away.
>
> Dennis tries to wet her skin and get a grip with the tweezers while I
> try to keep her from leaping off his lap. But she is a real moving target!
>
> And now she is doing something else that has us worried -- she keeps
> opening her mouth really wild and gaping. She doesn't make any noise so
> I don't know if she is gasping for air or not, but I don't think we
> could hear her if she was. I know she hates what we are doing, but we
> aren't sure if she is really in distress or not. My husband got worried
> so we put her back in the steam bath to loosen the skin up some more (it
> moved only a tiny bit), but I wondered if you could shed some light on
> the gaping.
>
> I know some animals, like birds, can actually die from emotional
> distress, but I don't think geckos fall into that category. Will it hurt
> her if we continue even though she is showing signs of acute distress?
> Or could there really be something wrong with her that we just haven't
> noticed before? I know she was eating today as I saw her catch and eat
> at least a couple of fruit flies earlier this morning.
>
> Or is the little stinker smarter than us and has just gotten us figured
> out already and knows what buttons to push? ;)
>
> Cooston where I grew up wasn't much of a town, either. And we lived
> about 10 miles outside of it anyway. The closest "big" town to us was
> North Bend/Coos Bay. I have very fond memories of Oregon, though. It was
> a great place to grow up, especially for a tomboy like me. I always
> loved all the animals and the woods ... I had pet frogs, salamanders,
> timber beetles, snakes, lizards, chickens, crawdads, chipmunks, anything
> I could get my hands on. I used to drive my poor mom wild. ;)
>
> Oh and the berries! There is no place like Oregon for the berries!
> Salmonberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, blackberries .. yumm! My
> best friend and I drove from Southern California up through Oregon to
> where we lived about 10 years ago and stopped for blackberries along the
> way every place we spotted them! Great trip! ;)
>
> Thanks,
> Sherron
>
> Melody Hartley wrote:
> > Hi Sharron,
> >
> > I get fruit flies from Ed's Fly Meat, http://www.edsflymeatinc.com.
> > They're near Seattle Washington. (There is no Ed, that's for Erin and
> > Dave -- nice folks!) If they can't ship to Hawaii they might know of
> > someone near you who keeps dart frogs and would help. I'd suggest also
> > getting a bag of their fruit fly medium so you can raise your own. It's
> > pretty easy, and I can give you some tips if/when you get to that. I
> > think they sell supplements too, so might have the Rep-Cal. If your
> > gecko gets UVB from natural direct sunshine (not through a window) you
> > don't need the kind with D3 in it.
> >
> > Elizabeth suggested Sunshine Mealworms, and I agree. They're in
> > Silverton Oregon. I think they are not taking new mealworm customers
> > for a while, but you might tell them that Elizabeth and I recommended
> > them and maybe that will make a difference ;-)
> >
> > You mentioned that you thought the old skin on Li'i's tail is getting
> > tighter. She is probably just growing on your hand-fed gourmet diet!
> > Geckos store fat in their tails. An idea on removing the skin: See if
> > you can get it to split by using 2 pairs of tweezers and gently pulling
> > on the edge closest to her body. This probably would need a second
> > person holding the gecko.
> >
> > Aloha is about 10 miles west of Portland, between Beaverton and
> > Hillsboro. It's not exactly a town -- everything runs together here now
> > and it never was much of a town. But I like the name too ;-D
> >
> > My geckos would love some of those big fruit flies! I'm sure you can't
> > ship them to Oregon though, LOL!
> >
> > Best of luck!
> > Melody
> >
> > Gecko wrote:
> >> Aloha, Melody
> >>
> >> Flightless fruit flies!! Wouldn't she like that!! I will have to
> >> google for them and see if I can get them into Hawaii! I have to
> >> have an import license to have mealworms shipped to me to feed the
> >> geckos! Right now, we are having problems finding someone to ship
> >> quickly enough in the summer, even with the license. We need a good
> >> supplier that ships from somewhere near the west coast as all the
> >> places I know are mid or east coast. A mealworm import license is $50
> >> a year for unlimited shipments -- and they all go through Honolulu
> >> for inspection! If flightless fruit flies are on the list, they would
> >> cost the same. Hawaii actually has a great endemic fruit fly that is
> >> huge -- about the size of a small house fly. Too big for our little
> >> Preemie girl as it is almost the size of her head! Pretty neat, though!
> >>
> >> Yes, I would be interested in your source for the flies. I can always
> >> ask them if they ship here. We did find a small scissors on a Swiss
> >> army knife, so my job has become easier and faster, thank goodness!
> >> I can sometimes now just hold them with my fingers and clip them!
> >> Much easier! ;)
> >>
> >> We are watching the tail skin. I worry that it is too tight on her.
> >> And it seems to make her tail less flexible. But we dread trying to
> >> get it off, as she really seems unhappy when we try to work on her
> >> tail. Not that she liked the rest of it, but that part always
> >> bothered her the most and she would take off like a bolt!!
> >>
> >> Hey, I am a webfoot as I was born in Oregon in Myrtle Point! We moved
> >> away to England for a year when I was 11, 'though, so I am not real
> >> familiar with where places are. I have not heard of Aloha in Oregon,
> >> but I sure like the name! ;)
> >>
> >> Mahalo,
> >> Sherron
> >>
> >> Melody Hartley wrote:
> >>
> >>> Aloha Sharron,
> >>>
> >>> You are so patient and dedicated!! This little one is so lucky to
> >>> have you, since I'm sure she would have been someone's lunch
> >>> otherwise. If she goes on eating fruit flies, you know you can
> >>> raise flightess fruit flies, and that might be easier. I do that
> >>> because I keep a few dart frogs, but I use them for hatchling geckos
> >>> too. You'd have to get a starter culture from someone, or get one
> >>> shipped to you if allowed, and keep them strictly separate from the
> >>> flying ones because "flightless" is a recessive gene. I can give
> >>> you more info if you're interested.
> >>>
> >>> Do you have the little bugs in the soil called springtails? Or any
> >>> other tiny bugs you could catch, maybe aphids? I'd hate for you go
> >>> blind clipping fruit fly wings, LOL!
> >>>
> >>> As to the last bits of shedding, she might lose the extra skin on
> >>> the next shed. I've only gotten the tail skin off by peeling front
> >>> to back, like turning a cone inside out.
> >>>
> >>> The town in Oregon that I live in is named "Aloha" although
> >>> pronounced differently -- emphasis on the "lo" part and a soft "h"
> >>> -- ah-LO-ah.
> >>>
> >>> It's also nice to see some activity on this list ;-)
> >>>
> >>> Melody
> >>>
> >>> Gecko wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Aloha, Melody
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks for these ideas. I never thought of a paintbrush, but that
> >>>> would be softer and probably hold the moisture better. ;)
> >>>>
> >>>> Her toes kept sticking to the washcloth, so we did lay a paper
> >>>> towel on top of it and she liked that better.
> >>>>
> >>>> Now that she is back in her regular house, she is on banana leaf
> >>>> with red ti, honeysuckle, and helekonia. We used to have her on
> >>>> paper towels, but she really seems to like the banana leaf and we
> >>>> have tons of them. And the red ti is her favorite for hanging out
> >>>> on. And all the day geckos like the helekonia -- that and the
> >>>> bananas are their favorite hangouts ... along with our lanai and
> >>>> house. ;)
> >>>>
> >>>> Mahalo,
> >>>> Sherron
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Melody Hartley wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Slightly different method -- I use a paper towel rather than a
> >>>>> washcloth in the humid box, and float the whole box in a sink full
> >>>>> of warm water for the heat. A small soft paintbrush can also be
> >>>>> helpful for wetting the old skin and working it loose.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> elizabethfreer@aol.com wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> 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 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 (Sherron)
> >>>>>>>> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
> >>>>>>>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com
> >>>>>>>> <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
> >>>>>>>> To: 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
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>>>> From: Gecko <gecko.hale@gmail.com>
> >>>>>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com
> >>>>>> Sent: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:21 am
> >>>>>> Subject: Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko
> >>>>>> having trouble shedding ...
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> 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 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 (Sherron)
> >>>>>>>> Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
> >>>>>>>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
> >>>>>>>> To: 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.
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
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!)
<BR><BR>**************<BR>Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with
Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.<BR> (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&
NCID=aolfod00030000000002)</HTML>
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><FONT COLOR=3D"#804000" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=
=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" LANG=3D"0">Aloha, Sherron, De=
nnis, & Li'i ~
<BR>
<BR>In my experience Day Geckos (if one can group them all) seem more suscep=
tible to stress than my other geckos.
<BR>
<BR>The gaping signals that Li'i is <B>not</B> having fun, now that she has=20=
energy to tell you so. In this case I don't think it's a breathing thi=
ng. It's a threat display...so you'd better get away (if you were not=20=
trying to help)...ha, ha, ha.
<BR>
<BR><B>What about a smooth padded surface to place Li'i on, maybe like a pot=
holder against a table? Press her against the surface gently while Den=
nis works on her tail.</B> Never had to work on a gecko as small as Li=
'i for extended stuff like her tail.
<BR>
<BR>Do you know that Lepidodactylus lugubris are parthenogenetic? They=
don't need males to reproduce. The babies are basically clones of the=
moms. I have seen them arch their backs like cats and have a go at ea=
ch other kinda sideways. Although I hold mine from time to time, and o=
ccasionally assist with an initial shed just gently, there's not much to hol=
d. I really have not purposely kept them on the loose. However,=20=
with a large captive population (they are like the Energizer Bunny...they ke=
ep going and going and going) occasionally some get loose. A couple we=
eks ago I was running the water for my bath and all of a sudden one Ll appea=
red on the top of the faucet. The bad news times are when I see one of=
the moms upsidedown on the screen lid with a hatchling in her mouth. =
Now that's a one way street if I don't catch the situation in time.
<BR>
<BR>My favorite geckos for holding (and I do like to hold my geckos) are Oed=
ura castelnaui (northern velvet geckos) indigeous to Australia and my taille=
ss Rhacodactylus ciliatus (crested gecko) from Melody. The Ocs are nea=
rly 7" long from snout to tail tip at maturity. And George (the creste=
d) weighs about 50 grams without his tail...a good handful. I wish you=
could keep these geckos in Hawaii. I think you might really like them=
.
<BR>
<BR>I'm sorry that Sunshine Mealworms could not take you on right now.  =
;You <B><I>should</B></I> be at the top of their list. Have you ever b=
red mealworms? I think it is not that hard. Hopefully Tracy has=20=
started a new thread about that.
<BR>
<BR>Mahalo,
<BR>Elizabeth
<BR>
<BR>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
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<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-=
LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:<B>Re: [gecko]Li'i isn=
't cooperating!</B>
<BR>Date:6/8/08 7:22:40 PM Pacific Daylight Time
<BR>From: gecko.hale@gmail.com (Sherron)
<BR>Sender: gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
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<BR>Aloha, Melody
<BR>
<BR>Thanks for the info on Ed's, I will see if they can ship to me. Or will=20
<BR>see if Sunshine will take me with your references. So much appreciated!=20=
;)
<BR>
<BR>We are trying to get that tail skin off again and are having so many=20
<BR>problems! We thought she was hard to handle before, but now she is a=20
<BR>little terror!! She is faster than a speeding bullet -- must be all=20
<BR>those fruit flies she is eating! We don't know how to actually hold her=20
<BR>down -- we are afraid we will break her, as she is so tiny and she is=20
<BR>really fast! She is only holding still for a fraction of a second=20=
--=20
<BR>she knows the drill now, and all the tricks to get away.
<BR>
<BR>Dennis tries to wet her skin and get a grip with the tweezers while I=20
<BR>try to keep her from leaping off his lap. But she is a real moving targe=
t!
<BR>
<BR>And now she is doing something else that has us worried -- she keeps=20
<BR>opening her mouth really wild and gaping. She doesn't make any noise so=20
<BR>I don't know if she is gasping for air or not, but I don't think we=20
<BR>could hear her if she was. I know she hates what we are doing, but we=20
<BR>aren't sure if she is really in distress or not. My husband got worried=20
<BR>so we put her back in the steam bath to loosen the skin up some more (it=
=20
<BR>moved only a tiny bit), but I wondered if you could shed some light on=20
<BR>the gaping.=20
<BR>
<BR>I know some animals, like birds, can actually die from emotional=20
<BR>distress, but I don't think geckos fall into that category. Will it hurt=
=20
<BR>her if we continue even though she is showing signs of acute distress?=20
<BR>Or could there really be something wrong with her that we just haven't=20
<BR>noticed before? I know she was eating today as I saw her catch and=
eat=20
<BR>at least a couple of fruit flies earlier this morning.
<BR>
<BR>Or is the little stinker smarter than us and has just gotten us figured=20
<BR>out already and knows what buttons to push? ;)
<BR>
<BR>Cooston where I grew up wasn't much of a town, either. And we lived=20
<BR>about 10 miles outside of it anyway. The closest "big" town to us was=20
<BR>North Bend/Coos Bay. I have very fond memories of Oregon, though. It was=
=20
<BR>a great place to grow up, especially for a tomboy like me. I always=20
<BR>loved all the animals and the woods ... I had pet frogs, salamanders,=20
<BR>timber beetles, snakes, lizards, chickens, crawdads, chipmunks, anything=
=20
<BR>I could get my hands on. I used to drive my poor mom wild. ;)
<BR>
<BR>Oh and the berries! There is no place like Oregon for the berries!=20
<BR>Salmonberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, blackberries .. yumm! My=20
<BR>best friend and I drove from Southern California up through Oregon to=20
<BR>where we lived about 10 years ago and stopped for blackberries along the=
=20
<BR>way every place we spotted them! Great trip! ;)
<BR>
<BR>Thanks,
<BR>Sherron
<BR>
<BR>Melody Hartley wrote:
<BR>> Hi Sharron,
<BR>>
<BR>> I get fruit flies from Ed's Fly Meat, http://www.edsflymeatinc.com.
<BR>> They're near Seattle Washington. (There is no Ed, that's for Erin a=
nd
<BR>> Dave -- nice folks!) If they can't ship to Hawaii they might know o=
f
<BR>> someone near you who keeps dart frogs and would help. I'd sug=
gest also
<BR>> getting a bag of their fruit fly medium so you can raise your own.=20=
It's
<BR>> pretty easy, and I can give you some tips if/when you get to that.=20=
I
<BR>> think they sell supplements too, so might have the Rep-Cal. I=
f your
<BR>> gecko gets UVB from natural direct sunshine (not through a window)=20=
you
<BR>> don't need the kind with D3 in it.
<BR>>
<BR>> Elizabeth suggested Sunshine Mealworms, and I agree. They're=20=
in
<BR>> Silverton Oregon. I think they are not taking new mealworm cu=
stomers
<BR>> for a while, but you might tell them that Elizabeth and I recommend=
ed
<BR>> them and maybe that will make a difference ;-)
<BR>>
<BR>> You mentioned that you thought the old skin on Li'i's tail is getti=
ng
<BR>> tighter. She is probably just growing on your hand-fed gourmet diet=
!
<BR>> Geckos store fat in their tails. An idea on removing the skin=
: See if
<BR>> you can get it to split by using 2 pairs of tweezers and gently pul=
ling
<BR>> on the edge closest to her body. This probably would need a s=
econd
<BR>> person holding the gecko.
<BR>>
<BR>> Aloha is about 10 miles west of Portland, between Beaverton and
<BR>> Hillsboro. It's not exactly a town -- everything runs togethe=
r here now
<BR>> and it never was much of a town. But I like the name too ;-D
<BR>>
<BR>> My geckos would love some of those big fruit flies! I'm sure=20=
you can't
<BR>> ship them to Oregon though, LOL!
<BR>>
<BR>> Best of luck!
<BR>> Melody
<BR>>
<BR>> Gecko wrote:
<BR>>> Aloha, Melody
<BR>>>
<BR>>> Flightless fruit flies!! Wouldn't she like that!! I will=20=
have to=20
<BR>>> google for them and see if I can get them into Hawaii! I=20=
have to=20
<BR>>> have an import license to have mealworms shipped to me to feed=20=
the=20
<BR>>> geckos! Right now, we are having problems finding someone to sh=
ip=20
<BR>>> quickly enough in the summer, even with the license. We need a=20=
good=20
<BR>>> supplier that ships from somewhere near the west coast as all t=
he=20
<BR>>> places I know are mid or east coast. A mealworm import license=20=
is $50=20
<BR>>> a year for unlimited shipments -- and they all go through Honol=
ulu=20
<BR>>> for inspection! If flightless fruit flies are on the list, they=
would=20
<BR>>> cost the same. Hawaii actually has a great endemic fruit fly th=
at is=20
<BR>>> huge -- about the size of a small house fly. Too big for our li=
ttle=20
<BR>>> Preemie girl as it is almost the size of her head! Pretty neat,=
though!
<BR>>>
<BR>>> Yes, I would be interested in your source for the flies. I can=20=
always=20
<BR>>> ask them if they ship here. We did find a small scissors on a S=
wiss=20
<BR>>> army knife, so my job has become easier and faster, thank=
goodness!=20
<BR>>> I can sometimes now just hold them with my fingers and clip the=
m!=20
<BR>>> Much easier! ;)
<BR>>>
<BR>>> We are watching the tail skin. I worry that it is too tight on=20=
her.=20
<BR>>> And it seems to make her tail less flexible. But we dread tryin=
g to=20
<BR>>> get it off, as she really seems unhappy when we try to work on=20=
her=20
<BR>>> tail. Not that she liked the rest of it, but that part always=20
<BR>>> bothered her the most and she would take off like a bolt!!
<BR>>>
<BR>>> Hey, I am a webfoot as I was born in Oregon in Myrtle Point! We=
moved=20
<BR>>> away to England for a year when I was 11, 'though, so I am not=20=
real=20
<BR>>> familiar with where places are. I have not heard of Aloha in Or=
egon,=20
<BR>>> but I sure like the name! ;)
<BR>>>
<BR>>> Mahalo,
<BR>>> Sherron
<BR>>>
<BR>>> Melody Hartley wrote:
<BR>>>
<BR>>>> Aloha Sharron,
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> You are so patient and dedicated!! This little one is=
so lucky to=20
<BR>>>> have you, since I'm sure she would have been someone's lunc=
h=20
<BR>>>> otherwise. If she goes on eating fruit flies, you kno=
w you can=20
<BR>>>> raise flightess fruit flies, and that might be easier. &nbs=
p;I do that=20
<BR>>>> because I keep a few dart frogs, but I use them for hatchli=
ng geckos=20
<BR>>>> too. You'd have to get a starter culture from someone=
, or get one=20
<BR>>>> shipped to you if allowed, and keep them strictly separate=20=
from the=20
<BR>>>> flying ones because "flightless" is a recessive gene.  =
;I can give=20
<BR>>>> you more info if you're interested.
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> Do you have the little bugs in the soil called springtails?=
Or any=20
<BR>>>> other tiny bugs you could catch, maybe aphids? I'd ha=
te for you go=20
<BR>>>> blind clipping fruit fly wings, LOL!
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> As to the last bits of shedding, she might lose the extra s=
kin on=20
<BR>>>> the next shed. I've only gotten the tail skin off by=20=
peeling front=20
<BR>>>> to back, like turning a cone inside out.
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> The town in Oregon that I live in is named "Aloha" although=
=20
<BR>>>> pronounced differently -- emphasis on the "lo" part and a s=
oft "h"=20
<BR>>>> -- ah-LO-ah.
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> It's also nice to see some activity on this list ;-)
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> Melody
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>> Gecko wrote:
<BR>>>>
<BR>>>>> Aloha, Melody
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>> Thanks for these ideas. I never thought of a paintbrush=
, but that=20
<BR>>>>> would be softer and probably hold the moisture better.=20=
;)
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>> Her toes kept sticking to the washcloth, so we did lay=20=
a paper=20
<BR>>>>> towel on top of it and she liked that better.
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>> Now that she is back in her regular house, she is on ba=
nana leaf=20
<BR>>>>> with red ti, honeysuckle, and helekonia. We used to hav=
e her on=20
<BR>>>>> paper towels, but she really seems to like the banana l=
eaf and we=20
<BR>>>>> have tons of them. And the red ti is her favorite for h=
anging out=20
<BR>>>>> on. And all the day geckos like the helekonia -- that a=
nd the=20
<BR>>>>> bananas are their favorite hangouts ... along with our=20=
lanai and=20
<BR>>>>> house. ;)
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>> Mahalo,
<BR>>>>> Sherron
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>> Melody Hartley wrote:
<BR>>>>>
<BR>>>>>> Slightly different method -- I use a paper towel ra=
ther than a=20
<BR>>>>>> washcloth in the humid box, and float the whole box=
in a sink full=20
<BR>>>>>> of warm water for the heat. A small soft pain=
tbrush can also be=20
<BR>>>>>> helpful for wetting the old skin and working it loo=
se.
<BR>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>> elizabethfreer@aol.com wrote:
<BR>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> And Aloha Sherron ~
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Thanks for these details. Please try the=20=
humidity chamber near a=20
<BR>>>>>>> lamp for a few hours. Use a wet washcloth=
that has been wrung=20
<BR>>>>>>> out and place it in the vented, plastic contain=
er. Watch the=20
<BR>>>>>>> water droplets form. After only a few hou=
rs I imagine her skin=20
<BR>>>>>>> might be loose enough to start a split.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Another idea! Have something like a twig,=
small branch, or a=20
<BR>>>>>>> section of choya wood --- something rough that=20=
she could snuggle=20
<BR>>>>>>> up against to assist in the shed.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> I hope the skin shed helps her right leg work m=
ore efficiently!
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Keep us posted!
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Wish I lived near the beach in a place warm eno=
ugh where geckos=20
<BR>>>>>>> roamed freely ;-]
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Elizabeth
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Aloha, Elizabeth
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> She is about 3/4" from=20=
nose to vent -- she is the smallest=20
<BR>>>>>>> day gecko
<BR>>>>>>> hatchling we have ever=20=
seen, although some of our mourning gecko
<BR>>>>>>> hatchlings are even tin=
ier.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> This sounds like it mig=
ht work! If it would just soften=20
<BR>>>>>>> enough to
<BR>>>>>>> pull off her or get a s=
plit started, I think we could get the=20
<BR>>>>>>> neck
<BR>>>>>>> skin off. We have=
been misting her little cage and putting a
<BR>>>>>>> heating pad next to it,=
but that only helps a little and wasn't
<BR>>>>>>> keeping the humidity up=
high enough.
<BR>>>>>>> She has never seemed to=
be able to fully control her right=20
<BR>>>>>>> leg, and
<BR>>>>>>> her right foot is small=
er than her left and the toes kind of=20
<BR>>>>>>> clumped
<BR>>>>>>> together. She often ten=
ds to move the joint and leg together=20
<BR>>>>>>> as a
<BR>>>>>>> unit, so there may be s=
omething wrong with the joint, too.=20
<BR>>>>>>> Although
<BR>>>>>>> in watching her with th=
e skin problem, some of that may just=20
<BR>>>>>>> be the
<BR>>>>>>> skin being so tight it=20=
restricts her movement.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Usually when we find th=
e hatchlings, most of that first skin has
<BR>>>>>>> already been shed, but=20=
she was fully covered with it and it=20
<BR>>>>>>> has only
<BR>>>>>>> recently started splitt=
ing. We do think it hinders her use of=20
<BR>>>>>>> her
<BR>>>>>>> limbs -- her arms are o=
nly about the size of thin pencil=20
<BR>>>>>>> lead, and
<BR>>>>>>> the skin seems to fully=
coat those.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> She has been doing okay=
up until the last couple of days,=20
<BR>>>>>>> though,
<BR>>>>>>> when the skin (I hope t=
hat it isn't something else, too) started
<BR>>>>>>> really becoming a probl=
em. She now gets around by lurching=20
<BR>>>>>>> her body
<BR>>>>>>> back and forth because=20=
her little arms & legs are still=20
<BR>>>>>>> encased in
<BR>>>>>>> the skin, although it h=
as come off some of the back. And she is
<BR>>>>>>> green underneath, not g=
ray!
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> We haven't ever actuall=
y kept any of the geckos before, as=20
<BR>>>>>>> they run
<BR>>>>>>> all around our house, l=
anai and garden (Phelsuma laticauda,=20
<BR>>>>>>> house -
<BR>>>>>>> Hemidactylus frenatus,=20=
& Mourning - Lepidodactylus lugubris).=20
<BR>>>>>>> But we
<BR>>>>>>> had to make an exceptio=
n in her case, since she couldn't fend=20
<BR>>>>>>> for
<BR>>>>>>> herself. Usually we jus=
t take the hatchlings outside so they=20
<BR>>>>>>> have a
<BR>>>>>>> better chance of surviv=
al -- we have lots of big geckos running
<BR>>>>>>> around inside and they=20=
don't last long if we don't get to=20
<BR>>>>>>> them first. :(
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Mahalo, Sherron
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> ElizabethFreer@aol.com=20=
wrote:
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Hello Sherron ~
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Try the humidity ch=
amber trick. I can't view your photos at=20
<BR>>>>>>>> home
<BR>>>>>>>> because my laptop i=
s really memory-challenged, so I don't=20
<BR>>>>>>>> know how
<BR>>>>>>>> big this gecko is!=20=
However, my mourning geckos are 1" 3/8" at
<BR>>>>>>>> hatching. Try=
placing your gecko in a vented plastic container
<BR>>>>>>>> with a damp washclo=
th inside. Place this near a light. Almost
<BR>>>>>>>> immediately you wil=
l notice beads of water accumulate on the
<BR>>>>>>>> sides/top of the co=
ntainer. After a few hours or so perhaps=20
<BR>>>>>>>> you
<BR>>>>>>>> can remove the ring=
s of old skin around her neck gently with a
<BR>>>>>>>> tweezers or small s=
cissors.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> What is the problem=
with her right leg? Might you have a=20
<BR>>>>>>>> new pet
<BR>>>>>>>> here?
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Elizabeth
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>>> Subj:[gecko]Que=
stion on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having
<BR>>>>>>>>> trouble sheddin=
g "egg skin"
<BR>>>>>>>>> Date:6/1/08 4:1=
6:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time
<BR>>>>>>>>> From: &nb=
sp; gecko.hale@gmail.com (Sherron)
<BR>>>>>>>>> Sender: &=
nbsp; gecko-admin@lists.gekkota.com
<BR>>>>>>>>> Reply-to: gecko=
@lists.gekkota.com=20
<BR>>>>>>>>> <mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
<BR>>>>>>>>> To:  =
; gecko@lists.gekkota.com
<BR>>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> We found a tiny hat=
chling on May 13 that was a little
<BR>>>>>>>> underdeveloped and=20=
was still in that grayish skin they have=20
<BR>>>>>>>> when
<BR>>>>>>>> they first come out=
of the shell. She was dehydrated and has a
<BR>>>>>>>> problem with her ri=
ght leg, but is spunky.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> We haven't been abl=
e to release her outside like we do the=20
<BR>>>>>>>> rest of
<BR>>>>>>>> the hatchings we fi=
nd, as her bad leg has kept her from=20
<BR>>>>>>>> being very
<BR>>>>>>>> mobile, but she has=
been doing pretty well eating tiny bugs &
<BR>>>>>>>> aphids I collect fo=
r her. She has also shown a real interest in
<BR>>>>>>>> the fruit flies aro=
und her papaya, but I don't think she has
<BR>>>>>>>> managed to catch an=
y yet.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> But she started hav=
ing trouble yesterday and was real cold &
<BR>>>>>>>> clammy, so we put a=
heating pad near her cage to help warm=20
<BR>>>>>>>> her up.
<BR>>>>>>>> It seems to have st=
arted her molting her "egg skin", but she=20
<BR>>>>>>>> has a
<BR>>>>>>>> bunch of it around=20=
her neck that she can't get off.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Is there anything w=
e can do to help her? She is so tiny we=20
<BR>>>>>>>> don't
<BR>>>>>>>> see how we could tr=
y to cut it off! The rest of the skin except
<BR>>>>>>>> for around her neck=
should slough off okay, but the stuff=20
<BR>>>>>>>> around
<BR>>>>>>>> her neck is several=
layers and is a ring, so it may be another
<BR>>>>>>>> matter. :(
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Any help would be g=
reatly appreciated as she is really a spunky
<BR>>>>>>>> little girl.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Mahalo, Sherron=20
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
<BR>>>>>>> From: Gecko <gecko.hale@gmail.com>
<BR>>>>>>> To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com
<BR>>>>>>> Sent: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:21 am
<BR>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold=20=
Dust Day Gecko=20
<BR>>>>>>> having trouble shedding ...
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Aloha, Elizabeth
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> She is about 3/4" from nose to vent -- she is t=
he smallest day=20
<BR>>>>>>> gecko hatchling we have ever seen, although som=
e of our mourning=20
<BR>>>>>>> gecko hatchlings are even tinier.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> This sounds like it might work! If it wou=
ld just soften enough=20
<BR>>>>>>> to pull off her or get a split started, I think=
we could get the=20
<BR>>>>>>> neck skin off. We have been misting her l=
ittle cage and putting=20
<BR>>>>>>> a heating pad next to it, but that only helps a=
little and wasn't=20
<BR>>>>>>> keeping the humidity up high enough.
<BR>>>>>>> She has never seemed to be able to fully contro=
l her right leg,=20
<BR>>>>>>> and her right foot is smaller than her left and=
the toes kind of=20
<BR>>>>>>> clumped together. She often tends to move the j=
oint and leg=20
<BR>>>>>>> together as a unit, so there may be something w=
rong with the=20
<BR>>>>>>> joint, too. Although in watching her with the s=
kin problem, some=20
<BR>>>>>>> of that may just be the skin being so tight it=20=
restricts her=20
<BR>>>>>>> movement.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Usually when we find the hatchlings, most of th=
at first skin has=20
<BR>>>>>>> already been shed, but she was fully covered wi=
th it and it has=20
<BR>>>>>>> only recently started splitting. We do think it=
hinders her use=20
<BR>>>>>>> of her limbs -- her arms are only about the siz=
e of thin pencil=20
<BR>>>>>>> lead, and the skin seems to fully coat those.
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> She has been doing okay up until the last coupl=
e of days, though,=20
<BR>>>>>>> when the skin (I hope that it isn't something e=
lse, too) started=20
<BR>>>>>>> really becoming a problem. She now gets around=20=
by lurching her=20
<BR>>>>>>> body back and forth because her little arms &am=
p; legs are still=20
<BR>>>>>>> encased in the skin, although it has come off s=
ome of the back.
<BR>>>>>>> And she is green underneath, not gray!
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> We haven't ever actually kept any of the geckos=
before, as they=20
<BR>>>>>>> run all around our house, lanai and garden (Phe=
lsuma laticauda,=20
<BR>>>>>>> house - Hemidactylus frenatus, & Mourning -=
Lepidodactylus=20
<BR>>>>>>> lugubris). But we had to make an exception in h=
er case, since she=20
<BR>>>>>>> couldn't fend for herself. Usually we just take=
the hatchlings=20
<BR>>>>>>> outside so they have a better chance of surviva=
l -- we have lots=20
<BR>>>>>>> of big geckos running around inside and they do=
n't last long if=20
<BR>>>>>>> we don't get to them first. :(
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> Mahalo, Sherron
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>> ElizabethFreer@aol.com wrote:
<BR>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Hello Sherron ~
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Try the humidity chamber trick. I can=
't view your photos at=20
<BR>>>>>>>> home because my laptop is really memory-cha=
llenged, so I don't=20
<BR>>>>>>>> know how big this gecko is! However,=20=
my mourning geckos are 1"=20
<BR>>>>>>>> 3/8" at hatching. Try placing your ge=
cko in a vented plastic=20
<BR>>>>>>>> container with a damp washcloth inside. &nb=
sp;Place this near a=20
<BR>>>>>>>> light. Almost immediately you will no=
tice beads of water=20
<BR>>>>>>>> accumulate on the sides/top of the containe=
r. After a few hours=20
<BR>>>>>>>> or so perhaps you can remove the rings of o=
ld skin around her=20
<BR>>>>>>>> neck gently with a tweezers or small scisso=
rs.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> What is the problem with her right leg? &nb=
sp;Might you have a new=20
<BR>>>>>>>> pet here?
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Elizabeth
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>>> Subj:[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold=20=
Dust Day Gecko having=20
<BR>>>>>>>>> trouble shedding "egg skin"
<BR>>>>>>>>> Date:6/1/08 4:16:39 PM Pacific Daylight=
Time
<BR>>>>>>>>> From: gecko.hale@gmai=
l.com (Sherron)
<BR>>>>>>>>> Sender: gecko-admin@l=
ists.gekkota.com
<BR>>>>>>>>> Reply-to: gecko@lists.gekkota.com <m=
ailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com>
<BR>>>>>>>>> To: gecko@lists.gekko=
ta.com
<BR>>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> We found a tiny hatchling on May 13 that wa=
s a little=20
<BR>>>>>>>> underdeveloped and was still in that grayis=
h skin they have when=20
<BR>>>>>>>> they first come out of the shell. She was d=
ehydrated and has a=20
<BR>>>>>>>> problem with her right leg, but is spunky.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> We haven't been able to release her outside=
like we do the rest=20
<BR>>>>>>>> of the hatchings we find, as her bad leg ha=
s kept her from being=20
<BR>>>>>>>> very mobile, but she has been doing pretty=20=
well eating tiny bugs=20
<BR>>>>>>>> & aphids I collect for her. She has als=
o shown a real interest=20
<BR>>>>>>>> in the fruit flies around her papaya, but I=
don't think she has=20
<BR>>>>>>>> managed to catch any yet.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> But she started having trouble yesterday an=
d was real cold &=20
<BR>>>>>>>> clammy, so we put a heating pad near her ca=
ge to help warm her=20
<BR>>>>>>>> up. It seems to have started her molting he=
r "egg skin", but she=20
<BR>>>>>>>> has a bunch of it around her neck that she=20=
can't get off.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Is there anything we can do to help her? Sh=
e is so tiny we don't=20
<BR>>>>>>>> see how we could try to cut it off! The res=
t of the skin except=20
<BR>>>>>>>> for around her neck should slough off okay,=
but the stuff around=20
<BR>>>>>>>> her neck is several layers and is a ring, s=
o it may be another=20
<BR>>>>>>>> matter. :(
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Any help would be greatly appreciated as sh=
e is really a spunky=20
<BR>>>>>>>> little girl.
<BR>>>>>>>>
<BR>>>>>>>> Mahalo, Sherron</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#804000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
OR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" L=
ANG=3D"0">
<BR>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#008000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
OR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" L=
ANG=3D"0"><B>Elizabeth</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#804000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=
=3D"Comic Sans MS" LANG=3D"0">
<BR>~~~geckos make my heart sing (and dance)~~~
<BR></B>
<BR> l &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; l &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; l &nb=
sp;
<BR> ^^ /..\ &nb=
sp; ^^ /..\ ^^ &n=
bsp; ^^ /..\ ^^
<BR> l l ^^ &nbs=
p; ll=
ll &=
nbsp; \\\
<BR> l l &=
nbsp;  =
; llll &nbs=
p; //=
/
<BR> l l &=
nbsp;  =
; llll &nbs=
p; \\=
\
<BR> l l ~~ &nbs=
p; llll &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; ///
<BR> ~~ ( =
~~ )  =
;~~ ~~ ( &=
nbsp; ~~
<BR> ) &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; ( &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; )
<BR> ( &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; ) &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; (
<BR> ) &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; ( &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; )
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#800080" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
OR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D1 PTSIZE=3D8 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" LA=
NG=3D"0"> lappert(a) &=
nbsp; robert(a) &=
nbsp;  =
; hubert(a)
<BR> 17.50 yo &n=
bsp; =
r.i.p. &nb=
sp; &=
nbsp; r.i.p.
<BR>
<BR>  =
; </FONT><F=
ONT COLOR=3D"#008000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff"=20=
SIZE=3D1 PTSIZE=3D8 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" LANG=3D"0">(All=
<B><I>Lepidodactylus lugubris</B></I>!)</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#804000" BACK=
=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D1 PTSIZE=3D8 FAMILY=
=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" LANG=3D"0">
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#800080" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COL=
OR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" L=
ANG=3D"0"> </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"=
#804000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D2 PTSIZ=
E=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SCRIPT" FACE=3D"Comic Sans MS" LANG=3D"0">
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR></FONT><BR><BR>**************<BR>Get trade secrets for amazing burgers.=20=
Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.<BR> (http://food.aol.c=
om/tyler-florence?video=3D4?&NCID=3Daolfod00030000000002)</HTML>
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