Phelsuma baby with kinked tail

hexentanz · #1 05-11-2011, 04:14 PM

I had two Phelsuma nigristriata's hatch out on April 8th and 9th. The first one to hatch had a wavy tail, which I chalked up to being normal since I have seen it twice before in hatchlings (and have read it is normal due to how long they are in the eggs) and it usually does go away after a few days.

When they hatched out I had no spare tanks free in this room which have 6.0% UVB bulbs from arcadia, so I placed them in a tank in my living room which had 2.0% UVB bulbs over the tanks. After 26 days I had some space free up so I moved them in to this room.

Over the time they were in the living room I noticed a few days prior to moving them that the first hatchlings tail did not really seem to improve and looked a bit worse, but this is maybe due to the fact they grow faster than klemmeri and have thicker tails in the end.

They have grown a little larger since placing them in the tank with 6% UVB, but the wavy tail is still present in the first hatchling.

I'm wondering since it has been quite awhile if maybe it had a slight case of MBD when hatching and this worsened with the 2.0% UVB exposure? There is no other signs of MBD such as wavy back, poor grip, odd mouth, etc. So I am not really sure.

Anyone have any ideas?

daggekko · #2 05-11-2011, 06:52 PM

I have a Tokay Gecko that has a kink at the end of its tail that has never gone away. Not wavy, but straight up kink. Maybe your gecko has the same thing?

Do you supplement your geckos diet with any calcium or vit d3? Or multivitamins for that matter? I suggest supplementing(at every feeding) neonate and juvenile lizards until they have nearly stopped growing.

jadrig · #3 05-12-2011, 12:47 AM

I have a female U.henkeli that hatched out with a kinked tail...Up and down...not from right to left. It was the last clutch of the year...so the calcium/nutrition was limited. She is fine...I am contemplating pulling it off...but I am waiting till she is a little closer to adult size.

jadrig · #4 05-12-2011, 12:53 AM

Also, I forgot to mention, it should be fine...It probably will not change metabolically, if you provide the proper supplements. The kinks will not effect it in any way, just make sure it gets plenty of calcium.

hexentanz · #5 05-12-2011, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daggekko

I have a Tokay Gecko that has a kink at the end of its tail that has never gone away. Not wavy, but straight up kink. Maybe your gecko has the same thing?

Do you supplement your geckos diet with any calcium or vit d3? Or multivitamins for that matter? I suggest supplementing(at every feeding) neonate and juvenile lizards until they have nearly stopped growing.

@daggekko - Babies are fed every other day until they reach 6 months. Every third feeding I use Herpetal Mineral + D3, calcium off days I use Korvimin ZVT + Reptile as the all around multivitamin. Adults are fed 3 times weekly. Monday is Korvimin day, Wednesday Repashy day and Friday Calcium day. Breeding females are also offered a bowl of crushed up cuttlefish bone at all times of the year.

@jadrig - This is also what puzzles me, it was one of the clutches from the start of the season. The babies before are fine and the ones after.

jadrig · #6 05-12-2011, 03:47 AM

Hmm ...I know that temp drops cause kinked spines in boas...I dont know that extreme temp drops effect geckos while in the egg.

hexentanz · #7 05-12-2011, 01:34 PM

I know for sure it is not a temperature issue because the eggs were in an incubator with several others that all hatched out fine. The incubator is also pretty reliable thus far.

I wonder if it maybe has to do with the fact she did not glue this clutch together? Both eggs were just laying there apart in the bamboo.

daggekko · #8 05-12-2011, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Breeding females are also offered a bowl of crushed up cuttlefish bone at all times of the year.

Do the females actually eat this? I have never tried or heard people doing this with Phelsuma so that is why I ask.

I am assuming this is the only baby your having problems with, correct? If so maybe this is one of those babies nature would have killed off.

jadrig · #9 05-13-2011, 12:14 PM

well, nature kills off a lot of the babies...I can only guess, but I would imagine only one or two of the offspring from a female would survive each season...if they were lucky.

These animals' survival rate is probably 20X better in captivity than in the wild.

hexentanz · #10 05-13-2011, 12:47 PM

Well my panic is over, the wavy tail is no more.

Looks like it just took this one awhile to straighten itself out.