Uroplatus playing dead?

Cyclurafan · #1 11-12-2008, 04:40 PM

OK, I've been searching and haven't quite found the answer to this one.

Two weeks ago I took in 5.5 Uroplatus sikorae. I misted them, fed them and set them up in naturalistic type vivariums. All seemed to be doing well. I lost one female. I found her on her back, quite stiff and not moving. The day prior I had seen her walking on the bottom of the enclosure, I was told this is a bad sign. Next day I found her dead and disposed of her.

All others seemed to be doing well, look healthy, etc.

On Saturday in a separate enclosure, I saw a male in shed walking on the bottom. I thought he might have been heading to the water bowl for a soak, I reached in to take him out and he jumped from my hand, hit the floor and went stiff. I took him out and his body was totally rigid. I took him to the kitchen sink and ran him under some warm water. He moved then went stiff again. I took him into another room with light and he was stiff as a board, no movement, no breathing. I thought maybe I shocked him or something into a heart attack.

I put him into one of the delicups the geckos shipped in and was going to dispose of him the next day.

Sunday morning he was alive, I put him into a spare tank and he was climbing, etc...he's eaten and drank, looks fine.

Here's my question:

Are these geckos known for this behavior?
Playing dead? It seems it could be a logical defense mechanism.
Anyone else ever had this happen?

Scott F · #2 11-12-2008, 09:54 PM

Uroplatus may momentarily freeze up, as to not attract unwanted attention......but they do not "play dead" like stump tailed chams (akinesis sp.) per say in the fasion that you are describing. Something does not ad up. Either the gecko is displaying some unusual behavior, or I am really not understanding your description of the event. Possible your animal was severly stressed by your actions or maybe was having seizures.?.?.

If you would have just left him alone after the initial incident, turned off the lights and left the room, the gecko should have continued about its business. They do tend to freeze when you turn the lights on. They are pretty docile; a weekend or sick animal may not have had the energy to try and wiggle around while you were holding him and sticking it under the water (DEFINATELY would not have done that). Sticking him in alittle cup all night probably didn't help things much either.

Everything you did, starting with picking the animal up, was a BIG NO,NO.

P.S. Uroplatus normally do not soak in their water bowls, or drink out of them for that matter, and they should not have to if you are spraying and housing them correctly.

Cyclurafan · #3 11-12-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

Uroplatus may momentarily freeze up, as to not attract unwanted attention......but they do not "play dead" like stump tailed chams (akinesis sp.) per say in the fasion that you are describing. Something does not ad up. Either the gecko is displaying some unusual behavior, or I am really not understanding your description of the event. Possible your animal was severly stressed by your actions or maybe was having seizures.?.?.

Well, that's exactly what this one did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

If you would have just left him alone after the initial incident, turned off the lights and left the room, the gecko should have continued about its business. They do tend to freeze when you turn the lights on. They are pretty docile; a weekend or sick animal may not have had the energy to try and wiggle around while you were holding him and sticking it under the water (DEFINATELY would not have done that).

His entire body seemed like he was dead, no movement, etc. He appeared to be dead. What do you do with your dead animals?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

Sticking him in alittle cup all night probably didn't help things much either.

Like I said, I put him in the cup because I was going to dispose of him in the morning not for therapeutic rasons. I found him the next morning alive...so remind me again how that did not help? He's alive and eating now, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

Everything you did, starting with picking the animal up, was a BIG NO,NO.

Whatever, dude. I guess you leave sick and dying animals laying all over your setups. What are you, 10?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

P.S. Uroplatus do not soak in their water bowls, or drink out of them for that matter.

Next thing you know you'll tell me they don't play dead, either. And I see you like to go back and edit your posts, so I'll edit this one. I know they don't soak and drink, I do mist them properly. When you see unexplained behavior do you ever try to find a reason for it? My guess is that you don't. You just like to be a pontificating douchenozzle.

cliff_f · #4 11-13-2008, 12:32 AM

I really think Cyclurafan is just trying to see if that kind of behavior is common. Not a lecture on what he did wrong. He thought the animals was dead!

Scott F · #5 11-13-2008, 02:19 AM

All I can say is that I have been keeping and breeding various Uroplatus species for almost 10 years now, and have never not been able to tell a live leaftail from a dead one......... so as you say, "Whatever, dude".

Sorry if I am irked over the carelessness.

Cyclurafan · #6 11-13-2008, 02:31 AM

I may be new to this genus but I've been keeping and breeding animals longer than you've been alive, son. This one looked dead. No movement, no breathing...next day he's walking around again. I go looking for answers and you just want to be a prick.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Filimonow

Sorry if I am irked over the carelessness.

How exactly was I careless? I see an animal acting strangely and examine it for a better look? It is not moving and appears to be dead...I don't have a mini-difibulator so I try something else. It looks dead and I put it in a container to dispose of it. 12 hours later it seems normal again. It's eating and drinking and the perfect picture of health.

**Marty** · #7 11-13-2008, 09:27 AM

Chillout boys and girls. No need for this to escalate into something it doesn't need to be.

Gecko_Danny · #8 11-13-2008, 12:57 PM

Hey Cyclurafan: I think that the reason why you found your animal on the ground is because sometimes when they are about to shed they loose the grip under their feets, I've seen this myself. But I don't think there's anything wrong with your sikorae.

regards daniel

miguel camacho! · #9 11-13-2008, 10:27 PM

i, for one, think it was a seizure. might wanna get some blood work done on that animal, if it's within your budget. im gonna second the fact that uroplatus do not play dead.

so where did these 5.5 come from? LTCs, CBs, or WCs?

Cyclurafan · #10 11-13-2008, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miguel camacho!

i, for one, think it was a seizure. might wanna get some blood work done on that animal, if it's within your budget. im gonna second the fact that uroplatus do not play dead.

so where did these 5.5 come from? LTCs, CBs, or WCs?

WC from a recent Madagascar shipment.

Could a seizure last that long where the animal is completely still and not even breathing?

Supposing it was for lack of a better term a "Grand Mal" type, is it brought upon by stress or is this an ailment that Uroplatus are known for having? If it's a seizure in the sense I'm thinking what would blood work reveal outside of a chemical imbalance unless it's a disease?