[Kitchen]

Sorry for the double topic post. I thought if I put the species in the title I would get a better responce.

Hey I need some help please.

I bought this guy 4 days ago from the store.


They labled him as a armadillo lizard but I know he/she is not. I think he is Cordylus tropidosternum but I am not sure.

Anyway, the guy at the store said he had not been fed in 4 days. So I tried putting him in a separate container with dusted crickets which did not work. Then i tried putting crickets in his tank and that did not work. I am worreid something is wrong, he has not eaten anything in almost 7 days now.

All the temperatures are average to what I have read and his tank is 20 gallons with proper UVB lighting and has a heat lamp.

I am concerned that something may be wrong with him. Any suggestions would be very helpfull.

Also, wondering if anyone can give me some information about handling him. Can I take him out and handle him or will it freak him out?

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Hi!

From this picture it is hard to tell does it C. tropidosternum or any other close related species of the group, but sure, not any of the RSA species. But it is looks not very good for me (but not that bad).
First of all you should specify info about watering the lizard. Do You do it regularly? For example freshly imported specimens shall be misted once or twice per day for drink and a water dish is a must too. These lizards is not a deserted species but bush-forest dwellers, so they need some amount of humidity for healthy life. And it is a rule - then you get a new animal from petstore, you shall first watering it.
Second, if it not eat for a week and it is not looking healthy like yours, you shall hand-feed him with crickets dusted with polyvitamin complex. It is good also if you have liquid vitamin complex (even better in your case).
So, catch it, hand feed it and left it alone.
But from the pic you posted i can't see any hide - do you have them? As wc animals ususally suffer from disadaptation syndrome and need to feel secure before they start to acting as usual. If not - put some branches and crevices-like hides. This may help animal to adopt to a new conditions.

[Kitchen]

Hey thanks for the information. Hopefully it will help.

I do mist his cage a couple of times a day and though I don't hit him with water he does frequent his water dish a few times a day.

Also, there are a few hide spots. I purchased a large log that has a perching spot and multiple shady spots to hide. As well, I bought a small house shelter but he is yet to use it. I would provide pics but my camera does not want to work right now.

I have tried putting crickets right in front of its mouth but it just wont eat them. Would I have better luck with mealworms?

Any further help would be great.

[rase0121]

sorry to advertise another forum but heresa care sheet i wrote it needs some tweaking but here it is dwarf sungazer caresheet (updated) - Reptile Forums UK

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Hi Rase.

First of all as for your caresheet, it is not really hard to sex cordylus spp. see this forum sections for pictures and keys. See also good tips for keeping them too here.
Kitchen. If lizard doesn't want to it cricks you can try another items like roaches or mealworms but i think right now your problem can be solved with hand feeding of the lizard.
And the key for it shall be the following:
1st day feed only one very small soft item like only part of the cricket (without thorax and head and rear legs).
2nd day try x2 the portion and left ot for couple of days
3d try - use the same bouble norm and if you will find your lizard poops try to put some active item foe food but under your control and see.
If you will find no any reaction from the lizard, wait for a day and try it again
If you got the same rezult - start again with the same schedule again...

[Kitchen]

Hey again,

Thanks for all the help. I have tried a few things you suggested. She seems to be doing a lot better. I managed to get her to eat around 6 mealworms that I dusted with calc/vit powder for now and she is looking quite fat.

Hopefully now in a few more days I can get her on to crickets.

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Wish you luck with it!

Post more pictures of the lizard for sexing and species id.
From the above pic i wouldn't be sure that it is really C. tropidosternum.

[Kitchen]

Here are some more pics. Hope they are good enough to tell.















Any more information would be nice thanks. Also, would you reccomend getting another? There were originally three together and the store still has the other 2, though I can't really tell if they are male or not. I think 1 is just because it looks much broader and bigger in general.

Also, is there anyway to get these lizards to tolerate being handled? I really wanna hold mine but it really does not like it.

[Mikhail F. Bagaturov]

Hello!

From these pics it looks like male to me. It is hard to tell the differense between sexes for sure out of the breeding season.
And I doubt it is really Cordylus tropidosternum.
for more good identification of the species i need a closeup of head to see the nostril position and and lateral body fold scales with clear view of posession of keels. Gular scales are also of the value to id.
Something like this i made on my forum: theraphosids of the world -> Cordylus spp.

[Matto]

this threat is one year old but at the photo is not a cordylus tropidosternum, it is a cordylus beraduccii.