ctnjoker
New member
I have a female and a male Crestie in the same vivarium, 18x18x24. The two geckos very similar in size and age. (1.5 years or so) It's fully planted, humidity around 60-70%, temperature 70-78F daytime, 68-72F nighttime. I have a dimmed red light on them at night, it's on only slightly (25% power or so) so that I can view them easily at night. We currently both spray the tank and use a Zoo-Med fogger to keep humidity up. Both use spring water. We had been using one feeding dish, full of new CGD every day. There has been a slight problem with fruit flies in the enclosure. (Maybe 6-8 or so total, can't really keep count, but a small amount)
Recently, we aquired a Croton plant (codiaeum variegatum pictum). We planted it about 2 days ago. Today, we took the geckos out to feed them some crickets, and the male was very lethargic. He had what looks like some stuck shed on his snout, has trouble gripping, and seems uncoordinated. He was extremely disinterested in the crickets and seemed to "freak out" whenever I touched him. He was also just laying on the ground of the enclosure when I took him out. His eyes are also a tad bloodshot, not bright red but enough that I noticed.
I read online that the generic "Croton" plant could be very dangerous, as the sap is slightly toxic. I immediately took the plant out and replaced it with a plant I know to be safe. However, many sites list the specific "codiaeum variegatum pictum" to be safe for reptiles.
I also read that it could be a calcium deficiency, or a stuck shed. I find the latter to be improbable, as the humidity is 60% or higher.
So for now, I took that plant out, put two food bowls full of CGD, sprinkled on a small amount of calcium powder, and am just waiting. I thought that maybe the female was dominating the food dish, and maybe he is so sluggish because he isn't getting a proper diet. Or that somehow he injested some toxic sap from the plant, which may or may not be toxic.
The female is showing no signs of stress or difference in behavior. She grips just fine, and looks a bit more well-fed than the male.
Also to note; when I took the male out of the tank, I found some feces where he had been laying on the ground. The feces looked like normal crestie feces to me. No discoloration or difference in firmness.
Anybody have any guesses or advice?
Recently, we aquired a Croton plant (codiaeum variegatum pictum). We planted it about 2 days ago. Today, we took the geckos out to feed them some crickets, and the male was very lethargic. He had what looks like some stuck shed on his snout, has trouble gripping, and seems uncoordinated. He was extremely disinterested in the crickets and seemed to "freak out" whenever I touched him. He was also just laying on the ground of the enclosure when I took him out. His eyes are also a tad bloodshot, not bright red but enough that I noticed.
I read online that the generic "Croton" plant could be very dangerous, as the sap is slightly toxic. I immediately took the plant out and replaced it with a plant I know to be safe. However, many sites list the specific "codiaeum variegatum pictum" to be safe for reptiles.
I also read that it could be a calcium deficiency, or a stuck shed. I find the latter to be improbable, as the humidity is 60% or higher.
So for now, I took that plant out, put two food bowls full of CGD, sprinkled on a small amount of calcium powder, and am just waiting. I thought that maybe the female was dominating the food dish, and maybe he is so sluggish because he isn't getting a proper diet. Or that somehow he injested some toxic sap from the plant, which may or may not be toxic.
The female is showing no signs of stress or difference in behavior. She grips just fine, and looks a bit more well-fed than the male.
Also to note; when I took the male out of the tank, I found some feces where he had been laying on the ground. The feces looked like normal crestie feces to me. No discoloration or difference in firmness.
Anybody have any guesses or advice?
