muffin_song
New member
Here in Northern California the temperatures have dropped from being in the 70s to being in the 50s. (As someone who grew up on the East Coast, I'm embarrassed to call that a cold snap!) We also just changed to Daylight Savings Time.
Scooter has been noticeably less active lately, and typically just hangs out in one of her hides. Her appetite has also decreased, although not to the point of being completely off food. When I woke up this morning, the ground on her cool side was measuring 67 degrees!
The air above her warm side is measuring about 70 degrees.
I have a ceramic bulb heat emitter, so I plugged that in, set it above her cool side, and set it to about 78 degrees.
I know leos get a little less active in the winter, but I want to make sure she's getting the temperatures she needs. I also have an additional UTH which I could plug into her cool side if you think that would be better.
Thoughts?
Her health information is below. Anything that's changed recently I italicized. Mods, if you prefer only one Scooter thread, please connect it to this thread in the Health and Diseases section.
Health information:
General Information
Species of lizard: Leopard Gecko
Gecko's name: Scooter
Morph: Normal or High Yellow
Gender: Female
Age: 2 years
Weight: Not sure
Total length: About 7 inches
Length of your reptile when you first acquired it: Recently acquired
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): Previous owner was my mother, who bought her from a non-big box pet store about 18 months ago
Captive bred or wild caught: Captive bred
[/u]Vivarium[/u]
Enclosure dimensions (length x width x heighth):12x12x30
Cage (type, size): 20 gallon long glass aquarium
Substrate provided: 90% tile, 10% paper towel
Types of hiding places provided: Warm hide, cool hide, moist warm hide
Is there a humidity hide? location?: Yes, warm side
Please describe any other furnishings: Fake plants
List recent changes in the environment, if any: I recently got a new hide for her, which is currently on the cool side. She seems to like it, I don't because it's very difficult to see in. I want her to feel like she can get away, but I like to have some idea that she's okay.
Lighting
Artificial lighting
Incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): wattage(s): None
Fluorescent (tube bulbs):
Access to ambient daylight from a distant window: Yes
Note: I live in a studio apartment, meaning if I have the lights on at night, Scooter will see it. I try to reduce the lighting at night and point it away from her cage.
Heating
Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? Yes
What type and brand of thermometer (digital with probe, temperature gun, LCD strip, analog (circle), combo digital thermometer/hygrometer, stainless steel aquarim type, other): I have two Jumpstart Hydrofarm digital probes. The one inside her warm moist side is set to 91, and is connected to the UTH. The other measures her cool side - just this morning I connected it to a ceramic bulb emitter, as I've been worried about her cool side being too cool!
What is the ground temperature right on the substrate under the warm dry hide: 88 to 92ish.
What is the air temperature on the warm end about 4 inches up from the ground: About 70.
What is the air temperature on the cool end about 4 inches up from the ground: Need to measure.
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature (Under Tank Heater, heat light, ceramic heat emitter, Flexwatt heat tape, hot rock, other): Medium (made for 30-40 gallon tanks) UTH from reptitherm. Recently added the ceramic bulb on the cool side to make sure it doesn't get TOO cool.
Ventilation space for your UTH by elevating the tank above the shelf (some UTHs come with sticky feet for the tank corners): Yes, also going to add some tiles, don't want my apartment to catch on fire!
Are you using a thermostat(s)? Yes, one for UTH, one for ceramic heat emitter.
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time? Recently she rotates between her cool hide and her warm dry hide when she's sleeping. When she's more active will hang out on top of a hide.
Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? Right now no.
Humidity
Is the humidity measured? No, need to get on that!
Humidity range: Unknown
Diet
Insects and worms, list type: Dubias are her staple. I add in meal worms, horn worms, and butter worms for variety.
Regular diet fed to the insects and worms: Adult beardie food + collard greens.
Are the insects and worms formally “gutloaded” 1-2 days prior to feeding off to your gecko? If so with? For the refrigerated mealworms, I take them out about 12 hours before feeding and put them in a container with turnip greens and oatmeal. The dubias get the beardie food + collard greens.
How often do you feed your gecko? Every other day - every three days
Please list any supplements (with brand names) used. How are they given and how often?
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? Zoo Med Reptile Calcium with Vitamin D3 (Note: Just got this recently, have just started including it)
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without? No
Multivitamins (include brand name)? ReptiVite without D3 (Note: Just got this recently, have just started including it
Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: None
General Health
If your gecko is sick, please describe the signs and how long your gecko has been showing these signs: I hope she's not sick, but she's been more lethargic and less hungry than usual. Wondering if it has to do with the weather changing.
Is your gecko’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased? Decreased
Is your gecko’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased? Decreased, but not off food
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight (loss or gain): None
Discharge from the eyes or nose: Nope
Increased breathing rate or effort: no
Change in the droppings: no
Urates
---white or yellowish: White, sometimes a little yellow-ish in one part
---size of urates as compared to size of feces: Roughly the same
Abnormal skin color or shedding: no
Parasites on the skin or in the feces: no
Weakness: no
Previous problems and/or illnesses: Scooter went through a period about six months ago (while living with her previous owner, my mom) when she was wasn't eating and became very skinny. My mom reexamined the husbandry and gave her something (an antibiotic? Don't remember) with a stopper, and now she's back to having a nice, healthy tail.
Other Critters in Same Cage or in Household: Just me
List other animals that are kept in the same cage: None
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months): None
Are any of your other pets ill? Nope
Scooter has been noticeably less active lately, and typically just hangs out in one of her hides. Her appetite has also decreased, although not to the point of being completely off food. When I woke up this morning, the ground on her cool side was measuring 67 degrees!
The air above her warm side is measuring about 70 degrees.
I have a ceramic bulb heat emitter, so I plugged that in, set it above her cool side, and set it to about 78 degrees.
I know leos get a little less active in the winter, but I want to make sure she's getting the temperatures she needs. I also have an additional UTH which I could plug into her cool side if you think that would be better.
Thoughts?
Her health information is below. Anything that's changed recently I italicized. Mods, if you prefer only one Scooter thread, please connect it to this thread in the Health and Diseases section.
Health information:
General Information
Species of lizard: Leopard Gecko
Gecko's name: Scooter
Morph: Normal or High Yellow
Gender: Female
Age: 2 years
Weight: Not sure
Total length: About 7 inches
Length of your reptile when you first acquired it: Recently acquired
Source (pet store, breeder, previous owner): Previous owner was my mother, who bought her from a non-big box pet store about 18 months ago
Captive bred or wild caught: Captive bred
[/u]Vivarium[/u]
Enclosure dimensions (length x width x heighth):12x12x30
Cage (type, size): 20 gallon long glass aquarium
Substrate provided: 90% tile, 10% paper towel
Types of hiding places provided: Warm hide, cool hide, moist warm hide
Is there a humidity hide? location?: Yes, warm side
Please describe any other furnishings: Fake plants
List recent changes in the environment, if any: I recently got a new hide for her, which is currently on the cool side. She seems to like it, I don't because it's very difficult to see in. I want her to feel like she can get away, but I like to have some idea that she's okay.
Lighting
Artificial lighting
Incandescent (“screw-in” bulbs): wattage(s): None
Fluorescent (tube bulbs):
Access to ambient daylight from a distant window: Yes
Note: I live in a studio apartment, meaning if I have the lights on at night, Scooter will see it. I try to reduce the lighting at night and point it away from her cage.
Heating
Do you have a thermometer(s) in the cage? Yes
What type and brand of thermometer (digital with probe, temperature gun, LCD strip, analog (circle), combo digital thermometer/hygrometer, stainless steel aquarim type, other): I have two Jumpstart Hydrofarm digital probes. The one inside her warm moist side is set to 91, and is connected to the UTH. The other measures her cool side - just this morning I connected it to a ceramic bulb emitter, as I've been worried about her cool side being too cool!
What is the ground temperature right on the substrate under the warm dry hide: 88 to 92ish.
What is the air temperature on the warm end about 4 inches up from the ground: About 70.
What is the air temperature on the cool end about 4 inches up from the ground: Need to measure.
What device(s) are used to maintain the temperature (Under Tank Heater, heat light, ceramic heat emitter, Flexwatt heat tape, hot rock, other): Medium (made for 30-40 gallon tanks) UTH from reptitherm. Recently added the ceramic bulb on the cool side to make sure it doesn't get TOO cool.
Ventilation space for your UTH by elevating the tank above the shelf (some UTHs come with sticky feet for the tank corners): Yes, also going to add some tiles, don't want my apartment to catch on fire!
Are you using a thermostat(s)? Yes, one for UTH, one for ceramic heat emitter.
Which hide does she/he spend most of her time? Recently she rotates between her cool hide and her warm dry hide when she's sleeping. When she's more active will hang out on top of a hide.
Is the temperature decreased at night? by how much? Right now no.
Humidity
Is the humidity measured? No, need to get on that!
Humidity range: Unknown
Diet
Insects and worms, list type: Dubias are her staple. I add in meal worms, horn worms, and butter worms for variety.
Regular diet fed to the insects and worms: Adult beardie food + collard greens.
Are the insects and worms formally “gutloaded” 1-2 days prior to feeding off to your gecko? If so with? For the refrigerated mealworms, I take them out about 12 hours before feeding and put them in a container with turnip greens and oatmeal. The dubias get the beardie food + collard greens.
How often do you feed your gecko? Every other day - every three days
Please list any supplements (with brand names) used. How are they given and how often?
What calcium brand are you using? with D3, without or both? Zoo Med Reptile Calcium with Vitamin D3 (Note: Just got this recently, have just started including it)
Is the calcium in the tank with D3 or without? No
Multivitamins (include brand name)? ReptiVite without D3 (Note: Just got this recently, have just started including it
Please list any recent additions/changes in the diet: None
General Health
If your gecko is sick, please describe the signs and how long your gecko has been showing these signs: I hope she's not sick, but she's been more lethargic and less hungry than usual. Wondering if it has to do with the weather changing.
Is your gecko’s general activity level normal, decreased, or increased? Decreased
Is your gecko’s appetite normal, decreased, or increased? Decreased, but not off food
Have you noticed any of the following?
Weight (loss or gain): None
Discharge from the eyes or nose: Nope
Increased breathing rate or effort: no
Change in the droppings: no
Urates
---white or yellowish: White, sometimes a little yellow-ish in one part
---size of urates as compared to size of feces: Roughly the same
Abnormal skin color or shedding: no
Parasites on the skin or in the feces: no
Weakness: no
Previous problems and/or illnesses: Scooter went through a period about six months ago (while living with her previous owner, my mom) when she was wasn't eating and became very skinny. My mom reexamined the husbandry and gave her something (an antibiotic? Don't remember) with a stopper, and now she's back to having a nice, healthy tail.
Other Critters in Same Cage or in Household: Just me
List other animals that are kept in the same cage: None
Recent acquisitions (new pets within the past 6 months): None
Are any of your other pets ill? Nope