LindsayMayer
New member
Alright! So, I'm going to be using my blog as a means of tracking progress and experiences with my little guy, Randall. A kind of log, if you will. I can keep track of any issues this way, which will be great. He's approximately 16 months old, small for his age. I believe due to improper care in the past his growth was stunted. I love him anyway, of course, and I still think he's a handsome little dude! I will do my best to give him the best I possibly can. So here's the first big update.
I think it's also appropriate to note that I don't officially know what sex he is, but I've taken to calling him a "he". Not sure if he's big enough to properly sex, yet.
He didn't eat last night, but I believe it was a combination of moving to a new location and being in shed, all very stressing circumstances. Not much worry there. I just want to get some food in him tonight or tomorrow.
I gave him a short warm bath last night, which he really seemed to enjoy. This morning he completed his shed, at about 6:00AM. I think that the reason it took so long was because, first off, he was stressed from the move, second because the temperatures were slightly lower than the optimal, and third because he was dehydrated. I was lucky enough to wake up to see the last thirty minutes or so of his first shed with me. Fortunately, too, considering that he was having some problems with getting the shed off of his face. I gently misted him with some water to help him out, which resolved the issue. He seemed to be rubbing the side of his face after he finished so I took him out to double check he had completed his shed and to socialize him for a couple of minutes while I checked him over. He made a clean shed and had no remains leftover on his eyes or toes.
As a result he seems to be squinting less from his shed. I decided not to use the blue incandescent I was given by his previous owner and for now I am using the red overhead light constantly, combined with dim daylight from my bedroom window (indirect light, of course).
He has been relaxing in his moist hide for most of the day, which I'm glad to see. He really needed it, as he never had one before, he was only misted during shedding times. Glad to see he's getting comfortable
He didn't eat last night, as I said, which was his feeding day. He is on an every-other-day feeding regime. I will try again tonight with two crickets in his bowl, with hind legs removed, dusted, as per Herve's suggestion. Hopefully he eats them. If not I will try again the next day with the same amount; i they are eaten I will increase the amount to four. Ew, haha. I don't mind bugs, I just don't enjoy touching them. My friend claims that he did eat a lot last time he was fed, which could contribute to his lack of appetite in addition to shedding and stress of moving. As a side note he was also fed mealworms before, which probably didn't help his probable supplement deficiency.
I also changed his substrate to the brown paper. The sand was just unsanitary and was getting everywhere -- plus with how small he is and how big the grains were... that's just troublesome. Plus... it's sand. Enough said.
I've posted these pictures on the forum, but for convenience's sake, I'll post them here as well.
He is a Tremper Albino At first I thought he was a Bell but then realized he has the dark eyes of a Tremper. He will be so beautiful once he's grown more!
I'm in love with this little guy <3
Edit: Didn't display any interest in the crickets, really. I hand fed him with tweezers, but it took me about ten minutes. I managed to get him to eat two crickets, but he wouldn't touch a third. He licked up some of his calcium supplement and now he's back to laying in his moist hide.
I think it's also appropriate to note that I don't officially know what sex he is, but I've taken to calling him a "he". Not sure if he's big enough to properly sex, yet.
He didn't eat last night, but I believe it was a combination of moving to a new location and being in shed, all very stressing circumstances. Not much worry there. I just want to get some food in him tonight or tomorrow.
I gave him a short warm bath last night, which he really seemed to enjoy. This morning he completed his shed, at about 6:00AM. I think that the reason it took so long was because, first off, he was stressed from the move, second because the temperatures were slightly lower than the optimal, and third because he was dehydrated. I was lucky enough to wake up to see the last thirty minutes or so of his first shed with me. Fortunately, too, considering that he was having some problems with getting the shed off of his face. I gently misted him with some water to help him out, which resolved the issue. He seemed to be rubbing the side of his face after he finished so I took him out to double check he had completed his shed and to socialize him for a couple of minutes while I checked him over. He made a clean shed and had no remains leftover on his eyes or toes.
As a result he seems to be squinting less from his shed. I decided not to use the blue incandescent I was given by his previous owner and for now I am using the red overhead light constantly, combined with dim daylight from my bedroom window (indirect light, of course).
He has been relaxing in his moist hide for most of the day, which I'm glad to see. He really needed it, as he never had one before, he was only misted during shedding times. Glad to see he's getting comfortable
He didn't eat last night, as I said, which was his feeding day. He is on an every-other-day feeding regime. I will try again tonight with two crickets in his bowl, with hind legs removed, dusted, as per Herve's suggestion. Hopefully he eats them. If not I will try again the next day with the same amount; i they are eaten I will increase the amount to four. Ew, haha. I don't mind bugs, I just don't enjoy touching them. My friend claims that he did eat a lot last time he was fed, which could contribute to his lack of appetite in addition to shedding and stress of moving. As a side note he was also fed mealworms before, which probably didn't help his probable supplement deficiency.
I also changed his substrate to the brown paper. The sand was just unsanitary and was getting everywhere -- plus with how small he is and how big the grains were... that's just troublesome. Plus... it's sand. Enough said.
I've posted these pictures on the forum, but for convenience's sake, I'll post them here as well.
He is a Tremper Albino
At first I thought he was a Bell but then realized he has the dark eyes of a Tremper. He will be so beautiful once he's grown more!
I'm in love with this little guy <3
Edit: Didn't display any interest in the crickets, really. I hand fed him with tweezers, but it took me about ten minutes. I managed to get him to eat two crickets, but he wouldn't touch a third. He licked up some of his calcium supplement and now he's back to laying in his moist hide.
