Hi! Stryker just turned 5 on 1/27/17. (HATCH DATE)
He is very strange. Hardly ever eats. Only has 1/2 dozen Supers once a week. Alot of times he leaves them to die.
Gets a bath every week or two. Sheds all the time. Rarely poops, except in bath usually.
Today he got a short bath. My husband takes care of him now. Right afterwards, he pooped all over himself and the cage. I did not see it. Then right after he pooped, he looked dead and had his mouth gaping open. Then he changed his color to a dull milky yellow/beige. And he has a black beard, which he often has now. No it is not a shed, I am sure.
Reading a few articles on this site, they mention stress and temperatures. Well, we don't have thermometers.
I pulled out an old temp gun, but I don't know how to use it. I tried pointing the red dot near Stryker and got a temp around 77*F. Don't know if that was right.
So, I moved his log/cave more to one side to make a cool side and moved his driftwood to the other side with the dome light. He has a Hallogen 72 watt bulb. Like an old style bulb. AND he has the UVB STRIP LIGHT FOR A 40 Gallon tank. It is about 6 months old. I order it yearly. He only gets about 5 hours of darkness most days. At night the light is off, there is no heat source.
Today, I also gave him a large reptile dish full of SPRING WATER, though I have heard not to give him any water in his cage due to humidity and the fact that they mostly drink from their rear.
He is not getting the Replical or Herptivite. He refuses to eat the worms if they are dusted. Not fond of crickets. Usually let's them die or land on him. Oh! And he won't eat veggies or fruit though he did as a baby.
I know this describes a lot of poor husbandry. I don't know how to fix it and make him better. He has never hibernated.Now, a couple of hours later, some of his color/pattern returned on his back. He finally closed his mouth almost all the way. His eyes open and close. He moved slightly. Still black bearded. Still has not shown any interest in his worms. I don't know what to do. Can you help? I don't want him to die. I am quite fond of him.
Thanks, Joanne
He is very strange. Hardly ever eats. Only has 1/2 dozen Supers once a week. Alot of times he leaves them to die.
Gets a bath every week or two. Sheds all the time. Rarely poops, except in bath usually.
Today he got a short bath. My husband takes care of him now. Right afterwards, he pooped all over himself and the cage. I did not see it. Then right after he pooped, he looked dead and had his mouth gaping open. Then he changed his color to a dull milky yellow/beige. And he has a black beard, which he often has now. No it is not a shed, I am sure.
Reading a few articles on this site, they mention stress and temperatures. Well, we don't have thermometers.
I pulled out an old temp gun, but I don't know how to use it. I tried pointing the red dot near Stryker and got a temp around 77*F. Don't know if that was right.
So, I moved his log/cave more to one side to make a cool side and moved his driftwood to the other side with the dome light. He has a Hallogen 72 watt bulb. Like an old style bulb. AND he has the UVB STRIP LIGHT FOR A 40 Gallon tank. It is about 6 months old. I order it yearly. He only gets about 5 hours of darkness most days. At night the light is off, there is no heat source.
Today, I also gave him a large reptile dish full of SPRING WATER, though I have heard not to give him any water in his cage due to humidity and the fact that they mostly drink from their rear.
He is not getting the Replical or Herptivite. He refuses to eat the worms if they are dusted. Not fond of crickets. Usually let's them die or land on him. Oh! And he won't eat veggies or fruit though he did as a baby.
I know this describes a lot of poor husbandry. I don't know how to fix it and make him better. He has never hibernated.Now, a couple of hours later, some of his color/pattern returned on his back. He finally closed his mouth almost all the way. His eyes open and close. He moved slightly. Still black bearded. Still has not shown any interest in his worms. I don't know what to do. Can you help? I don't want him to die. I am quite fond of him.
Thanks, Joanne