Regal Horned Lizard responds to physical contact

Soyala, a captive bred juvenile P. solare, responds to physical contact. Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• horned
• lizards
• phrynosoma
• solare
• regal
• lizard

[ljakewillis]

I have a Regal also and he has pinworms. He is growing and shedding on time and eats 200 to 250 ants a day and still goin, but with every defication, I see the worms squirming around and then some eggs on the feces. Some say that is natural for a lizard like this to have worms. What say you, friend?

[PhrynosomaTexas]

I say you need to join my forum and start ordering your ants from me ;-) (wichitafallsreptilerescue.web­s.com) I actually wrote a manual some 40 pages in length detailing the captive care of these animals, and I have as much experience with Regals as any other. My manual was written for, and is used by zoos. What your horned lizard has is what we call nematodes. It is natural for them to sometimes have a certain amount, but what you describe is a harmful infestation. Captive stress causes this

[PhrynosomaTexas]

cont...I am assuming your Regal is wild caught, in which case this is evidence that his capture and captive conditions have been quite stressful for him. They may carry around a small amount of nematodes in the wild, but their immune system keeps their numbers down. When they are stressed in captivity, the immune system gets depressed, and the nematodes explode in growth. This can cause fatal anemia, so it should be treated. I will only recommend how in my manual though, not on the open net.

[laserlongboards]

Awwwwww

[Seedot0001]

lol tiny head and tail but huge body

[tw1stedgrudge]

@PhrynosomaTexas Mites, Nematodes, Microscopics. That's my three pet peeves. I've had one very bad experience with nematodes on an amphibian, that one fatal. We've had a lot of problems with mites this year due to the weather, and as of yet some unknown parasite on one of the Indo Bluetongue arrivals, possibly WC, but very well behaved. Nothing serious, everything cured. Had to destroy one mealworm colony though, that sucked and that was WITH ventilation. Awful. Nothing major tho'.

[tw1stedgrudge]

@PhrynosomaTexas Yeah. My feedings are typically done at the side of the enclosure, through a fine pipeline that 'traps' a group of ants, and then I open the latch on the other side and the ants crawl into their viv. I have seperate ant colonies and it's really a matter of keeping them thriving and simply connecting both sides to the line. Water-wise I have a timed sprayer, aimed at rocks and plants, and every two days I spray the lizards themselves with drips of warm water to imitate rainfall.

[PhrynosomaTexas]

@tw1stedgrudge I typically quarantine new arrivals for 3-6 months before they go in with others of their species or genus to be more assured that the new intake is healthy, but the new intake may have an immunity the others don't, and it's that progression that will take a while to be seen, and can only be known once all are introduced for some time. Typically with horned lizards captive stress causes more weakened immune state that with some others and this leads to nematode blooms, anemia, etc

[PhrynosomaTexas]

@tw1stedgrudge Horned lizards are actually easier to sex than chelonians once you know what to look for.

[PhrynosomaTexas]

@tw1stedgrudge I know about illnesses. I'm a wildlife rehabilitator and perform everything up to surgery and necropsy here on reptiles. 4 successful surgeries so far and more scheduled. Quarantine actually should last only a bit longer than the incubation period of whatever you suspect, which usually is not long for pathogens or parasites if they are of consequence. Anything the new intake may have which it is susceptible to, will probably become symptomatic for in 90 days or less.