AboutDiane Expertise I am well versed in all aspects of the care and keeping of green iguanas, leopard geckos and bearded dragons. This includes all husbandry issues pertaining to the above species. I am not a vet so I cannot answer medical questions. I research other reptiles and am able to give general information on other species of lizards. I prefer not to answer snake questions as that I have not researched them enough.
Experience I own 3 green iguanas, two of which are rescues. I own two leopard geckos, both rescues. I've had my reptiles for 7 years. I spend many hours researching the care of my reptiles to keep up to date on all information pertaining to keeping reptiles that I have. I own a yahoo group dedicated to raising healthy iguanas.
Organizations Scales and Tails Exotic Pet Rescue (one of the founding members)
Publications One of the Co Authors of the Book "The Iguana Dens Care and Keeping of Giant Green Iguanas"
Question QUESTION: When I bought my Mountain Horned Dragon she loved to be held and was very social. She had trouble with her first shed and ever since then she seems to always be shedding, whether it be her tail one day, her head the next, or legs. No matter what everyday she is constantly shedding a part of her body. Her humidity and temperature aren't a problem. She seems very stressed and will hiss when approaching her. Do you have any idea what this might be? Or do you recommend taking her to a vet?
ANSWER: Hi Katlin,
I'm guessing she is young. When they are young, they do shed more often. Shedding means growth... Do you have a pan of water that she is able to get into? This helps with shedding and is actually necessary for them.
Also, with the hissing, is this something that started recently? If she is young, and the hissing is new, then she may just be a silly juvenile that is trying to let you know that her cage is her territory and trying to be alpha over you. If this sounds like it might be what is happening, just continue to do what you have to go with her,(cage cleaning, holding, etc) and basically not let the hissing scare you. Do protect yourself in case she would decide to try to chase you away. Of course, if the above isn't what is happening in your case, then a vet check up is recommended to make sure she is not working on some health problem.
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QUESTION: She's actually not too young, I know that she's at least 3 years old. She doesn't visit her water dish too often, she never really did, maybe once a month or so and sometimes she won't even drink from it. It's moving water but she just doesn't seem too interested most of the time. I'm not sure if this has anything to do with her shedding problem or not. She loves to eat, but only crickets, mealworms don't seem to interest her too much. The hissing started about a month or so after her shedding problem started, and I try to handle her some but it just seems to stress her out and she will change color.
Answer Hi Katlin,
Are you providing the proper uvb for her? Below is my info on uvb so you can check to be sure you are providing the proper source. A few other questions.... are you gut loading(feeding your insects a nutritious food)(not just the water crystals) prior to feeding them to your MHD? Have you tried feeding other insects such as a few wax worms(not a source of a daily diet due to high fat content), silk worms, super worms? Is the water dish large enough for her to get her whole body into it? If she barely fits in it, you might want to try a larger container and possibly warmer water. Adding an air-stone may also entice her to get into it more. If she is too dry, shedding will be harder and more often as that the lack of moisture will dry the skin out more. Have you tried bathing her in the bathtub or other container?
Many times with a reptile does not feel well, the only sign that we have of this is a change in personality. If she is not receiving the proper uvb, this can cause illness which can cause the personality change. Also, having a fecal done to check for parasites is recommended. Another possibility for the attitude change is that she is gravid(forming eggs). Many lizards will do this even when not bred. Does she look fatter? Eating less? Again, a vet would be able to determine this with an xray. I know I've asked you a lot of questions and also gave many possibilities for potential problems. One of the hardest things on owning reptiles is trying to find out what is wrong with them..or even if something is wrong with then.
"Supplying uvb can be done in a few ways. By special lights
that come in fluorescent tubes or special screw in bulbs
(mercury vapor)that are designed to produce uvb and heat.
The tubes do not produce heat. UVB is needed by the reptile
to be able to absorb the calcium in the foods they eat.
With out the uvb, they will develop metabolic bone disease.
With the tubes, they must say that they produce BOTH uvb and
uva. The uvb needs to be 5% or higher. Repti Sun 10.0 and the Repti Glo 8.0's
are a great source for uvb. The old "favorites" are the repti sun 5.0 or the
Iguana light..which are the same tube, just different package.
There are tubes
that say ''full spectrum'' but they do not produce any uvb.
These need to be positioned 6-8 inches over the reptile for the 5% and 8%
and 8-10 inches for the 10% so
that they get the uvb that is needed. The tubes need to be replaced every 6-9
months as that they stop producing UVB long before they stop producing
light.
Using a fixture that is at least 2 ft long will
provide adequate uvb for your lizard. Do not use coil lights that are sold as
that they do not produce the uvb in the fashion needed for most uvb needing reptiles.
On the mercury vapor , they also produce heat. They also
produce the uvb and uva. The best on the market now are the
Mega Rays.(http://www.megaray.com) The distance from these are greater
than the uvb tubes and the directions must be followed that
are listed for the light. When using the mercury vapor
lights, you don't need to have one light for uvb and one for
heat. The Mercury vapor lights provide both."
