misskestrel78
New Member
- Messages
- 7
So... I am a brand new tegu owner--like, I brought my very small (but not hatchling: doesn't have any green coloration anymore) B&W Argentine tegu home YESTERDAY. It was very calm when I chose it, the calmest of the five I had to choose from. Got it home last night with no issues, and it easily went into the new enclosure (premade front opening melamine 4x2x2' for a start while I build the larger enclosure; the tegu itself is maybe just a hair shorter than a foot long, tail included), and everything was fine.
This morning, when I went to feed it for the first time, I put the dish in the enclosure, and left my hand in. It came out slowly, and ambled over to the dish. Great start, right? It came over to the food and I took the opportunity to touch its back, at about the first shoulder blades. There were ZERO obvious sign of distress, no back arching or hissing or puffing up--BUT IT SUDDENLY HALF DROPPED ITS TAIL!!!!!!!! This does not mean "dropped half its tail"!! I'm talking, it was not fully dropped, but had separated from the bottom up about halfway through the "meat" of the tail.
I've never seen this before. I have kept a variety of lizards and snakes for 20+ years, some wild caught, and have been herping for 35+ years. I have caught hundreds of lizards and only ONE has ever dropped its tail.
There were ZERO indications that it was stressed or upset or anything other than chill and calm. And I lightly touched it nowhere near the tail.
After taking a breath from the shock and disgust, I confirmed that the start of the drop is on the underside of its tail--there's a bit of exposed pink flesh. But it's definitely not fully dropped.
I am absolutely flabbergasted, and horrified, and pissed off. I wanna cry and scream and rant. (Kinda like I'm doing now, LOL.) I'm kicking myself in the butt because I didn't see anything that could have been an indication of it being unhappy or stressed. And I know what to look for!!!!!!!!
I am currently leaving it alone, and haven't attempted to completely detached the segment that's going to be affected (about 1/4 or 2/3 of the tail), or clean it or apply any antibiotic ointment or whatever. I haven't touched any part of it because I'm (stupidly?) hoping it can reattach itself. Dunno if that's even possible?
I guess I'm asking, 1) Has anyone else ever had this happen? An outwardly calm and not stressed baby tegu suddenly dropping it's tail? But the tear not completely severing the tail. 2) Should I do anything now? 3) If so, what?
Like I said, I'm not a newbie with lizards in general (I currently keep beardies, cresties, gargoyle geckos, uromastyx, and an Ackie; not even my cresties have lost their tails and I have handled them from hatchlings. I also have numerous colubrids and pythons), but this is unlike anything I've ever experienced/dealt with, and I have a feeling of helplessness that I'm not used to.
Thank you in advance.
Laila Q.
This morning, when I went to feed it for the first time, I put the dish in the enclosure, and left my hand in. It came out slowly, and ambled over to the dish. Great start, right? It came over to the food and I took the opportunity to touch its back, at about the first shoulder blades. There were ZERO obvious sign of distress, no back arching or hissing or puffing up--BUT IT SUDDENLY HALF DROPPED ITS TAIL!!!!!!!! This does not mean "dropped half its tail"!! I'm talking, it was not fully dropped, but had separated from the bottom up about halfway through the "meat" of the tail.
I've never seen this before. I have kept a variety of lizards and snakes for 20+ years, some wild caught, and have been herping for 35+ years. I have caught hundreds of lizards and only ONE has ever dropped its tail.
There were ZERO indications that it was stressed or upset or anything other than chill and calm. And I lightly touched it nowhere near the tail.
After taking a breath from the shock and disgust, I confirmed that the start of the drop is on the underside of its tail--there's a bit of exposed pink flesh. But it's definitely not fully dropped.
I am absolutely flabbergasted, and horrified, and pissed off. I wanna cry and scream and rant. (Kinda like I'm doing now, LOL.) I'm kicking myself in the butt because I didn't see anything that could have been an indication of it being unhappy or stressed. And I know what to look for!!!!!!!!
I am currently leaving it alone, and haven't attempted to completely detached the segment that's going to be affected (about 1/4 or 2/3 of the tail), or clean it or apply any antibiotic ointment or whatever. I haven't touched any part of it because I'm (stupidly?) hoping it can reattach itself. Dunno if that's even possible?
I guess I'm asking, 1) Has anyone else ever had this happen? An outwardly calm and not stressed baby tegu suddenly dropping it's tail? But the tear not completely severing the tail. 2) Should I do anything now? 3) If so, what?
Like I said, I'm not a newbie with lizards in general (I currently keep beardies, cresties, gargoyle geckos, uromastyx, and an Ackie; not even my cresties have lost their tails and I have handled them from hatchlings. I also have numerous colubrids and pythons), but this is unlike anything I've ever experienced/dealt with, and I have a feeling of helplessness that I'm not used to.
Thank you in advance.
Laila Q.
