I had my baby caiman lizard for about 4 days now. Hes always tired for some reason. He's only awake like an hour or two total a day. Only time he moves is to find a new spot to lay down and sleep. He ate tuna mixed with salmon cat food today, then went back to sleep. I didnt have a uvb bulb on him for a few days until today. I never seen him bask either, his basking spot is about 100 degrees depending what time of day. My temps are all within range, however he is in the basement and it is still cold here. I have a heat pad all over the underside of the tank. Is that good? Whats the lowest temps these guys can handle?
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Caiman lizard sick or tired?
- Thread starter cheezy
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They do not tolerate a large overnight drop. What is the full set-up (humidity, colderside temp, water filtering, etc)? Have you been trying to handle him at all?
They take a bit to get use to their surroundings much like a tegu would and need sometime to adjust to the sudden change. Another thing is if the humidity is too low they will often stay where the humidity is better ie in the water or under things, so you may have to bump up the humidity.
Where did you get the caiman lizard at? It seems some suppliers lizards are having a harder time adjusting than some other places. In that case just giving them more time is what is important, especially if it is eating. I would also avoid canned tuna, that stuff isn't really great for any pet.
They take a bit to get use to their surroundings much like a tegu would and need sometime to adjust to the sudden change. Another thing is if the humidity is too low they will often stay where the humidity is better ie in the water or under things, so you may have to bump up the humidity.
Where did you get the caiman lizard at? It seems some suppliers lizards are having a harder time adjusting than some other places. In that case just giving them more time is what is important, especially if it is eating. I would also avoid canned tuna, that stuff isn't really great for any pet.
I got her from underground reptiles, I say her because its supposed to be sexed by looking at the scale or something where the genitals are and possibly because the head is not as red on the females. Well I've been handling her for a little bit each day. I try not to but it seems like thats the only way she will want to move. Even then she will close her eyes. Shes active and strong when she wants to be though. I just have a styrofoam tub for water and no filter or heater. The water is pretty warm because I keep it near the light. She only went in it when I put her in there, to poop, and another time she slept in there. The basking spot is 103 right now, and it gets cooler in other spots. Humidity is low, I'm not exactly sure how low but I would say its under 40. I mist the sides to try and keep it humid but the lamp dries it out.
Reptile_fever
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These where the exact reactions of my caiman lizard before he departed,your humidity is low & air temps too.Make sure the water is warm at all times in case temps drop to much!
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Can you post some pics of your enclosure? It sounds like you don't have her set up properly.
Heres a pic I just took. Shes gone a long way, that was her earlier today. How can I raise my humidity? As for the temps, its all within range inside the tank, but the basement is in the 60s or so. Air gets in through the screen top and everytime I open the tank. I blocked part of the screen and he seems more active today. Maybe the air was too cold.
How do I give my caiman lizard shrimp? Chopped up with shell?
How do I give my caiman lizard shrimp? Chopped up with shell?
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He needs substrate. Cover the screen completely.
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Substrate is needed, otherwise the humidity will never pick-up. She looks a little dehydrated from too much dry heat. Get something like cypress mulch or reptile safe moss to add to the bottom. Paper is not a great substrate for a caiman lizard. I agree covering half the tank with a towel will help keep the humidity up. What kind of bulb are you using?
Shrimp should be fed shell on but cut up, if shes not eating well it might be best to do no shell.
Shrimp should be fed shell on but cut up, if shes not eating well it might be best to do no shell.
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to put in substrate asap and cover more of the tank. I should have done that in the first place but I figured I will be putting her in a new set up soon so she can wait. I bought a zoo med combo pack that comes with a uvb bulb and a 100 watt heat lamp. I'm thinking about buying one that has heat, uva and uvb so I dont have to use 2 light fixtures.
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I used a powersun with mine and there were no problems. It is amazing what the quality of UV will do.
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I would also recommend MVB, and stop handling it for a few weeks. Let her acclimate to.her new environment.
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What size is the tank and the UTH? How are you regulating the UTH?
Shes in a 30 gallon right now. Im not sure what size uth I have, i just leave it on and it just keeps the bottom warm. I just cover half the tank with it. I dont have a way of regulating the temp but its usually within range with cooler spots. She went back to the same mode yesterday after eating and was just lying there. I think what happened was the humidity wasnt right and she was dehydrated. Temps are still the same. I raised the humidity and voila she came back to life. First thing she did was drink a lot of water. Now shes eating in one day about as much as she ate in the 3 to 4 days I had her. It was a silly mistake and I'm very lucky she didnt die. I figured she will drink water and sit in her dish if she was dehydrated. Thats not the case, humidity is important for these guys. I will switch to a mvb or power sun sometime this week. Thanks for all the help. I would probably have lost her.
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How are you measuring basking temps and the temps the uth are providing?
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Humidity is a big thing with a lot of reptile, either too much or too little can really hurt.
