So my asper died today

[Illium]

Well, I bought a "banded knob tail" that turned out to be an asper at the castle hill reptile show this year.

He was labeled banded, but i put it on here because i had serious doubts, the combined wisdom of all came to the conclusion on the ID section that it was an asper, but a skinny one.

So, i decided to feed him up and get him happy. He was strange, very rarely hid during the day. He fed well, was quite feisty as he liked to bite, drank well and i had his home temps set to the recommended.

Over the last month though he has not put on any weight no matter how much he eats, he also craps much quicker then the pilb i bought on the same day, who is very happy by the way.

Today i came out to find him sitting in the warm section of his tank with one hand curled under his arm like he couldn't be bothered standing properly. I knew straight away it wasn't good. Took him out, eyes pretty sunken, he was not his usual self. I gave him a 30c bath to see if it was just lethargic but no improvement, he died a few minutes later in my hand.

So yes, im sorry the poor guy died, he must have had an underlying issue. Its a mistake i wont make again now that i know what to look for when buying. Since i have had him for over a month i assume there is no point in contacting the seller.
What do you all do with the body when this happens? My wife thinks im kind of strange to use my flesh eating beetles on it to get the skeleton, but shes fine with preserving it in a jar. Or am i being creepy.....his in the freezer at the moment.

Cheers.

 

[Jazzz]

If you had him in the fridge you could have taken him to a vet to see why he died. Was he quarantined from your other reps?

Do you have a reptile vet around you? If you notice odd behavior its always best to get them checked out.

Sorry to hear about him though =[

 

[disintegratus]

Sorry he passed, it's very upsetting when they fade no matter what you do

I'd go beetles over preserving him in a jar. A skeleton won't degrade like a preserved corpse will.

 

[justin91]

Sorry bout your loss, I dread the day when I will lose a beloved pet. I would use the beetles, but what would you do with the skelo?

 

[Illium]

Im a decent drive from a herp vet otherwise i would have taken the body up (wish my son was older, he told my wife he wants to be a reptile vet when he grows up) He was quarantined from all the others except the pilb. They where is the same tank but with a divider for a while but he was a persistent little thing and managed to climb over the divider much to my amazement.

As for the behavior, i figured it was just stress since he had done it since i got him since he has had a holding tank then moved to the new one a week and a half ago.

Ill keep him in the freezer until my beetle population builds up so i can get him cleaned quick. Ill try put the skeleton back together nicely. Better then worm food i say.

Cheers.

 

[montysrainbow]

im sorry to hear....i dont think your plan is creepy at all.

 

[Barrett]

Sorry to hear mate