Jakjy dragon problems

[ianinoz]

A teenage kid who's a neighbour of mine tells me he has a Jacky dragon who seems a bit off it's food lately - he tells me it's not very interested in eating, and when he takes it out it's enclosure it freezes when he puts on the chair next to him but does run up his shirt sometimes.

I think that perhaps it might be stressed by being handled by him and needs to be given more time to settle into living in it's enclosure and perhaps it might be shedding or broody if it's a female.
There's been a lot of renovation work going on in the family home for the last several weeks too which I think may be stressing the Jacky maybe.

He's thinking of letting it go - I don't like the idea of captive bred lizard being set loose to fend for itself as it wont be used what's dangerous and will not last long even if it can find food of it's own accord.

Any advice from other Jacky owners about what might be going on with his poor lizard.

I don't think the Jacky being off it's food and not eating much (it is eating some) is a great drama, judging from Lizzy's eating behaviour, she's sometimes not interested in food I offer her for several days.

 

[MesseNoire]

Releasing into the wild is Illegal.
From my experience Jacky dragons are usually pretty flighty. The problems are possibly husbandry related. If he isn't interested in it, all he can do is sell it.
Check his temps, as well as the diet, what is his setup like? As mine loved to climb, make sure there is ample room to climb
Regards,
Dylan

 

[ianinoz]

Releasing into the wild is Illegal.
From my experience Jacky dragons are usually pretty flighty. The problems are possibly husbandry related. If he isn't interested in it, all he can do is sell it.
Check his temps, as well as the diet, what is his setup like? As mine loved to climb, make sure there is ample room to climb
Regards,
Dylan

I'll ask him.

I didn't know about the legalities - next time I see him , he comes and chats to be about Lizzy (really likes Lizzy and thinks Lizzy's behaviour is cool, though Lizzy is not crazy about him and hides when he shows up) , I'll suggest he might talk with some other Jacky owners (here) who might be able to help him out with his husbandry issues.

PS I suspected his Jacky might be getting stressed by too much handling perhaps and by the very noisey renovations going on in his home.

Maybe he should consider relocating the Jacky and it's enclosure to a quieter home ( at one his relatives )for while the renovations are going on.
I'd offer to care for it temporarily only I'm not licenced and I might become attached to it after a while especially if I got it as comfortable around me as Lizzy (EWS are also usually a flighty lizard), from what he tells me his Jacky is about the same size as Lizzy.

 

[Tassie97]

Has it got heat etc all the things a reptile needs for an appitite ?

 

[Bluetongue1]

It is always prudent to check your normal environmental parameters first – heat, lighting cycle, UV light strength (is it due for replacement), provision of water, humidity and hydration of lizard, presence of escaped live food such as crickets or the like that might attack the lizard when sleeping, presence of external parasites, visual stimuli from outside that may affect the occupants, such as cats or other pets, other dragons that are signaling their dominance, young children and whether someone else is accessing the enclosure in the owners abscene..

If the behaviour, including eating, was fine before renovations began and the change in behaviour has coincided with the change in environment, that is most likely to be the cause. Eliminate or negate the changes – as you have suggested. Then give the animal time to readjust (at least a week) and then reassess its behaviour. If there is no improvement then it may be a health issue.

If the animal is stressed, then don’t handle it at all. This will only serve to stress it more. I would recommend that he doesn’t handle Jacky lizards at all because the species does not take well to being handled. They are like EWDs if not worse.

Fractal_man is spot on. There should be plenty of vertical to horizontal branches (not too thin either) for it to climb on. These should preferably be aged grey wood so that the lizard can camouflage itself against the background, which will allow it to feel more secure.

One of the reasons releasing any captive pet reptile or frog is illegal is because there is a real change of introducing diseased obtained in captivity into wild populations.

Ianinoz, you may be able to have the cage at your place and the license holder is responsible for looking after it, not you. There would have to be fairly free access for the boy. It might be worth enquiring.

Blue

 

[ianinoz]

I gave the kid the URL for this message board and suggested he might be able to get help he needs here.