southern angle headed dragon underweight

[saintanger]

i recently decided to get back into angle headed dragons and found someone selling a 6 month old pair. so i went out to pick them up and he told me since the female was underweight and not eating i could have her for $20 and full price for male.

normaly most people don't buy reptiles that are sick and have problems but insted of leaving her their to die, since he never took her to the vet and was not force feeding or doing anything about the situation. i bought both of them.

both have missing toes and scars and the tails have bite/ scar marks ect.

she is skinny to the point you can see and count all her ribs and her collar bones stick out, she also wont move and seems to leathargic.

male is eating and seems happy enough in his new home. i have had them for 4 days and have been force feeding her wombaroo reptile supplement.

i was wanting to know what should they roughly weigh at 6 months, and if anyone knows what the scar marks and missing toes could be from?

i have had her vet checked and was told to force feed, also that she is was dehydrated and looked malnurished. will be taking her back in a week to see how she is going.

these photos are from today just after a feed.

 

[animal805]

I am suprised that poor thing still has the energy to live, she must be a fighter. I wish you all the best and I am sure that, God willing, and with your care and love that she will pull through and grow up big and strong. I am not churchy in the slightest but I did not know how else to express myself at the sight of that poor thing

 

[Pilbarensis]

I was under the impression that males were the ones without patterning? Anyway I hope he/she gets better soon.

 

[saintanger]

i was told by him that she is female, and the other with the pattern is male. i'm not sure about sexing them but i would not be shoked if he was wrong about sexing them.

 

[Pilbarensis]

John Fowler & Rachel Barnes Australian Herpetology Website-Southern Forest (Angle-headed) Dragon Care Sheet < Here it says that the pattern-less individuals are males and then patterned ones are females. I reckon this guy was wrong to be honest - he must of gotten his facts mixed up, at least you still have a pair.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Angleheads slow down and stop eating over winter and if disturbed to soon after this period, they will sulk. I'd say thats a male and it is also dehydrated. Did he have any running water in the tank for it to sit in when it wanted to.It will be not moving not only because it is weak but because it is playing dead. I seriously would not force feed a sulking, depressed angle head. I would be trying to rehydrate him first and trying to disturb him as little as possible. I have just had one of mine who isn't much older than yours go into a sulk induced brumation this winter because I moved house and upgraded his enclosure. He got very thin and more than a few times I thought he was dead. You have to try and let him settle. Now the weather is warmer mine is a lot more active and feeding. The scars could be from fighting or from the previous owner leaving crickets in the tank in winter when he was off food. They could also be the result of bad sheds due to know water in the tank. I put a low supplementary heat globe over mine and set it to turn off at 24 degrees, this kept humidity up over winter and encouraged them to use the waterfall and stay hydrated.

 

[saintanger]

no they had no water fall. vet advised me to feed as its in a really bad condition. he has his eyes open all the time so i doubt he is playing dead, his eyes follow me around the room wen i am in their. i am not handling him unless its to feed him. i am giving him wombaroo mixed with water so hopefully he rehydrates soon.

any ideas on what i can put in the enclosure to make him feel more at home and not sulk if he is? i got bark substrate, with a nice sized branch for climbing will add more in the nest few days. large water bowl, food bowl. and i mist them too. also heat light, will be adding a uvb light soon.

 

[KaotikJezta]

dont overheat them. theu keep their eyes open when playing dead. wombaroo is cereal based, angles are not omnivores. I would try getting some running water asap. lots of fake plants would be good. They can be incredibly finnicky, worse than boyds sometimes. if you can source silkworms it would be good as they are very nutritious and can be safely left in the enclosure.

- - - Updated - - -

In all seriosness, you shouldn't have taken them on with no experience. I really don't know why they ever took Angles off advanced licence. Try giving him some real filtered sunlight as well, in the morning before it is too hot. Uvb should have been first on the list, way more important than a heat lamp.

 

[saintanger]

i have owned them before as adults and never had a problem. its my first time taking on babies. thats why i asked for advise not critisisem. if i left them i am sure she/ he would of died. and i do have an advanced licence so it would have been all the same.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Not criticising, it is just a huge thing to take on. I fully understand why you did it.

 

[saintanger]

update, so happy today for the first time my little guy has walked around his enclosure. he even got in the water bowl. i have stoped force feeding since he is very alert and exploring. i have not seen him eat yet but hope he does soon. also got a uvb put in the enclosure yesterday.

this is the female

 

[mic772]

Try him on earth worm as there high in protine and herpaboost. Out a bit in a syringe and into his mouth .
ps I have had angle headed dragon females with no markings. I'm not saying this is your case though but when there all healthy you can get them vet checked or get someone to pop them if you don't know how

 

[saintanger]

thanks, i got earth worms, crickets, meal worms and woodies. i am trying different food with them to see what they prefer.

 

[butters]

Strangely, or maybe not considering where they are found, I have found them quite partial to small snails. As soon as you put them in they leap down and grab them even though they aren't moving. They definitely seem to know what they are even if they have never seen them before.

Suprised me.

 

[KaotikJezta]

Yeah, mine like snails. I wouldn't feed woodies though, especially when in that condition. Great he's perked up a bit. Don't spin out if he drops into a sulk again on and off.

 

[saintanger]

i will try the snails as soon as my local pet shop gets them in. yeah i know all about the sulking and playing dead. have also just paid $130 on fake plants, vines ect to do up their enclosure. also got them a background. now all i need is a waterfall, but i can't find any that would suit a dragon or any reptile. anyone know were i can get one. or should i just make my own.

 

[KaotikJezta]

I use the small exoterra for mine.

 

[saintanger]

he ate yesterday for the first time that i have seen he ate 4 meal worms but i had to put them in his mouth and he chewed and swallowed. so happy. he has come along way.

now i need to think of a name that suits him, any ideas?

 

[kobrakai]

Starvin Marvin haha
on a serious note good to hear things are looking up for the lil guy.

 

[saintanger]

lol, good one. thanks, yeah i am over the moon.