[Stitzy]

So last week i picked up a lovely Indo Frilly and i have a couple questions

1. Water, i left a water tray in the bottom of the enclosure but he has completely ignored it. The only time he has gone in it is when he jumped from the top of the enclosure to the ground and water to climb back up. I lef a small sample cup filled with water in the top of the viv where he can drink but again, he hasnt touched it. I've resorted to spraying the glass with a mister and he seems to like that.

2. Food. I have large crickets ans locust for him but he doesn't eat from my hand even after a few days. I typically use large 50cm tongs to feed him or tweezers. He has eaten a few things but nowhere near the quantity i was expecting. He has also passed 1 stool yesterday but its was pretty wet. Not diarrhoea but like a few drops of water were dropped on it. That was cleaned up as soon as i saw it.

3. Lighting. I have a 100w bulb that acts as a heat spot and UVB spot. Its on from about 12:00-21:00 with a hot spot of 35-40c. He spends a long time here.

4. Posture and Movement. He doesn't tend to move a lot in the cage. preferring to reside in a cool corner on the background. Over the past couple of days he has remained in 1 spot and the only way i get him to the lamp is to place him there and when he is there he typically moves very onfrequently. When i come back from uni he seems to have his head raised which i know is good but today he has kept it low when in the tank but im putting this down to stress from when i had him out on the floor and gave him a quick bath.

5. General. The tank is an exo terra large xtall filled with wood and live plants so hehas plenty of places to climb. He is about 45cm long from tip to tail. Temps are 40 in the hot spot, about 23-25 in cool spots and 19-23 at night (depending if the radiators are on.

So what do you guys think of these questions and what im doing? Any help is appreciated.

 

[Stitzy]

So last week i picked up a lovely Indo Frilly and i have a couple questions

1. Water, i left a water tray in the bottom of the enclosure but he has completely ignored it. The only time he has gone in it is when he jumped from the top of the enclosure to the ground and water to climb back up. I lef a small sample cup filled with water in the top of the viv where he can drink but again, he hasnt touched it. I've resorted to spraying the glass with a mister and he seems to like that.

2. Food. I have large crickets ans locust for him but he doesn't eat from my hand even after a few days. I typically use large 50cm tongs to feed him or tweezers. He has eaten a few things but nowhere near the quantity i was expecting. He has also passed 1 stool yesterday but its was pretty wet. Not diarrhoea but like a few drops of water were dropped on it. That was cleaned up as soon as i saw it.

3. Lighting. I have a 100w bulb that acts as a heat spot and UVB spot. Its on from about 12:00-21:00 with a hot spot of 35-40c. He spends a long time here.

4. Posture and Movement. He doesn't tend to move a lot in the cage. preferring to reside in a cool corner on the background. Over the past couple of days he has remained in 1 spot and the only way i get him to the lamp is to place him there and when he is there he typically moves very onfrequently. When i come back from uni he seems to have his head raised which i know is good but today he has kept it low when in the tank but im putting this down to stress from when i had him out on the floor and gave him a quick bath.

5. General. The tank is an exo terra large xtall filled with wood and live plants so hehas plenty of places to climb. He is about 45cm long from tip to tail. Temps are 40 in the hot spot, about 23-25 in cool spots and 19-23 at night (depending if the radiators are on.

So what do you guys think of these questions and what im doing? Any help is appreciated.
Link to photos! --> Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

 

[DChalo]

It's fine that he rarely touches the water bowl, that is common. You should be misting him 3 times a day instead, this helps keep the humidity up and helps with shedding and water drinking.

 

[DChalo]

From the pictures it doesn't look like the basking spot is very accessable. There should be an area about 6 inches under the lamp where he can bask. Also, i do not recommend live plants in the cage, but that's just me. They can become diseased and make your frillie sick

 

[Creed]

I'd suggest reading through this: http://nswfmpa.org/Husbandry Manuals/Published Manuals/Reptilia/Frilled Lizard.pdf It's about the Australian species, but still provides some insight in general care and the answer to you questions.

Sitting in a spot perfectly is natural behavior for this species. It's an sit and wait predator that waits for its meal to pass by. The 'problem' however is that these animals are able to run on their back legs when in danger or to switch ambush spots. So you need a very large enclosure to hold these animals in properly, but they'll mostly sit still inside this enclosure. The current exoterra terrarium you have is by far too small for this species, it needs an enclosure that ranges in several meters, to allow the animal to run and express it's natural behavior.

 

[Satch]

From the pictures it doesn't look like the basking spot is very accessable. There should be an area about 6 inches under the lamp where he can bask. Also, i do not recommend live plants in the cage, but that's just me. They can become diseased and make your frillie sick

What sort of diseases?


OP - leave the lizard well alone until he is eating. No having him out on the floor and no baths.

Is that a glass viv? If so i'd cover the sides.

I'd probably switch to a 12 hour photoperiod.

Some of those UVB bulbs are not very good and they also restrict the area in which the lizard can expose themselves. You should look at getting a good tube and setting it up correctly.

These are general pointers. Not frilly specific as i've not kept them.

 

[DChalo]

What sort of diseases?

Various fungi, molds, mildew and parasites infecting a plant that is not well attended to can't possibly be good for the lizard that spends most of its time perched onto it.

 

[murrindindi]

Various fungi, molds, mildew and parasites infecting a plant that is not well attended to can't possibly be good for the lizard that spends most of its time perched onto it.

Hi, I`m almost certain that if the OP thought the plants were diseased he/she wouldn`t use them in the enclosure in the first place (not necessarily because the lizard would be at risk). Do you have personal experience in this regard?

 

[Stitzy]

I've used live plants in all my setups and I've never had an issue. I've always made sure plants are in a decent state when they are put in and I buy from reputable growers so I don't feel the plants are an issue


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[DChalo]

For me, it is just too much work and risk for something that doesn't matter much in the long run.