Mahalo, All~ Any chance you could buy a very small sewing scissors? My sewing scissors have much smaller points and blades than the scissors on my Swiss army knife.
I admire you clipping the wings of the fruit flies. I don't know whether my fingers would be nimble enough. Sounds like "clipped flies" is becoming a popular menu item at your home with four-legged visitors and the like ;-] You might try covering the top of Li?i's cage with a loosely woven cloth at feeding time to keep the flies in till they are consumed. I cover the tops of all my cricket cages just to keep them from escaping...even the 1.5 wos. Melody and I order our crickets from Sunshine Mealworms (www.sunshinemealworms.com, 1-800-322-1100) in Silverton, Oregon. Perhaps they would be a fine and quicker source for your mealworms. The Beanfarm (www.beanfarm.com) near Seattle, Washington carries the pink label Rep-Cal Phosphorus-Free Ultrafine Powder with D3. I have heard that the Exo-Terra tanks might have an "escape hole" in the back where the tube outlet is. I think the roughness of a rough rock or small branch would be good for your rescued Gold Dust. Now it sounds as if she has more energy than before and might even use such to rough up her toes and especially her tail after a few more steam baths. I was going to suggest "Mahalo" or the Hawaiian word expressing her thanks, but I see you've already decided upon a name. I mean she owes her life to you and Dennis! I have only visited Maui, Kauai, and Oahu. I first visited Maui in 1984. I visited Kauai in 1988 and caught my first three Lepidodactylus lugubris. At the time all I needed to do to bring them home was take them to a Kauai vet who certified them as "healthy". Then we were off to Seattle. One of those mourning geckos lived more than 17.5 years and was still laying eggs! Then I inadvertently left the screen top ajar and she escaped. Cheers, Elizabeth > Subj:Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble > shedding ... > Date:6/7/08 5:38:23 PM Pacific Daylight Time > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Sherron) > Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> > To: gecko@lists.gekkota.com > > Aloha, Elizabeth I really appreciate the help the GGA list has given me! We actually tried getting the skin off before we posted to the GGA list, but it didn't do much good without the "pre-soak" in the humidity chamber for several hours first. There is nothing like experience to know what you can do without causing more harm than good. That is always my worry when trying something I haven't done before is that it may be worse than doing nothing. :( She is definitely interested in eating; always a good sign! And she is much better at getting around without that gunky skin inhibiting her movements. I will need to see what pet/supply stores there are in this area. I don't think there are many, but I can always do mail order if there isn't something local. There isn't a large selection of anything here. ;) We have named her!! Her name is Li?i, which is the Hawaiian name for "small", and is pronounced lee-ee. The "?" is an ?okina which indicates a glottal stop or short break/pause between the two i's. ;) So I have also updated the web page on her and it is now located at: <A HREF="http://hale-pohaku.net/gecko_lii.html";> http://hale-pohaku.net/gecko_lii.html</A> She is really getting around very well without the excess skin, although I think she still has a little trouble with that right leg. The toes on the right foot still tend to clump together a little, although I suspect that she may grow to adjust to it and learn to live with it. We see quite a few maimed geckos around and many of them do quite well, all things considered. She certainly is doing much, much better with it. She doesn't "lurch" anymore, but actually uses it nearly like a normal leg. ;) We sure don't want her to lose any toes or her tail if we can prevent it, so like it or not, Li?i is going to get steam bath! Or two. If we could keep her still, we could probably do it quicker, but there is not much to hold onto and she is a fast little devil! ;) She sure has lots of friends, thank goodness!! ;) Mahalo nui loa, Sherron, Dennis & Li?i <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> wrote: > Sherron ~ > > You are totally welcome for the assistance I was able to give thanks to this > Global Gecko Association listserv! > > I really appreciate your detailed photos. As they say, "A picture is worth > a thousand words." > > If judging by photos is a reliable sign, her belly definitely seems to be > full of the bugs you've been catching. If she proves to be a long-term > captive > you may want to dust her bugs with a calcium supplement. That will be > easier once she is eating bigger stuff ;-} I recommend Rep-Cal > Phosphorus-Free > Ultrafine Powder with D3. Can you get that on the island? > > Your survivor needs a name! You've given her a new life!!! How is her gait > since you've removed the excess skin except for her tail? In your recent > photos her right leg seems to bend like normal. > > The thing about retained skin, which may have ultimately been affecting her > breathing (?) is that the digit (toe) can become necrotic and then slough > off. That is why I'm worried about the retained skin on her tail as I said > in > an earlier post tonight. You have resolved the crucial things first while > still saving the "patient". So in a few days you can try again with her > tail. > > Cheers! > Elizabeth > > > > >> Subj:Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble >> shedding ... Ok! But what about the tail? >> Date:6/5/08 11:07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time >> From: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> (Sherron) >> Sender: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> >> Reply-to: <A >> HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> >> To: <A HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> >> >> Aloha, Elizabeth >> >> Oh, she is VERY active!!! She doesn't hold still for more than a few >> seconds and she is so tiny, we are afraid to try to hold her down! >> >> But we have now managed to get everything off except the skin on her tail. >> We had hoped that she might be able to chew it off since that is all that >> is left, but she doesn't seem to be doing so. Will the skin wear off by >> itself just from her moving around or do we need to make sure it is off, >> too? We >> are just so afraid of the tail breaking off. >> >> We did notice that she has a toe on her right foot that seems blackened and >> crumpled. And the lines on the bottoms of her hands don't seem very well >> developed. >> >> Right foot Right hand >> >> >> We had to repeat the steam bath/clean-up routines multiple times and she >> didn't like it, but she was really a good girl. She is very alert & curious >> and always comes out to look at us when we go over to look in her cage. ;) >> >> We thank you all so much for your help. I am afraid she would not have made >> it without your assistance. I have never actually held a live gecko >> before, although I have had them jump or fall on me quite a bit. It is >> really >> nice having her around. ;) >> >> I am trying to put some photos of her up on the web and I will post the >> address when I get them up. We have taken lots!! ;) >> >> Mahalo nui loa, >> Sherron >> >> <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> wrote: >> >>> Do you have a small scissors for sewing (or even perhaps a straight >>> pin) that could perhaps begin a split/tear in her skin at the neck? I >>> don't >>> know how active she is, but you might be able to hold her firmly against >>> some solid padded surface like a table. Hope that something works for you >>> both. >>> >>> Elizabeth >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> >>> To: <A HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> >>> Sent: Mon, 2 Jun 2008 11:52 am >>> Subject: Re: [gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having >>> trouble shedding ... >>> >>> And Aloha Sherron ~ >>> >>> Thanks for these details. Please try the humidity chamber near a lamp for >>> a few hours. Use a wet washcloth that has been wrung out and place it in >>> the vented, plastic container. Watch the water droplets form. After only >>> a few hours I imagine her skin might be loose enough to start a split. >>> >>> Another idea! Have something like a twig, small branch, or a section of >>> choya wood --- something rough that she could snuggle up against to assist >>> in the shed. >>> >>> I hope the skin shed helps her right leg work more efficiently! >>> >>> Keep us posted! >>> >>> Wish I lived near the beach in a place warm enough where geckos roamed >>> freely ;-] >>> >>> Elizabeth >>> >>> >>>> Aloha, Elizabeth >>>> >>>> She is about 3/4" from nose to vent -- she is the smallest day gecko >>>> hatchling we have ever seen, although some of our mourning gecko >>>> hatchlings >>>> are even tinier. >>>> >>>> This sounds like it might work! If it would just soften enough to pull >>>> off her or get a split started, I think we could get the neck skin off. >>>> We >>>> have been misting her little cage and putting a heating pad next to it, >>>> but that only helps a little and wasn't keeping the humidity up high >>>> enough. >>>> >>>> She has never seemed to be able to fully control her right leg, and her >>>> right foot is smaller than her left and the toes kind of clumped together. >>>> She often tends to move the joint and leg together as a unit, so there may >>>> be something wrong with the joint, too. Although in watching her with the >>>> skin problem, some of that may just be the skin being so tight it >>>> restricts her movement. >>>> >>>> Usually when we find the hatchlings, most of that first skin has already >>>> been shed, but she was fully covered with it and it has only recently >>>> started splitting. We do think it hinders her use of her limbs -- her arms >>>> are >>>> only about the size of thin pencil lead, and the skin seems to fully coat >>>> those. >>>> >>>> She has been doing okay up until the last couple of days, though, when >>>> the skin (I hope that it isn't something else, too) started really >>>> becoming >>>> a problem. She now gets around by lurching her body back and forth because >>>> her little arms & legs are still encased in the skin, although it has >>>> come off some of the back. And she is green underneath, not gray! >>>> >>>> We haven't ever actually kept any of the geckos before, as they run all >>>> around our house, lanai and garden (Phelsuma laticauda, house - >>>> Hemidactylus frenatus, & Mourning - Lepidodactylus lugubris). But we had >>>> to make an >>>> exception in her case, since she couldn't fend for herself. Usually we >>>> just >>>> take the hatchlings outside so they have a better chance of survival -- >>>> we have lots of big geckos running around inside and they don't last long >>>> if we don't get to them first. :( >>>> >>>> Mahalo, Sherron >>>> >>>> >>>> <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> wrote: >>>> Hello Sherron ~ >>>> >>>> Try the humidity chamber trick. I can't view your photos at home because >>>> my laptop is really memory-challenged, so I don't know how big this gecko >>>> is! However, my mourning geckos are 1" 3/8" at hatching. Try placing >>>> your gecko in a vented plastic container with a damp washcloth inside. >>>> Place this near a light. Almost immediately you will notice beads of >>>> water >>>> accumulate on the sides/top of the container. After a few hours or so >>>> perhaps you can remove the rings of old skin around her neck gently with a >>>> tweezers or small scissors. >>>> >>>> What is the problem with her right leg? Might you have a new pet here? >>>> >>>> Elizabeth >>>> >>>> >>>> Subj:[gecko]Question on hatchling Gold Dust Day Gecko having trouble >>>> shedding "egg skin" >>>> Date:6/1/08 4:16:39 PM Pacific Daylight Time >>>> From: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> >>>> (Sherron) >>>> Sender: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> >>>> Reply-to: <A >>>> HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> >>>> To: <A >>>> HREF="mailto:gecko@lists.gekkota.com";>gecko@lists.gekkota.com</A> >>>> We found a tiny hatchling on May 13 that was a little underdeveloped and was still in that grayish skin they have when they first come out of the shell. She was dehydrated and has a problem with her right leg, but is spunky. We haven't been able to release her outside like we do the rest of the hatchings we find, as her bad leg has kept her from being very mobile, but she has been doing pretty well eating tiny bugs & aphids I collect for her. She has also shown a real interest in the fruit flies around her papaya, but I don't think she has managed to catch any yet. But she started having trouble yesterday and was real cold & clammy, so we put a heating pad near her cage to help warm her up. It seems to have started her molting her "egg skin", but she has a bunch of it around her neck that she can't get off. Is there anything we can do to help her? She is so tiny we don't see how we could try to cut it off! The rest of the skin except for around her neck should slough off okay, but the stuff around her neck is several layers and is a ring, so it may be another matter. :( Any help would be greatly appreciated as she is really a spunky little girl. Mahalo, Sherron Elizabeth ~~~geckos make my heart sing (and dance)~~~ l l l ^^ /..\ ^^ /..\ ^^ ^^ /..\ ^^ l l ^^ llll \\\ l l llll /// l l llll \\\ l l ~~ llll /// ~~ ( ~~ ) ~~ ~~ ( ~~ ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) lappert(a) robert(a) hubert(a) 17.50 yo r.i.p. r.i.p. 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