Hi all,
Yesterday, I was checking my enclosure cameras and caught my sulcata biting his own leg for a few minutes. Upon getting home, I checked on him and noticed he ended up scratching his own nose on his arm spikes and there was dried blood on his face.
The leg biting is definitely strange behavior, and many posts I found online make it sound like it’s usually harmless. I’m a longtime reptile keeper and to me personally, it looks like he is irritated with something that is possibly itching or hurting him.
My husband and I checked him out and we THINK we saw a mite on him. I’m not sure though - I checked for a long time and couldn’t see it again, and it might have been a springtail too… I will check him again tonight and update this post if I see anything new!
1. Has anyone encountered this before?
2. What should I use for his nose - saline, betadine, etc.? (I washed it off with just water for now)
3. Should I use mite treatment just in case - or wait until I’m sure of whats causing it?
All other behaviors are normal, eating, pooping, he’s active and alert.
Yesterday, I was checking my enclosure cameras and caught my sulcata biting his own leg for a few minutes. Upon getting home, I checked on him and noticed he ended up scratching his own nose on his arm spikes and there was dried blood on his face.
The leg biting is definitely strange behavior, and many posts I found online make it sound like it’s usually harmless. I’m a longtime reptile keeper and to me personally, it looks like he is irritated with something that is possibly itching or hurting him.
My husband and I checked him out and we THINK we saw a mite on him. I’m not sure though - I checked for a long time and couldn’t see it again, and it might have been a springtail too… I will check him again tonight and update this post if I see anything new!
1. Has anyone encountered this before?
2. What should I use for his nose - saline, betadine, etc.? (I washed it off with just water for now)
3. Should I use mite treatment just in case - or wait until I’m sure of whats causing it?
All other behaviors are normal, eating, pooping, he’s active and alert.
