Two weeks ago I started a terrarium with two Japalura Splendida. After 2 days one of them became lethargic and died. The pet store gave me a replacement and it too died a couple of days later. All of these reptiles seemed healthy at the store. My current lizard is from the original two and now he seems to becoming lethargic. My terrarium is well foilaged with ample water and lighting. The temp ranges from 72-82 degrees Farenheit. What should I be looking for?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
David

That's pretty fast to just die. Did you build the terrarium yourself?

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

yes, thats odd. Tell us about your setup a bit more. Photos would be good. What type of soil did you use?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Here's a photo of my set up. It's a 29 gallon tall tank. I used 100% fir bark for the bedding. The black hoses that you see are a for a manual misting system. I've attached a photos of my agama from a week or so ago with his eyes wide open and photos of him today. When I pick him up he quickly crawls up to my shoulder but doesn't open his eyes. What do you think?

Thanks

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	DSCF0057.jpg (28.6 KB, 11 views)
	DSCF0060.jpg (27.2 KB, 10 views)

Better times photo.

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Close up.jpg (16.5 KB, 3 views)

i have no idea, unless if the whole bunch from the store is infected with something. I really don't know anything about them. I asked about substrate because lots of times people use stuff that isn't good, like potting soil with fertilizer. My theory is, when in doubt, see a vet.

You said climbs up your shoulder? I know that won't cause death, but the little dude is probably under a lot of stress. You should pretty much leave him alone for a few weeks, with just going into his tank for food, water and cleaning. Let him get used to the new surroundings.

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

What's the humidity like? How about a basking spot? And do you have UVB lighting? What have you been feeding them and what sorts of supplement do you add?

With such quick deaths my first guess would be stress. Many of these lizards are carrying internal parasites and are already physically and psychologically stressed out before you even buy them.

You could also try smelling the bedding. Fir trees are an evergreen. If it smells reminiscent of pine or cedar, that could be your problem. Those trees contain toxins that are unsuitable for any animal, especially small ones like your splendid tree lizards.

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"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

Thanks for the suggestions. The pet store (PET WORLD WAREHOUSE) didn't have a lot of info on these agamas except to say that they prefer room temperatures not below 70 degrees and to feed them dusted crickets as their main food. The substrate that I purchased is made by Zoo Med and is called Premium Repti Bark. It has a woodsy smell. Almost like moss or dirt. It holds moisture but I don't track the humidity level as of yet. The info that I've found on this lizard says that they like humidity but not so much the UV's. My terrarium has a 20W 7.0 UVB florecent daylight bulb, a 60W red-night bulb, and a 60W black-night bulb. With any combination of bulbs being on, the tanks upper half stays between 72-85 degrees. As far as what I'm dusting the crickets with I'm using Tetrafauna's ReptoCal with Calcium and Vitamin D3. I've only recently handled the agama. More or less to see if he's still with us.

A site that I've found info on this agama:

Chinese Tree Dragon Caresheet

Thanks again.

That doesn't sound too bad. The caresheet looks ok for the most part too, though I wouldn't say it's the most reliable source of information. I skimmed it, and with false statements like "Two males have never successfully lived together in any of the reptile species." and "Part of the genus agama...", and not going specific enough when talking about UV rays (UVB is the critical one), I wouldn't call the caresheet a bible for splendid tree lizards by any means.

My guess is still stress and parasites.

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

I've also found this description of my Japalura:

Reptiles, Amphibians, and ... - Google Book Search