dead quadricorn. help please, why?!!!

[cacoonkitty]

Hi, please could someone offer info on the death of my cham , i have been keeping reptiles for ages and have had over 33 difrent types including veiled chams with no problems at all.
a 3 weeks ago i got my male Quadricorn cham from the reptile store near me and i had been waiting before this as he had just been imported to the uk a week prior. He was around half - 3/4 way grown but wasnt sure how old as he had been wild caught, he was doing fine,eating and drinking from the leaves and he was being kept in a large custom made wooden sided /backed viv with glass front sliding doors and a compleat mesh roof, he had an external humidifier plummed into his viv a dripper and the hole thing had been live planted with peace lillys ,ficus tree, peat and then covered with live growing carpet moss, he had lots of climbing branches, and a uv strip bulb 0.5with a 50w sun glo basking bulb in the top left hand corner outside the viv shining onto one corner ,his temps were 72 f in the day ambient and 60f at night as i know this speceis likes cool temps and high humidity, one day i left the house for about 4 hours came back and found him dead on the floor of his viv ,he had his tounge out and i was absolutly devistated when i found him and was in sheds of tears as he was so special to me, can anyone offer any light on why he may have died. i didnt see him drinking very oftern so would spray him and he would dring from the spray bottle.

 

[kinyonga]

We could only guess. Why not have an autopsy done?

 

[Kermit]

Impossible to say without a post mortem, but a viv full of peat with misting, dripper & humidifier is gonna lead to a lot of stagnant humidity which can cause pulmonary infections.

I initially planted my viv with substrate covered with woodchip & moss, but I noticed after a few days that it was getting far too wet so I've taken it all out now and put the plants in pots. Can now easily mop up all the excess water.

 

[cacoonkitty]

.i did have ventilation in the viv on the roof was 3 foot wide by 2 foot deep by 3 foot high so had big screened top and he used to stay up higher so was nearer to the screen aswell, it was sooo sad when i found him and i feel awfull as always pay so much attention to my animals care, has anyone else had problems with wild caught chams dont think im will buy a wild caught again for this reason!! ?? wish i were in the u.s then i could keep my chams in a screen viv as its warmer.

 

[TreelionsUK]

i have kept quadricornis before,they like it cool and humid and drink alot of water.also they need a good night time drop.
if you want another male i have one you can have for £30 Pm me if interested

Also you'd be fine with a full screen viv in the uk for your quad....they dont need much heat at all

 

[cacoonkitty]

have pm you regarding your quadricorn male.

 

[cacoonkitty]

p.s ...could you post a picture of the quad so i can see him first as im intrested in taking him from u. thanks loads. x

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Katt,

As an example of how little control we have over the survival of WC chameleons; I once did a novice necropsy on a WC panther and as I cut open the heart, a small worm appeared as if it came right out of one of the heart chambers . That keeper had just picked it up from the wholesaler in Florida where it had just recently come into the country. The panther was super healthy looking and acting right up until he was found dead after just a week or so in his care .

 

[jannb]

I am so sorry to read about your loss. It is always hard to loose a beloved pet. Jann

 

[cacoonkitty]

Thanks for your help everyone

i know it was so devistating when i found him!! and you cant help but blame yourself can you!! even if you were doing everything you have been advised and read to do.
Well i have just compleatly disenfected and re done the viv with all new stuff(just incase it was a virus he died of) and its now ready for who ever may live there in the future, i like to sort them out prior to getting a new animal and let the tank breath a little before putting anyone in there.
But it looks super nice ansd i am monitering the temps for a while so i can hopefully get a new quadricorn ,but they are very hard to get here in the u.k.