Help with Age Estimate

[Khrysjam]

Hey everyone! This is Luna. She’s a rescue I have had for a couple weeks now. She was in bad shape when she arrived at my work so after a month of vet care I was able to take her in.

I was curious if anyone could help with an age estimate.

She is not eating on her own so we have to hand feed her. I want to make sure I’m not over or under feeding her until she is eating by herself. Also, any tips to get her to eat would be great. I’ve seen her shoot her tongue a handful of times at water droplets but never at food.

I know people will ask about the black spot on her head. She recently had surgery to flush an abscess so that is the surgery site. Any help appreciated! TIA

 

[BostonKeith]

6 months would be my guess Hard to know though!

 

[nightanole]

Another vote for 6-9 months. Certainly not even close to 3-4 months. She is big enough it might even be egg time.

 

[Beman]

She looks like she could be a mature female. Not like she is small. No way to really tell age otherwise. Do you have any prior info like has she laid eggs before? This will give you a better idea on age.

Why is she not eating on her own? What insects have you tried and by what methods? A female of this size would only be getting 3 feeders 3 days a week with a lower basking temp 78-80 max to control clutch size.

What are you force feeding and how much/how often?

 

[Khrysjam]

She looks like she could be a mature female. Not like she is small. No way to really tell age otherwise. Do you have any prior info like has she laid eggs before? This will give you a better idea on age.

Why is she not eating on her own? What insects have you tried and by what methods? A female of this size would only be getting 3 feeders 3 days a week with a lower basking temp 78-80 max to control clutch size.

What are you force feeding and how much/how often?

I weighed her last week and she was 44 grams, 7 inches from nose to tip of tail.

Her backstory: I work at a wildlife rescue and she was a pet surrender. The only thing the person told us was she was abandoned by his neighbor who was moving and didn't want her anymore. No clue how long that person had her. The guy who took her in had her for two weeks and was feeding her crickets. He said she stopped eating all of a sudden and he wasn't sure what to do. He said he didn't know how to care for her properly so he decided to bring her in. She had the beginning stages of MBD based on her x-rays with some bowing of her bones. She also had stuck shed on her eye and face.

She stayed in the hospital for a month and her treatment plan was created by one of the relief vets who comes and specializes in reptiles. She was really dehydrated so much to the point I have a video of her drinking out of my hand. After a month at the center, they cleared for me to bring her home but she still goes in for doctor checks. A few days ago, she had surgery on an abscess that was growing above her eye. She's been on medicated eye drops for the last month and they believed the abscess was effecting the eye and nare on that side. I have to handle her daily due to the eye drops she currently gets.

She occasionally shoots her tongue at water droplets but never ate on her own while at the center. She would drink whenever water droplets would drip on the front of her face so that's how we would get her to eat. When she would open her mouth, I would put the edge of whatever feeder I was using in and she'd usually grab it right up. I'd wait a minute for her to settle and get it down before I offered another. I've been feeding discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae, and hornworms occasionally. I just got an order of grasshoppers in so I popped one in the enclosure today to see if she'd be more prone to hunt. I've also left a feeding dish full of BSFL during the day the last couple days to see if she'd go after them. No luck so far.

I have a spread sheet I've been keeping track of what shes been eating, as well as behavior/medical notes, etc. Based on her size, I thought she was young enough to still be eating a couple bugs a day. If she is an adult, it makes sense why she hasn't eaten much of anything the last few days. I can put what she's eaten on what days if you want but to spare all the details shes eaten an average of a bug a day over the last 18 days.

Sorry for the long winded response! I appreciate all the help I can get. With everything we've invested into her at this point and factoring in her rough start, I just want to make sure we're doing right by her.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Maybe don’t offer any feeders for a couple days and see if she gets hungry enough to shoot her tongue at one.

 

[Beman]

I weighed her last week and she was 44 grams, 7 inches from nose to tip of tail.

Her backstory: I work at a wildlife rescue and she was a pet surrender. The only thing the person told us was she was abandoned by his neighbor who was moving and didn't want her anymore. No clue how long that person had her. The guy who took her in had her for two weeks and was feeding her crickets. He said she stopped eating all of a sudden and he wasn't sure what to do. He said he didn't know how to care for her properly so he decided to bring her in. She had the beginning stages of MBD based on her x-rays with some bowing of her bones. She also had stuck shed on her eye and face.

She stayed in the hospital for a month and her treatment plan was created by one of the relief vets who comes and specializes in reptiles. She was really dehydrated so much to the point I have a video of her drinking out of my hand. After a month at the center, they cleared for me to bring her home but she still goes in for doctor checks. A few days ago, she had surgery on an abscess that was growing above her eye. She's been on medicated eye drops for the last month and they believed the abscess was effecting the eye and nare on that side. I have to handle her daily due to the eye drops she currently gets.

She occasionally shoots her tongue at water droplets but never ate on her own while at the center. She would drink whenever water droplets would drip on the front of her face so that's how we would get her to eat. When she would open her mouth, I would put the edge of whatever feeder I was using in and she'd usually grab it right up. I'd wait a minute for her to settle and get it down before I offered another. I've been feeding discoid roaches, black soldier fly larvae, and hornworms occasionally. I just got an order of grasshoppers in so I popped one in the enclosure today to see if she'd be more prone to hunt. I've also left a feeding dish full of BSFL during the day the last couple days to see if she'd go after them. No luck so far.

I have a spread sheet I've been keeping track of what shes been eating, as well as behavior/medical notes, etc. Based on her size, I thought she was young enough to still be eating a couple bugs a day. If she is an adult, it makes sense why she hasn't eaten much of anything the last few days. I can put what she's eaten on what days if you want but to spare all the details shes eaten an average of a bug a day over the last 18 days.

Sorry for the long winded response! I appreciate all the help I can get. With everything we've invested into her at this point and factoring in her rough start, I just want to make sure we're doing right by her.

Ok so when you say you have been feeding her you mean you have been feeding her bugs by hand? This is what I want to be clear on. Just so I know if it is a premix food like carnivore care or real insects. How large are the insects?

When she shoots water droplets how far can she extend her tongue and is she on target or missing?

Tell me more about your supplementing (what exactly are you using and how often) and UVB lighting please. The start of MBD is serious in a female just for the simple fact that they have to have the correct calcium levels to produce eggs without pulling from their bones.

Sounds like she ended up with the right keeper to help her.

 

[Khrysjam]

Ok so when you say you have been feeding her you mean you have been feeding her bugs by hand? This is what I want to be clear on. Just so I know if it is a premix food like carnivore care or real insects. How large are the insects?

When she shoots water droplets how far can she extend her tongue and is she on target or missing?

Tell me more about your supplementing (what exactly are you using and how often) and UVB lighting please. The start of MBD is serious in a female just for the simple fact that they have to have the correct calcium levels to produce eggs without pulling from their bones.

Sounds like she ended up with the right keeper to help her.

She did receive carnivore care while she was in the hospital but I have only been feeding her live insects. They have all been smaller than the size between her eyes.

I've seen her hit a target once. The other day I had her out to sun and she shot her tongue at my face twice. Her tongue I've only seen extend maybe 3 inches at most. I think she was trying to get my baby hairs since they were blowing in the wind lol

I dust with Reptical without D3 every feeding and am doing Reptivite without D3 twice a month. Since I brought her home she's gotten the Reptivite once, but her next dose is coming up here in a few days.

UVB is a linear T5 HO bulb.

 

[Beman]

She did receive carnivore care while she was in the hospital but I have only been feeding her live insects. They have all been smaller than the size between her eyes.

I've seen her hit a target once. The other day I had her out to sun and she shot her tongue at my face twice. Her tongue I've only seen extend maybe 3 inches at most. I think she was trying to get my baby hairs since they were blowing in the wind lol

I dust with Reptical without D3 every feeding and am doing Reptivite without D3 twice a month. Since I brought her home she's gotten the Reptivite once, but her next dose is coming up here in a few days.

UVB is a linear T5 HO bulb.

So all of that is spot on. Tell me about the UVB what bulb strength are you using and what is the distance from the bottom of the fixture sitting on the cage to the closest branches below?

Sounds like she is getting use of her tongue back unless she had a prior injury to it and this is her max shooting distance. The reptivite has vitamin A in it so she is getting what she needs at the frequency she needs.

I am assuming that is her in your profile pic. If so that is an impressive turn around from then to now. Her body looks full and healthy now.

 

[Khrysjam]

So all of that is spot on. Tell me about the UVB what bulb strength are you using and what is the distance from the bottom of the fixture sitting on the cage to the closest branches below?

Sounds like she is getting use of her tongue back unless she had a prior injury to it and this is her max shooting distance. The reptivite has vitamin A in it so she is getting what she needs at the frequency she needs.

I am assuming that is her in your profile pic. If so that is an impressive turn around from then to now. Her body looks full and healthy now.

UVB is a Reptisun linear T5 HO 24 W. I have a grow light for the plants that has a stand so my UVB is about 2 inches above the screen. Basking branch is around 9 inches below that. Basking temp I checked today. Its around 80.4.

Yea, that's her. That was when I took her out for some sun when she was still in the hospital. Maybe 3 weeks or so ago? That's also her good side. The other side is the one with her funky eye. That's starting to clear up now. She hissed and lunged at me this morning when I pulled her for eye drops and to eat. Getting sassier by the day so I guess I have to take that as a good sign.

 

[Beman]

UVB is a Reptisun linear T5 HO 24 W. I have a grow light for the plants that has a stand so my UVB is about 2 inches above the screen. Basking branch is around 9 inches below that. Basking temp I checked today. Its around 80.4.

Yea, that's her. That was when I took her out for some sun when she was still in the hospital. Maybe 3 weeks or so ago? That's also her good side. The other side is the one with her funky eye. That's starting to clear up now. She hissed and lunged at me this morning when I pulled her for eye drops and to eat. Getting sassier by the day so I guess I have to take that as a good sign.

Ok so on the bulb it will say if it is a 5.0 or 10.0 bulb. If it is a 5.0 then the distance you want from the bottom of the fixture sitting on the cage top to the branch is 8-9 inches for the correct UVB level.

If she is getting feisty then that is a good sign.

 

[Khrysjam]

Ok so on the bulb it will say if it is a 5.0 or 10.0 bulb. If it is a 5.0 then the distance you want from the bottom of the fixture sitting on the cage top to the branch is 8-9 inches for the correct UVB level.

If she is getting feisty then that is a good sign.

I'll take a look and see what it says. Thanks for the insight!

 

[pascal2023]

Hey everyone! This is Luna. She’s a rescue I have had for a couple weeks now. She was in bad shape when she arrived at my work so after a month of vet care I was able to take her in.

I was curious if anyone could help with an age estimate.

She is not eating on her own so we have to hand feed her. I want to make sure I’m not over or under feeding her until she is eating by herself. Also, any tips to get her to eat would be great. I’ve seen her shoot her tongue a handful of times at water droplets but never at food.

I know people will ask about the black spot on her head. She recently had surgery to flush an abscess so that is the surgery site. Any help appreciated! TIA

I’m in the same position with mine, I know mine; she’s a baby, defo under 6 months but I’m still not sure but this chat might shed some light, they’re all different though, let me know what she measures too head to tip of her tail

 

[Beman]

View attachment 328483I’m in the same position with mine, I know mine; she’s a baby, defo under 6 months but I’m still not sure but this chat might shed some light, they’re all different though, let me know what she measures too head to tip of her tail

That chart came up in another thread... It is not accurate. You can not blanket determine like that. Too many factors goes into growth from genetics to how they were raised the first 3 months including unlimited feeders and proper UVB lighting. Then this again changes when put into new hands if in a store they can decline in growth due to improper feeding and UVB lighting.

 

[MzLaurie11]

Hello and bless you for ecpanding your family to include thus sweet girl. At first sight i thought six months. But then if she has mild mbd her growth maybe stunted as well so she may be 7 months. her weight looks good for her size to me. She has been through a lot and with an abcess surgery close to her eye may have thrown off her targeting. you seem to be doing everything right. i would let loose some small to medium size crickets in the cage so she can practice hunting. set a hornworm or two on branches also and see if they r around the next day or two. You shoukd also start alternating between hand feeding and bowl feeding. put the bowl below a place she likes to perch about 3-4 inches down and a few inches outward, that way she has to use her tongue to shoot downward. If your bowl is light weight glue it to a flat rock so she doesnt have anything startle her while shes feeding. believe it or not confidence is an issue with targeting. If they miss several tImes they lose confidence and give up.

 

[Khrysjam]

Hello and bless you for ecpanding your family to include thus sweet girl. At first sight i thought six months. But then if she has mild mbd her growth maybe stunted as well so she may be 7 months. her weight looks good for her size to me. She has been through a lot and with an abcess surgery close to her eye may have thrown off her targeting. you seem to be doing everything right. i would let loose some small to medium size crickets in the cage so she can practice hunting. set a hornworm or two on branches also and see if they r around the next day or two. You shoukd also start alternating between hand feeding and bowl feeding. put the bowl below a place she likes to perch about 3-4 inches down and a few inches outward, that way she has to use her tongue to shoot downward. If your bowl is light weight glue it to a flat rock so she doesnt have anything startle her while shes feeding. believe it or not confidence is an issue with targeting. If they miss several tImes they lose confidence and give up.

I have noticed she stops trying sometimes after not hitting the target right away. Usually, if I sit there long enough, she tries again and gets them.