Oops - Kinyongia Boehmei

I’m very sorry to say that I lost Desi today. On Wednesday night he seemed a bit - not himself. He ate and drank quite a bit. He wanted to come out onto my hand but I put him back on his branch to feed. :(

Last night just before lights out, he was sleeping on a branch near the bottom - which is unusual. He has had one spot for the past year that was his spot and he never closed his eyes until lights out. This morning I went straight to him to check him out and get him some natural sunshine, but he was sleeping up top. I picked him up and he was very weak and nearly unresponsive to my touching him. I put him in a hospital bin and put itnin the window for some cool fresh air and dappled morning sun. I also gave him a little reptaid and water. He opened his eyes once or twice to see where he was, but declined very quickly, and fell off his branch (dangling unconscious by tail above the dirt). So I gently placed him on the soil and by noon he was gone.

I’m very sad. Desi was a very good boy and full of personality, just like my Charlie. He was never, ever hissy - and he liked to come out and hang on my hand. Didnt want the tree, didnt want outside… just saying hi. My friend and I joked, no wonder he was so easy to catch in the wild. Incredibly friendly. He always had a childlike expression (to me).

I am unsure of his age - but he was an adult when I acquired him almost a year and a half ago. So my best guess is at least 2.5 years. I have no idea their life expectancy or cause. I miss you lil buddy.

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Devastating. Since this just happened, would you be willing to send him to your state lab for necropsy (or even mine-I can get you the paperwork etc. for California's and do it under my name). It is $235 for an exotic, but they do a couple of thousand dollars worth of tests. Gross necropsy, histopath on all the organs, detailed pictures, etc. He would need to be refrigerated until he goes out. Sorry I hope you don't think this is morbid since he is and was so beloved by so many. But maybe he could help us to understand more about these little guys.

No obligation to answer I just wanted to offer.

Thank you for being so generous with your posts and information about this species and for being such a good mom to him.
 
Devastating. Since this just happened, would you be willing to send him to your state lab for necropsy (or even mine-I can get you the paperwork etc. for California's and do it under my name). It is $235 for an exotic, but they do a couple of thousand dollars worth of tests. Gross necropsy, histopath on all the organs, detailed pictures, etc. He would need to be refrigerated until he goes out. Sorry I hope you don't think this is morbid since he is and was so beloved by so many. But maybe he could help us to understand more about these little guys.

No obligation to answer I just wanted to offer.

Thank you for being so generous with your posts and information about this species and for being such a good mom to him.

Thank you for your offer. I will keep your name in mind. I had buried him shortly after he passed.
 
My friend, who took the only male, sent me these photos of his amazing colors lately. I do
not believe or know if he was Desi’s offspring, but he sure has his sweet and funny disposition. I’ve never seen colors like these on Desi - especially those amazing yellows he has been showing lately. He looks like a little rainbow or a pack of Fruit Stripe Gum!

He is growing up so quickly.

0A8FF3E7-8CC9-45EC-BBCD-5E510CC439B1.jpeg 86D5CAE1-B25B-4B36-8837-21C1B94AA212.jpeg
 
I’m very sorry to say that I lost Desi today. On Wednesday night he seemed a bit - not himself. He ate and drank quite a bit. He wanted to come out onto my hand but I put him back on his branch to feed. :(

Last night just before lights out, he was sleeping on a branch near the bottom - which is unusual. He has had one spot for the past year that was his spot and he never closed his eyes until lights out. This morning I went straight to him to check him out and get him some natural sunshine, but he was sleeping up top. I picked him up and he was very weak and nearly unresponsive to my touching him. I put him in a hospital bin and put itnin the window for some cool fresh air and dappled morning sun. I also gave him a little reptaid and water. He opened his eyes once or twice to see where he was, but declined very quickly, and fell off his branch (dangling unconscious by tail above the dirt). So I gently placed him on the soil and by noon he was gone.

I’m very sad. Desi was a very good boy and full of personality, just like my Charlie. He was never, ever hissy - and he liked to come out and hang on my hand. Didnt want the tree, didnt want outside… just saying hi. My friend and I joked, no wonder he was so easy to catch in the wild. Incredibly friendly. He always had a childlike expression (to me).

I am unsure of his age - but he was an adult when I acquired him almost a year and a half ago. So my best guess is at least 2.5 years. I have no idea their life expectancy or cause. I miss you lil buddy.

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Damn :(, I feel really sorry about your sudden lost. Still so much to learn about this specie.
Loved everything you shared about them and suddenly realize why everyone insisted that I needed to take in Ranjo, and reading your experience and with my own 3 days experience, don´t regret it for a second.

I´m also going for a full bioactive setup within a 22"x22"x40" enclosure. I´m monitoring temps at the moment and my nighttime temps are constant 60 degree and even dipping under it during fogging. During daytime, in the lower parts it´s constant 64 degree, middle / top part 70 degrees.

Haven´t seen him eating yet, supplied a few Black Soldier Flies and small crickets. As I could in his pet store enclosure, he has been fed with even larger crickets.

What was Desi´s regular (relaxed) color display?
 
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Damn :(, I feel really sorry about your sudden lost. Still so much to learn about this specie.
Loved everything you shared about them and suddenly realize why everyone insisted that I needed to take in Ranjo, and reading your experience and with my own 3 days experience, don´t regret it for a second.

I´m also going for full bioactive setup within a 22"x22"x40" enclosure. I´m monitoring temps at the moment and my nighttime temps are constant 60 degree and even dipping under it during fogging. During daytime, in the lower parts it´s constant 64 degree, middle / top part 70 degrees.

Haven´t seen him eating yet, supplied a few Black Soldier Flies and small crickets. As I could in his pet store enclosure, he has been fed with even larger crickets.

What was Desi´s regular (relaxed) color display?
Desi was typically a brownish / rusty color with a hint of green in spots. The photos above are pretty typical coloration for him. When scared or stressed he turned whiter with dark green and black accents.
 
Desi was typically a brownish / rusty color with a hint of green in spots. The photos above are pretty typical coloration for him. When scared or stressed he turned whiter with dark green and black accents.
Haven´t seen one distinctive colouring yet, their palette is just immense.
 
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i have done very rigirous experiments with other montanes: T. hoehnelii
At identical conditions, we had three control groupsnof babies from same clutch:

1. “Normal” husbandry with right temps and night fog and feeding standard way with calcium, little MVT, and UV
2. 1. With pollen
3. 1. With simullated wind (ventillator intermittently)
4. 2 and 3 combined

best results: 4
Second: 2
Third: 3
Last: 1.

More than halfnof the babies in group 1 died within first theee months, due to RI, they developped gular oedema, mouthrot
Very interesting experiments. May I ask about some details on the third option? I´ve noticed that the enclosure keeps really wet at the bottom during daytime, due to the low temps I guess. Therefore I´m considering installing some fans. How did you simulated wind? With small PC fans of something larger? Did you run it all day or periods or 24h? How did you positioned it, on top or one on top and one on the side?

I know it are many questions, however it would help providing my little fella his best circumstances. Many thanks in advanced.

Btw, it´s also for a male K. Boehmei.
 
Very interesting experiments. May I ask about some details on the third option? I´ve noticed that the enclosure keeps really wet at the bottom during daytime, due to the low temps I guess. Therefore I´m considering installing some fans. How did you simulated wind? With small PC fans of something larger? Did you run it all day or periods or 24h? How did you positioned it, on top or one on top and one on the side?

I know it are many questions, however it would help providing my little fella his best circumstances. Many thanks in advanced.

Btw, it´s also for a male K. Boehmei.

i have fans on my new enclosures, which recirculate. I bought a bunch of InSitu brand enclosures (which I regret) - and have been heavily modifying them. While their recirculation fans are a good design - I am modifying mine so that one is an exhaust and one a fresh air intake. The enclosure is glass. For screen I would only run one small fan in a corner, and only a few hours. Constant direct airflow has a drying effect (amplifies transpiration - might be the wrong term)… and the fans do add a small amount of vibration. I run mine for a few hours after misting or during the warmer parts of day… but not 24/7.
 
Very interesting experiments. May I ask about some details on the third option? I´ve noticed that the enclosure keeps really wet at the bottom during daytime, due to the low temps I guess. Therefore I´m considering installing some fans. How did you simulated wind? With small PC fans of something larger? Did you run it all day or periods or 24h? How did you positioned it, on top or one on top and one on the side?

I know it are many questions, however it would help providing my little fella his best circumstances. Many thanks in advanced.

Btw, it´s also for a male K. Boehmei.
I am also interested to hear more about this.

First, we need someone to go to Africa and tell us if the understory stays damp during the day!

What I am doing, and I do not know if it is right, is running a Zoomed Repticooler at night from about 11-4 during most of the fogger time. It helps to cool but also is blowing gently down from the top of the cage. (Screen with 3 sides covered) It helps the fog go over the cham and out so nothing is stagnating.

Again only time will tell if this is the best option.
 
i have fans on my new enclosures, which recirculate. I bought a bunch of InSitu brand enclosures (which I regret) - and have been heavily modifying them. While their recirculation fans are a good design - I am modifying mine so that one is an exhaust and one a fresh air intake. The enclosure is glass. For screen I would only run one small fan in a corner, and only a few hours. Constant direct airflow has a drying effect (amplifies transpiration - might be the wrong term)… and the fans do add a small amount of vibration. I run mine for a few hours after misting or during the warmer parts of day… but not 24/7.
Thanks for your reply and input. I’m using a screen cage and I’m thinking of one intake and output, and hanging them (suspending) in front and above the enclosure, so contact and reducing vibration and sound.
 
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