This morning I was noticing my tokay's tail had a dry flake of skin (very small) on her tail, I thought maybe she was just getting ready to shed. Around it there was a little bit of discoloration and some kind of damage, but no blood or deep injury. I didn't think TOO much of it, until just now when I witnessed her jumping off the wall and falling a good foot to the bottom of the tank as she chased her tail and bit at it! She continued this at the base of the tank spinning around and biting at her tail. Help? What is going on with her? Anyone have anything like this happen before? My only thoughts are these... I have her and her male companion in a converted china cabinet that currently has a mirror back drop (I have a background I haven't gotten the chance to install) perhaps she is spotting her own reflection, thinking it's another tokay, then spotting what she thinks is this other tokay's tail? Or... I did just feed them some super worms (1.5-2 inch) is it possible that one survived ingestion and is munching on her tummy causing pain (I've heard of small mealies, etc surviving and eating the stomach lining, killing the animal)? I'll install the back drop tonight and let you know if theres any changes in her actions... but let me know if anyone has other suggestions or thoughts.
update Within a minute of putting her back in the cage after the mirror was covered she started flicking her tail and attacked it again... But I'm hoping that was the last time. After finding that Tokay's are known to flick their tails when fighting with other geckos (to get them to attack the tail and not body)... I really believe that she thought she was fighting another gecko. I just hope that she doesn't keep this up. I'm also contacting a vet also to see if they know of any conditions (external parasites, etc.) that might cause this behavior.
RE: update yeah the only other reason I can think of is that she has a bad itch or some kind of tail pain
She laid two eggs later that day, then died a couple hours later! I can't believe it happened so fast. No local reptile vets were in their office (I called about eight) that day. She died before I could take her anywhere. My male has been doing his mating call at least once a day since she left. Poor guy. I miss her too.
just a side note, it is completely impossible for a mealie/superworm to eat throught the stomach of any animal
aww that sucks man i hate it when things like that happen when i got my new dog 2 years ago the dog that we had was getting old, he ( the old chocolate lab) would protect the new dog ( a little chihuahua) from everything , the cat, he'd protect him even when he was sleeping,about a wek after having the new dog that old dog ( Shep) had a stroke and he had to put him down, i hope for the best of the male tokay and the eggs
The eggs (actually egg, she knocked one off onto the floor in a tail-attacking spasm the night she died) did nothing. I didn't really expect them to though... the one left was smaller and with her passing right after........ He is doing great though. He was calling out his mating call almost twice a day for most of the summer, but he's finally mellowed out now with the cooler weather. I guess it's just an urban legend that small meal worms that are swallowed whole can eat through the stomach lining... I've totally heard it several times from different people. funny
