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 #2212457


Krrristi
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 Paraplegic baby ghl!

I work as a biologist on construction sites in Southern Nevada, mainly protecting the desert tortoise. 2 days ago I found a baby ghl laying upside down in a recently bulldozed area. He has what looks like a hunchback straight from Notre Dame, and no use, apparent feeling, or movement in his lower back and legs. He gets around with a cutest little army crawl. Every hour or so he manages to flip himself upside down and can’t get back upright without help...obviously, he won’t make it a day out in the desert. I realize ghl are super hard to care for but really, what other chance does this little guy have? I work out in the desert, so I’ve been taking him near harvester ant hills for buffets, but he’s not so into it. When I put 2 or 3 in his tank, they disappear eventually but I have to constantly watch and make sure they aren’t eating him...he can’t feel it when they do! He’s probably eaten only 5-8 ants per day...is this enough for a baby? What else can I do? He doesn’t have much interest in anything but sleeping, although he does occasionally perk up to bask.

Any help at all would be appreciated. I am a biologist but have no experience with reptiles other than turtles, but I am really wanting to give this guy a good chance. I set my alarm 4 times last night to flip him over, I’m doing my best to get him to eat....but I need help!
04/01/11  01:28am

 #2212545


Kelso reptiles
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   Message To: Krrristi   In reference to Message Id: 2212457


 Paraplegic baby ghl!

no offence but you arnt really a bioligst because bioligist study all tipes of animals and plants
there a name for peoplewho study just turtles
also what is a ghl
also horned lizards eat up to 100 ants a day
04/01/11  10:33pm

 #2223826


Cyot75
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   Message To: Krrristi   In reference to Message Id: 2212457


 Paraplegic baby ghl!

Last summer I found a 2 inch baby desert tortoise with something like a pecked hole or tooth indent rite in the center on the spine region and it dragged itself around with its front legs. I called a group to pick it up for the chance that the nerves may not be completely severed. I offered them my suggestion to put it under and pull the "caved in" part of the shell and spine upward back into position and watch it for a a month to see if it regains feeling in its hind legs. I don’t know what became of the little guy. That was just one sad experience out of many exiting and happy ones.
My personal opinion is that we should have mercy on a dysfunctional creature and permanently put it to rest. Most of a humans life is lived in the mind, so if I lost my legs I could still thrive in another lifestyle. I think we make the mistake of assuming or projecting that animals want like we want and we wire them up, and shoot them up, and force feed them, and put them here and put them there and spend our life living theirs for them instead of just excepting that which we don’t want. And they suffer longer for our unwillingness to except. I’m sure you did what you thought was rite for your HL.



06/09/11  07:35pm


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