Reptile health & symptoms

What it looks like. A meal or two refused, then a run of refusals, sometimes alongside weight loss or lethargy.

Likely causes. Most often husbandry: a basking spot or warm end that has drifted too cool to digest, aged-out UVB, an upcoming shed, a seasonal brumation, or the stress of a new home. Check temperatures and the season first.

What it looks like. Bringing a meal back up within a day or two of eating.

Likely causes. Usually a warm end too cool to digest, handling too soon after feeding, or prey that was too large. A part-digested meal returned days later (vomiting) is more serious.

What it looks like. No waste passed for an unusually long time, straining, loss of appetite, a firm mass visible through the belly.

Likely causes. A too-cool gut (basking spot not warm enough), dehydration, or swallowed loose substrate or oversized prey. A warm soak can help mild cases.

What it looks like. Wheezing, clicking or whistling breaths, open-mouth breathing, bubbling mucus at the nose or mouth, a runny nose.

Likely causes. Usually chronically damp, stagnant air or being kept too cool. This is a veterinary condition, not a wait-and-see.

What it looks like. Wobbly or trembling legs, a soft or swollen jaw, bowed limbs, difficulty walking or climbing.

Likely causes. Too little UVB and/or calcium. UVB tubes lose their output long before they stop giving visible light, so an aged bulb is a common hidden cause.

What it looks like. Skin coming off in patches, retained shed on the toes, the tail tip, or over the eyes.

Likely causes. Almost always humidity too low during the shed. Retained rings on toes or the tail tip can tighten and cut off circulation.

What it looks like. Raised, bumpy, pyramid-shaped scutes instead of a smooth shell.

Likely causes. Too-dry conditions, overfeeding or too much protein, too little exercise, and inadequate UVB or calcium. Existing pyramiding is largely permanent, but you can stop it worsening.

What it looks like. Sunken eyes, wrinkled or loose skin, a yellow or orange urate instead of white, lethargy. Common in chameleons.

Likely causes. Not enough water in a form the animal recognises (many species need moving water or misting, not a bowl), low humidity, or being kept too hot.

What it looks like. The tail shed as a defence, usually after being grabbed, startled or stressed.

Likely causes. A normal escape reflex, not usually an illness. Some geckos regrow the tail (stubbier and different); crested geckos do not.

What it looks like. A persistently dark colour, glass surfing, constant hiding, or going off food, depending on the species.

Likely causes. Wrong temperatures, a too-small or too-exposed enclosure, a reflection or a rival in view, over-handling, or simply a new home settling in.