S.lacertina

[Niels D]

 

[Jort]

How is your big male doing? What did the vet say?

 

[Niels D]

Hard to say. He hasn't eaten anything still. Nothing is found. He took some samples. He knows his newts, but he never had a Siren to investigate before. It being such an old specimen makes it more difficult I guess. Such a sad thing to see an old titan like that suffer this way. Fingers crossed.

 

[Jort]

Well fingers crossed indeed. I can remember seeing it in the Blijdorp Zoo a long time ago, when it was already big. How old is it, thirty years or so?

 

[Niels D]

If everything they told me is correct it should be at least 30 years old. They told me they got it at least 25 years ago the moment it was given to me. It already was 70cm in length then. I'm keeping it for 3 years now.

I know Cincinatti Zoo has one of at least 25 years old. There's almost no information about the lifespan of S.lacertina. I'm hoping it's not a case of old age, because I would be devastated if I lose him.

 

[Niels D]

Bad news. The big male seemed to be doing better. He had started eating again and the bumps seemed to be getting smaller. It stayed at my parent's place in a barn, where it had a large (1000 liter) plastic container. I wanted to move it to my shed, but during transport it died. I can only think of stress. It was transported in a large styrofoam container filled with moss without any water. The trip took only 40 kilometers. I put it in a large tank just to be sure it didn't play dead, but after a while it got rigor mortis. Sad day. It's also sad that my other 3 animals are females.

 

[Otterwoman]

I am sorry to hear this. My condolences.

 

[mr cyclone]

Sorry to hear about your animal dude