Help with Unknown Crested Gecko Deaths

Speaking from a place where I have lost animals lately unexpectedly I can sympathize with your loss. I’m so very sorry this happened to you and it is very hard for anyone to deal with. I have strayed away from getting crickets particularly from big box stores because I’ve already had one incident where a bearded dragon contracted a parasite and I know it came from the feeders from The Big Box store. Crickets can have parasites and you should really only source them from somewhere like rainbow mealworms or one of the Distributors that are more responsible and have parasite prevention programs for their feeders. It doesn’t take long for a baby or a hatchling to go down from a parasite infestation but in this situation you can’t really be sure. Sounds like a bit of a mystery but I have had bad experiences with crickets from box stores in the past having parasites.

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If food contamination is the issue, it would probably be the pet store. Though I’ve heard that CGD can go bad pretty quickly, and any mold eaten by feeder insects or directly by a crestie could potentially be the problem.

Welcome to the forum @socraticmonologue !

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I had thought of the CGD going bad, but the crickets ate all I gave them before it went bad. And when I make small quantities (that I put in bottle caps) it dries up instead of growing mold.

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First, I’m so sorry for your loss. That is awful and obviously a freak accident. I’ve heard recently and watched a few videos from other breeders about how crickets can be dangerous. They often can carry parasites.

Another thought I had was do you use substrate at the bottom of their cages? Maybe while hunting the bugs they were injesting substrate (or even paper towel) and had an impaction and died. That would lead to a semi quick and confusing death.

Again, so sorry for your losses. Thank you for sharing, this kind of data could help prevent other deaths with other keepers.

hugs

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Thank you! I don’t use any substrate, just paper towels, but that is a good thought.

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