This is Help. He is a Mountain Horned Lizard. His name is fitting because he is missing a foot and needs just a little “help” to get around. We rescued Help from Petco, where he was marked down to $30 and labeled as “advanced care” because of his special needs (AKA he is damaged goods). He lost his foot to a flesh eating bacteria, but thankfully his little life was saved so we could add him to our little zoo!
Mountain Horned Lizards can be bought captive bred (and usually for cheaper), but most of the ones you find in an average pet store are caught in the wild (they are native to Asian countries like Thailand). As such, they often adjust poorly to life in a cage at first and are often riddled with parasites or other illnesses, which we learned firsthand.
We did lots of research to make sure we were providing the right kind of environment for Help before we brought him home, but a few days after we introduced him to his new enclosure, he hadn’t moved voluntarily at all, hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, and we were getting worried. Turns out, he hadn’t received proper veterinary care (even after his foot amputation!). Help got fluids, was properly dewormed, and got a course of antibiotics which the vet taught me to administer at home, and now he’s much improved.
Help loves eating earthworms (he is totally disinterested in crickets and mealworms, which is what the pet store tells you to feed his species) and being misted with a spray bottle. He is getting more comfortable being handled with time and he enjoys perching on my shoulder or my head for a good view.
Update (7/8/17): Help was getting fat and Seth worried he wasn’t pooping or eating much. He was scratching at his tank walls and generally acting strange. He randomly deflated one day after two worried vet visits. We tore apart the tank and found a nest full of little white, half inch long eggs! Help is a girl!