Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

hev · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject: Starvin Marvin!!

I am the new proud owner of a beautiful 16 week old Rankin. I've had him for just 2 weeks - and already he is causing me worry.

The thing is - he just won't hunt for crickets! He just sits there looking at them!! The crickets wander past him, crawl on him, and he sits there and does nothing!! Now, its not because he has already eaten, because I count the crickets into the viv, so I'd know if he'd eaten any, while I wasn't looking. After I'd had him for 3 days, and he'd eaten absolutely nothing, I took matters into my own hands, and fed him with the tweezers - which he happily took. Lazy little sod. But at least then, I was happy he wasn't starving.

The problem I have, is, I try to be cruel to be kind, by not feeding him with the tweezers, working on the basis that he will get so hungry, he will HAVE to hunt - but he doesn't!! He just gets sleepy (I guess, like us: no food = no energy), and if left to his own devices, he would sleep for up to 18 - 20 hours a day!!

The maximum time I have left him for, without feeding him with tweezers is 3 days. During that time, there were 5 crickets in the viv with him - completely untouched. HE SIMPLY WON'T HUNT!!

I have contacted the man I got him from, and he suggested putting Marvin in a bowl in the viv, with the crickets, so he can catch them easier. I tried that, but he still just sat there looking at them - not the slightest bit interested!! He also suggested pulling the back legs off the crickets to slow them down, so they are easier to catch. But that is not the issue. The issue is - HE HAS NO INTEREST IN EVEN CHASING THEM, LET ALONE CATCHING AND EATING THEM!!

He looks healthy enough, and isn't dehydrated, as he gets a bath or spray twice a day. he has no interest in veggies, but I know they often don't, so that doesn't bother me.

His viv temps are 95 and 75. he has a 10.0 repti-glow strip, and a repti-sun tight beam heat lamp, all bought new 2 weeks ago. He has bark for substrate. Plenty of pieces of wood and rocks to climb on - not that he's interested in any of them - apart from the wood under his heat lamp, of course.

Quite frankly - the crickets are more entertaining than him at the moment!! He just sits there, looking out of the viv, not moving, just watching - for the few hours he is actually awake. Then slopes off back to sleep!!

He is friendly enough, and will happily hop onto my hand as soon as the door is open - if you are lucky enough to catch him awake!

So, some advice please. Any suggestions welcome. I certainly don't want to have to get into the habit of tweezer feeding him every day!! I'd like him to hunt, so he'd at least have something to do - and be more interesting to watch. Crying or Very sad

dantro · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 5:40 pm Post subject:

He may still be in his settling time, sometimes they can take a couple of weeks to settle in, my Rankins used to love locusts more than crickets, so maybe try them and mealworms and the odd waxworm (not too many though).
You may want to think about changing the substrate, i started with woodchips for mine and ended up (after a bit of research) changing to a playsand and peat mix, which they loved. Its not a cause of the eating problem, its just a suggestion.
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Dan
1.1.0 Ackies (10 eggs cooking) 4.9.6 Stenodactylus S. (22 eggs cooking)

hev · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:15 pm Post subject:

Thanks. I sincerely hope he is just settling in. The prospect of having to tweezer feed for the rest of his days, does not fill me with joy.

I actually looked for small locusts yesterday when I bought some crickets, but they were all enormous. (tried 3 different places). Re mealworms - is he allowed them while he is so young (16 wks old - chitilin content?), and if so, should I put them in a deep bowl or hand feed. (Don't really want them digging through substrate - yeuchh!! - but trying to avoid hand feeding, i'd like him to do something for himself). I saw waxworms yesterday, but they are fattening aren't they.

So, if (hopefully) he is just settling in, should I still 'tweezer feed' or let him half starve himself again in the hopes his instinct to hunt will eventually kick in. I gave in last time, after 3 days of him not even trying to hunt. Should I have stuck it out for longer ? It seems to cruel, when I know he'll eat them from the tweezers. I am such a soft touch.

(Re substrate, when I said bark, i meant wood chips - doh Laughing

He loves to dig in it, and I often lose him, and just find a nose or tail tip sticking out.)

Thanks again. Hev

minno · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:01 pm Post subject:

hey
even wood chips matey still not recommended, best thing for young dragons has got to be normal ol newspaper
can i ask.. what do you have in the tank?? try simplifying the tank abit that might help
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whiteraven666 · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:17 pm Post subject:

My rankins is a lazy little babe. Dante rarely takes veggies and doesnt eat as much as i like her too. Shes will sit in the same spot all day till i move her.
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Dante (rankins dragon)
Haku (Frilled Dragon)
Heidi (Dwarf sungazer)
Treakle (leopard gecko)
Jake (Baby beardie)
Draven (corn snake)
Denzil (chequered garter snake)
Samson+Mickey (Crested geckos)
Cody (Velvet gecko)

hev · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:29 pm Post subject:

hev · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:

jakeus · CaptiveBred Addict! Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 664

Maybe if he is sleeping alot, make the temps a bit warmer. What are the hot spot and ambient temps in the viv?

hev · Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:41 pm Post subject:

whiteraven666 · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:12 am Post subject:

I bought Dante last November and she would have been a couple of months old at least. So shes around a year and a half now. Shes never been keen on her veggies ever since I bought her. Shes also never been a active dragon. I can get her out though and shed either run around on my bedroom or in her hamster run. If its late at night shell find a pocket or climb up to my neck and snuggle down for a nap. Shes so special and I love her to bits. In fact im gunna get her now and sit with me while I type.

Dante says HI everyone Razz

She does prefer locusts over crickets but shes had bowl problems (sloppy poops) ever since I got her and ive wormed her and its not made a difference. I read in a book that some rankins can be born with swisted spines and oversized organs. Ill type ya out a quote from the book later (the book has info on frillies too if anyone knows of that book)
And the guy at Coldblooded where I bought her said that rankins dont nessesarily have the same appetites as beardies and tend to be fussier eaters.

I personally think your rankins is very lazy and may have been handfed by the breeder (maybe was a runt or something and needed extra care hence handfeeding and got used to it)

At this time of year too my rankins is lucky to eat every other day. Its a yearly thing. She went through this last year and I know of many beardies doing the same thing. Hardly eating a thing and all.

Does he look fat or skiney? If he looks like hes got some wieght on him, alert looking at times and not dehydrated then he should be ok. Alot of beardies are still in brumhation or semi brumation atm and tend to sleep alot more and hide and dont do much or even eat including hunting.

If your really worried or want more advice you could maybe contact a rankins dragon breeder thats helped me out sometimes called Barry Summerhayes and hes website is hognose.co.uk

Pm me anythime you want but just so you know im not a reptile expert and dont claim to know everything about rankins and beardies and im goin by what ive read from books and replies from people when ive been worried about my "bubby" Dante.

Kelly
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Dante (rankins dragon)
Haku (Frilled Dragon)
Heidi (Dwarf sungazer)
Treakle (leopard gecko)
Jake (Baby beardie)
Draven (corn snake)
Denzil (chequered garter snake)
Samson+Mickey (Crested geckos)
Cody (Velvet gecko)