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Q: How you get a hatchling lizard to eat?
Posted By:

Joseph Jenkins

In Relation To:

Castro
As some of u may know, i have recently hatched a cuban knight anole.
I can't get it to eat and it has been over a week since it hatched.  I have tried crickets, phoenix worms, and meal worms, none have work. I'm getting worried.
Is it normal to take this long?
Are there tricks to getting hatchling lizards to eat?
Please help
Thanks

Attached Photos:


Points: 250
Topics: Feeding
Tags: Anole, Eat, Feed, Hatchling, Lizard
Species: Lizards > Lizards > Anolis equestris
Administrative: Show/Hide

Member Comment 10/6/2008 10:36:52 PM

Riain
Are all the temps and humidity good?  that could be impacting its feeding.
Other then that perhaps try different sized crickets, it could also be stressed out, try giving it some space, Leaving him mostly alone, no handling.
Make sure he has plenty of places to hide.

Try feeding him a few dusted crickets aswell if havent already, some lizards seem to really go for the dusted ones.
 
Author Comment 10/7/2008 12:04:01 AM

Joseph Jenkins
The humidity is good, im gonna switch to a stronger heat bulb.
 
Member Comment 10/7/2008 1:11:47 AM

Riain
If could be the heat, without enough heat reptiles can't digest their food, many of them will refuse food.
 
Author Comment 10/7/2008 10:54:58 AM

Joseph Jenkins
ya i know, i really don't think its the heat, i still swithed though
I switched from a 75 basking to a 100, all i could get was a plastic container, so i keep the bulb a couple inches away
 
Member Comment 10/7/2008 10:13:23 PM

Riain
Get a thermometer on there, For about $10 you can pick up a digital probe thermometer from petco.

too hot can be bad aswell, so you really need to have a really good idea what the temps really are.
 
Author Comment 10/7/2008 11:21:05 PM

Joseph Jenkins

The temp is ok, its around 90 maby a little more, that isn't the problem, i have allot of experience with herps, just not hatchlings.

 
Member Comment 10/8/2008 10:32:00 PM

Riain
If all the husbandry is correct, and there's no sign of illness, then its probaly either stressed out, or you have'nt found the right food source yet...
 
Accepted Answer 10/9/2008 12:05:58 PM

MasonExotics
Sometimes hatchling lizards can take a good few days to get started. They could still have a tummy full of egg yolk. Once this is absorbed, then they normally start to feed. 
When we hatch baby leopard geckos (different, I know, but the concept still the same) we normally wait until the baby has had it's first shed (normally 2-4 days) before we offer food...   
Then, make sure it's something that will move well, to get it's interest. Lizards hunt a lot by movement, so it can trigger a feeding response :) 

Hope this helps, and good luck! Cubans are great anoles, I love them, but haven't kept them yet! 

 
Member Comment 10/9/2008 12:07:13 PM

MasonExotics
Forgot to add... Monitor the weight if you can.. if it's not losing weight, then don't panic just yet! :)
 
Author Comment 10/10/2008 12:43:22 PM

Joseph Jenkins
I can't tell if it's shed yet, they usually eat their shed like frogs and geckos.  Won't be able to monitor wieght.  But it doesn't look like its losing weight.
 
Assisted Answer 10/15/2008 1:29:34 PM

Repti_Gal
could try hand feeding or ... what i call annoyance feeding ... :P ... squish a cricket and dab the guts on the top of the nose ... and hold him till he gets annoyed with it ... and licks it off ... then try and feed him that cricket so he gets the point  ... might work might not ...
 
Author Comment 10/16/2008 5:58:52 PM

Joseph Jenkins
I'll try that, but its an anole, so i have doubts that it will stay still the second i put tongs in there.
 
Assisted Answer 10/17/2008 9:40:48 AM

Repti_Gal
any chance you can catch him 
if so hold him and make him eat ... 
just got done doing that with my Savannah Monitor
 
Author Comment 10/18/2008 8:09:48 PM

Joseph Jenkins
Alright!!! I cornered him and he opened his mouth and got him to eat 2 crickets this way.
 
Member Comment 10/19/2008 6:43:37 PM

Repti_Gal
right on man keep it up
 
Author Comment 10/25/2008 1:37:13 AM

Joseph Jenkins

Alright, I good Castro to eat a couple more meals by pissin him off and he has become easier and easier to feed.

Id like to say thanks to everyone who posted

Joseph-OUT

 
Member Comment 10/25/2008 6:59:40 AM

Repti_Gal
congrats on getting the little bugger to eat :D
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