Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently had a clutch of carolina pygmy Rattlers born a month ago... 11 total, 8 live 3 stillborn... out of the 8 remaining only 1 has eaten multiple times.. the others have yet to eat.. My question is What would be the best thing to use for scenting a pink... thanks...
John

Frogs & lizards.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

I would first try some small frogs. Chorus frogs should be breeding now and in the right place (usually not hard to find if you listen!) you should be able to catch enough to feed each pygmy a couple of times and still have some left over to freeze for scenting at a later date. Also cricket frogs should be out and you may be able to catch enough of the during the daylight.

Tim and Bob hit it head on...frogs first, lizards (sceloporus perhaps or some of the small skinks found in that region), etc. We breed eastern indigos here and have found that some will take to f/t pink right from the get go. Others will hold out for a month or so and the remainders are started on small frozen/thawed skinks (ground, five lined) that we smear all over a pinkie (we actually put the lizards in a mixer, mix 'em up, freeze in ice trays and then the cubes kept in individual ziplock freezer bags....we also do the same with some frogs so we can try different things). We'll then chip off a little bit of the "lizard shake" and rub it over a washed pink; so far, that has always done the trick for stubborn feeders.

Good luck, Rob

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>I recently had a clutch of carolina pygmy Rattlers born a month ago... 11 total, 8 live 3 stillborn... out of the 8 remaining only 1 has eaten multiple times.. the others have yet to eat.. My question is What would be the best thing to use for scenting a pink... thanks...
>>John
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I also heard that salamanders work also