Thanks Ken, it was a real challenge with this guy too. For a very long time I had to assist-feed this guy miniscule amounts of Hills Prescription Diet A/D mixed to a thin milkshake consistency with a dosing needle. His system seemed to be so unprepared that he couldn't process anything substantial. I gave him every opportunity to eat and digest even the smallest pink parts on his own, with no luck. He regurged every time. He seemed to have a blockage of some sort about 2/3 of the way down toward his tail and couldn't pass anything through. His rear 1/3 was unusually shaped and his umbilical scar was almost half his body length which led me to believe he wasn't quite done when he emerged from the egg. He was running out of steam and before it was too late I started him on the Hills mixed with water, initially to a very watery consistency, thickening the mixture with more of the Hills every few weeks as he could handle it. The Hills did the trick and kept him going, giving him gradually larger and thicker amounts until he was finally able to digest pink halves. Once he gained strength, added a little weight and shed a couple times he went right after those pink halves and hasn't turned back.
Commenting on his looks, there is something kind of interesting about this bloodline and that pattern. I have a '05 female from that line that has the same thing beginning to happen with her bold split saddles. For some reason, these thayeri produce some offspring that have this trait when their leonis saddles split wide open... you begin to see those spiral shapes and all sorts of weird things going on with the pattern. Cool stuff. I'll post pics of the female so you can see what I am talking about.
Mike
