Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got a new 12" alligator 3 days ago and he wont eat anything,temp is 83 degrees,is this normal?ive tred fish,reptomin and crickets,any help would be appreciatedd,thanks

Ok..What kind of set up do you have the gator in?..Are you handling the gator a lot?..Handling a new baby causes serious stress to the animal and it could be because the temps are too low too.Cherck your water temp as well..Try raising the temps up to around 88-90 degrees and see if he gets more active towards eating and most of all..LEAVE HIM ALONE for a little while and let him calm down and acclimate to his new surroundings..Throw some crickets in there and let him have some privacy..Baby gators are usually pigs about eating and if they are not then something is wrong...Good luck and watch those fingers

He probably is just stressed from the transition and needs a little time to settle in. Unlike a dog or a cat he doesn't have to eat every day and can go any number of days or weeks or even months (in extreme conditions) without eating. So try to not worry too much if he doesn't eat for a week or two. Take his temps up to 90 in the air and at least 80 in the water. Do nothing to add to his stress. No loud or sudden noises. No other large animal running around (preditors to him). Give him a nice, dark secure place to hide. He will likely use this. After a couple of days go get him some live mouse or rat pinkies and put them where he can see them moving. He should eat. Whole food like this is the best diet for him, but ocassional cuts of raw (and fresh!) chicken are fine too, and gators love chicken. Crickets are good for roughage but you'd have to feed him a bundle to provide any true sustenance, so unless you are breeding them (easy to do) these will run you to the poor house. Feed stores carry a product that makes a kibble designed for fish. One brand is Ace High. They make all different kinds, but the one that works best for baby gators is commonly refered to as "trout chow". It is a high protein kibble nutritionally balanced for trout, which are a carnivourous fish. So it's virtualy identical to the needs of a carnivourous alligator. The kibbles come in different sizes from 1/8" kibble to 1/2" kibble. 1/8 inch kibble is usually perfect for a baby gator. But as he grows you may want to move on to 1/4" so it's easier for him to grab and swallow.
Hope this helps.

>>i just got a new 12" alligator 3 days ago and he wont eat anything,temp is 83 degrees,is this normal?ive tred fish,reptomin and crickets,any help would be appreciatedd,thanks
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