Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got a clutch from early july that still is not eating.
Two of them took f/t out of egg, none (including those two) have fed since.

On the one hand, they hatched from big eggs and look better fed than my other clutch that is feeding, so maybe I just need a bit of patience. They are not thin neonates.

But I'm starting to think I may need to try scenting.

Please tell me if this method is correct -

1) Catch un-lucky sceloporus
2) hour in fridge, overnight in freezer (kill pathogens)
3) thaw pinkies and piece of lizard. Wash pinkies
4) squeeze fluids from piece of lizard onto pinkies

I've seen several techniques described from using a hair to tie a piece of lizard meat to pinky to rubbing pinky on skin of lizard, but I think that the procedure outlines is what I've read has works with GBKs so I'm hoping it is the best?

I'll probably give them another week before I try anything, and may try braining first, as if at all possible I'd like to avoid using a lizard. OTOH learning how on Cal Kings may be good practice for when I move on to more difficult species to get started.

Thanks for suggestions.
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11.14 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
2.3 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 L. getula floridana (Brooksi)
1.1 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer catenifer (Pacific gopher)
0.1 Heterodon nasicus nasicus (W Hognose)
4.2.14 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata - (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

First make sure the snake you are trying to get to eat is a "primary lizard feeder" in the wild. For instance a eastern king or florida king would need a snake. Skinks work better with mountain kings...and so on.

1) cut open lizard and squish pinky inside its guts.
2) put a small peice of tail into pinkies mouth.
3) brain pinky for extra flavor.

What we do is use the same lizard over and over. Just leave it in the fridge until you need it again.
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"Yeah ya told me, and ya wrote it down too. But how the hell am I supposed to remember!"

I have used the same method as Bluerosy with good results.

I freeze the lizard of choice, then cut the belly open and place the pinky in the slit with a few drops of warm water to get the scent out. I re freeze the lizard and use it over and over.

I don't know it I do some thing wrong, but I never get good results with rubbing the lizard on pinkies.

I agree. Getting the pink's head into the lizard's body cavity certainly does the trick. I've been using the same lizard for 2 years now.

Another method that works well is washing the frozen pinky with hand or dish soap and rinsing well. Thaw out and feed the snake. It works a lot of the time, especially on Rat Snakes. I've used it for Kings as well with moderate success.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
0.1.0 Boa Constrictor
1.2.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Hypo Everglades Rat Snakes
1.1.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snakes
1.1.0 Salt and Pepper Bull Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
2.1.0 Sonoran Gopher Snakes
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnakes
1.0.0 Gray Banded Kingsnake
0.1.1 California Kingsnake
1.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
3.2.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican, Temecula, & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.0.0 Ball Python
1.1.0 Western Hognoses
0.0.1 Lyre Snake
0.0.1 Glossy Snake

LIZARDS
2.0.0 Bearded Dragons
0.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
1.0.0 African Fat-Tail Gecko
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
1.4.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
1.1.0 Chuckwalla
1.4.0 Banded Gecko
0.0.1 Gold Dust Day Gecko
1.1.3 Sandfish

AMPHIBIANS
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Bubbling Kassina
0.0.1 White's Tree Frog
0.0.2 Gold Frogs
1.0.0 Fire Salamander

I've had good luck putting a few lizards in a jar, let them urinate/defecate for a day or 2, then release them. That jar will scent thawed pinks for a month.

I think the lizard gut trick is likely more effective, but IMO, if a hatchling will not feed with the jar method, it gets cooled for awhile. Most come out feeding after that. Patience.
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Mark

Use the saliva of the lizard.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/