Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How did things work out with the anoles?

Well, I sent my g/f for 3 more anoles but they were like twice as big as the first one and my motley didn't want anything to do with them, too big I think.

I haven't tried to feed the June Clutch Anole eater anything pink yet.

I still have two more June clutch non-eaters I might try the anoles on today.

If the two remaining June Clutch non-eaters don't go for the anoles, I guess I'll just freeze them and force feed them a mouses tail.

I attempted my first force-feed with the assistance of my girlfriend and it felt terrible to hold the little guy down like that. It was a failed attempt too since we could not get the pink down his throat far enough to start the "eating reflex" hence my next attempt with the lopped off mouses tail (force fed).

Thanks for all the suggestions. Scenting frozen and live pinkies with anole did nothing for anyone of my non-eaters. I've never personally seen scenting work.

I'll keep you all posted.

I said I would "freeze them" I mean the anoles, not the June non-eaters.

Have you tried assist-feeding with the very tip of a mouse tail? I was suggested to try assist-feeding my baby hognoses (as tiny as corns) with mouse tails-much easier to get down than a pinky-less stressful-and once you have it halfway down they usually begin swallowing on their own.

-cat

>>Well, I sent my g/f for 3 more anoles but they were like twice as big as the first one and my motley didn't want anything to do with them, too big I think.
>>
>>I haven't tried to feed the June Clutch Anole eater anything pink yet.
>>
>>I still have two more June clutch non-eaters I might try the anoles on today.
>>
>>If the two remaining June Clutch non-eaters don't go for the anoles, I guess I'll just freeze them and force feed them a mouses tail.
>>
>>I attempted my first force-feed with the assistance of my girlfriend and it felt terrible to hold the little guy down like that. It was a failed attempt too since we could not get the pink down his throat far enough to start the "eating reflex" hence my next attempt with the lopped off mouses tail (force fed).
>>
>>Thanks for all the suggestions. Scenting frozen and live pinkies with anole did nothing for anyone of my non-eaters. I've never personally seen scenting work.
>>
>>I'll keep you all posted.
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Homer....
If you have to force feed the little guys, I would highly suggest trying to force feed them a head of a pinkie mouse rather than an adult mouse tail...the tails (so I've heard) have little or no nutritional value. It may be easier BUT I currently have a solomon island ground boa that I force/assist feed every 10 days...I will try to post pics of how i do it, when i do it next...Its VERY easy b/c once you get the pinkie mouse head just past the jaw line they can not get it out and will swallow it within 1-2 minutes. I use a pair of plastic tweezers to do it...I just think its much easier and less stress since a mouse tail is actually forced down the snakes body much further.

I agree and had good luck getting house snakes to eat by force feeding a head about 2-3 times. I thought I was the only one who did this!

It is too bad that scenting has never worked for you. It has done amazing things for me. I have watched many a snake refuse a pink. I take it out, just rub it on an anole and put it back in and they take it immediately. I'm going to have to do that with a bunch of my new babies soon. I used to cut a piece of skin off an put it on the nose of the pink or cut a bit of tail off and stick it in the pinks mouth (rather funny looking, makes it look like they have a little cigar in their mouths)and it is amazing how they go right for it. If they are big enough, I pick them up while they are eating and what I call 'push feed' an unscented pink in right behind the first. As they still have the pink hanging out, I stick another one right up against the first and they just keep swallowing. That way they get more food and I don't have to scent each one. Try some other lizards like fence lizards or blue tails (five line skinks)Good luck