Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Seeing the Blackheads and Womas laying brings this question up again for me. How difficult are the babies? I have heard the Womas are easy to start feeding but that the Blackheads can be rather difficult. Do they all have to be force fed? If so why, do they normally eat something else besides rodents?

Thanks Mike

In the wild, BHs mostly eat reptiles, so getting them on lab rodents is a bit difficult. I don't have first-hand experience with BHPs yet, but hopefully in the next couple years I will get some.
Justin
AAR

Yeah, that sounds pretty accurate. I've had no problems w/ my woma neo's eating. A few more years till my BHP's are ready to breed, but I've heard they do take some time.
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"He who would stifle debate rather than engage in it, does so at the expense of his integrity and credibility"

Mike Curtin

From what I hear the BHP babies hatch out with huge yoke sacks and don't even look at food for well over a month. One guy told me a story that I am half inclined to believe.

Story goes that the BHP's that the zoos had in the 1970's would drop eggs no problem and after a bit they got the babies hatching but they couldn't get them to feed. They eventually brought in bearded dragons to use as scenters and or direct food. They bred the dragons and soon had way more dragons than need for them so they released them to the public who previously had none. LOL

It makes sense to me and seems likely but I have only heard it once and that was at a show sooo.... yeah. It might be completely false but the idea still makes me chuckle. And I am keeping a bearded and a blue tongue around in hopes of scenting working if all else fails. Now I just need the damn snakes to breed. *walks away mumbling*

Jason