Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

I recently recieved an overnight shipment of 3 hatchling Rhinos about 10 days ago. They were sent from Arizona to where I live in Missouri. Even though I told the seller to place a heat source in the box, he failed to do so. The temps here were around freezing when they arrived, and they sat on my doorstep for a few minutes before I got to them. When I removed them from their sacks, they were like little pop-cicles! They were so weak they couldn't even hold their little heads up, and as I warmed them up, they went into a kind of mild convulsion.

Since that time, they have been in perfect husbandry conditions with plenty of heat and a basking sight averaging about 120 degrees F. They hide a lot, but seem to be perfect otherwise. However, they don't seem to be eating much, if anything at all. At one point I took a baby ear dropper and was able to get some water and mustard green leaf juice down their throats. My question is should I force feed them by coaxing them to open their mouths and quickly placing some food in them? Also, do you think their prolonged exposure to extreme cold could be responsible. ANy help would be greatly appreciated.

peace,
wes

Wes,
be patient. dont force feed them. dont handle them. they are terrified and need to adjust to there new surroundings. If their set up us perfect they will be fine and can go quite a bit of time before eating. A week of not eating is common. just let them be and they will probably do fine, just give them time. provide a proper diet and they will get to it when they are ready

jf

Thanks a lot, jf! That was very helpful. But what are your thoughts on their exposure to such extremely cold temps? One of the 3 is particularly sluggish still and I am wondering if it might be related.

peace,
wes

might be, hard for me to say from here. Increase the ambient a bit, contact the seller and let him know whats going on and that you are monitoring it. The 3rd one may just be more scared than the other two.

jf

JF is correct. Plus, baby rhino's are some of the most scared and skittish cycluras as babies. The cold shouldn't affect them. I have found my cycluras on numerous occasions (especially when new to the outdoors)outside of thier hide boxes on winter mornings in coastal central california. They were unable to move but still fight so I had to physically put them back in thier hide boxes. Later that day the were fine and eating. That said, the shipper should have still used heat pads.

Thanks, Mark! That was especially helpful. Two of them seem to be coming around. One, however, is still hiding constantly.

peace,
wes

Wes, mine didn't eat for 17 days after delivery (hatchling) and that's without the cold. He's in great shape today. What got him eating was a suggestion David Blair made, he said try some red rose petals. As for the cold, like Joel said it's hard to say. Hope everything turns out for the best.

Thanks very much! I will definitely try the rose petal thing. Any other flowers that are safe?

wes

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Here's how I got my green iguanas to eat: I just left it alone in a room in its set-up after I got it. The only time i disturbed it is when I put the food in side the cage. He ate instantly. That's what i do with all my reptiles and they pretty much eat the next day. Just leave them alone.... Don't even look at them. IT has worked well for all my reptiles.

Red hibiscus. My rescue spiny tail would eat those when he wouldn't eat anything else.

But I live in Missouri, and it is winter. Where can I find them?

Hisbiscus is pretty hardy.I am in se Texas, and mine bloom for most of the winter until we have really hard freeze. People use them as shrubs here. You can check with a garden center, but you have to be very careful about pesticides, both on the leaves and in the soil.

I also throw colorful small bird pellets in my herbivore salads. I use either small hookbill pellets from pretty bird or zoopreem cockatiel pellets, and throw in a small handful right after I rinse and chop the salad. I let it sit and the pellets absorb the water, then feed. I got this tip from Doug Dix's uro care sheet, and all of my herbivores love it.

Aren't young rhinos also at least partly insectivore? i know the spiny tail igs are.

I've been told that they will sometimes eat insects, but it isn't the best thing for them. I was told that too much protein can be detrimental for them. It also, supposedly, alters their temperment and makes them more aggressive.

Well, and insects are like candy, I guess. This spiny tail will fill up on insects and leave the salad if I let him, but sometimes putting just a few in a salad just for the movement will trigger the feeding response, and they will eat salad too.

Lizards will also stop eating if they are dehydrated. I would make sure that the baby is getting plenty of moisture. Baths are good, but I also find that some lizards won't drink unless the water is moving, so I use bubble bowls for the ig, and for collareds. You can add an air stone to the water bowl or buy a bowl with the air stone built in at herpsupplies.com. Hydration is crucial to appetite in most of the lizard species that I have worked with, and is an often overlooked factor in reptile anorexia.

I have to chime in here just to agree about the water. It is quite possible, reading what's on the net and elsewhere to get the impression that seeing Cyclura drinking water is like spotting a unicorn. Some say they never or rarely see it. Mine loves water. Admittedly, this has to do with the fact that he majors on dry pellets, which he prefers dry like dog food. But regardless, he drinks from his dish several times a day and has for a very long time. He is very healthy, putting on ounces/pounds very regularly, so I don't think it's an indicator of anything bad.
As for the protein thing, they do go a little nuts in the head, but it seems temporary. Joel (jf) mentioned this once so I tried a little bit of steamed/roasted chicken and he turned all insane, but it literally lasted less than half an hour. Bottom line is, you want to keep your lizard alive, and if you need to kick-start his appetite, use whatever (within reason). The important thing is to make sure his diet is balanced over time.