Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After two years of failure, I'm ready for another go around.

I have a female eastern who just plain refuses anything but toads.

I'd love to hear someone's very successful plan for switching.
I have tried toad scenting F/T pinks, tuna water, braining, etc. Does anyone have a step by step plan I could try?

Thanks a million!

>>I have a female eastern who just plain refuses anything but toads.
>>
>>I'd love to hear someone's very successful plan for switching.
>>I have tried toad scenting F/T pinks, tuna water, braining, etc. Does anyone have a step by step plan I could try?

Scent with a toad! If that's all she will eat, then that would make the best scenting tool to use. When you are scenting mice you have to remeber you are tricking them into eating something they don't want to by making them think it's that they do want to eat.

You can also try the tease method. You hold the toad in front of her until she trys to eat it. Before she can get a hold of it you take it away and try to put the mouse in he mouth.

Oh yes, I've scented with a live toad, dead toad, toad guts, toad urine...I've washed the mouse first, I've not washed the mouse (pinky), I've tried live, I've tried F/T. The last time I tried teasing, she ended up hissing at me and retreated back into her aspen. Honestly, I wonder if it's even worth it. It's just a pain in the butt to get toads all the time.

Try washing with baby soap and rinsing well, then try scenting with a green tree frog. They worked best for me. I would also let the hog chase a green tree frog in a container and then replace the frog with a scented mouse. Or you can send it my way if you don't want to deal with it
Nick

Toads have always worked for me.For some reason it seems like smaller ones work better! Jeff

If this is a hatchling, put it in a deli cup with a small green tree frog. You'll see the baby eastern start hunting the smell and start to chase the frog. Get a pinkie and a pair of tongs and pull a swith. The snake is so excited by then he will normally take anything that moves. This works every time for me with a green tree frog!

Thanks guys! I'll try to come across a green tree frog. We have cubans around here...would that work?

The problem is that she's an adult, probably wc, and is not handled regularly. So, she's antsy when she's out of her enclosure or when we're inside of it. She gets scared off when we do the bait and switch.

It's been my experience that the cuban tree frogs don't work!
Even though it's an adult try putting her in a small container with the green tree frog. You got to be quick with the bait and switch though LOL!

I'll try the outside container. Our past experience has been that she won't even eat a toad in an outside container. I'm really not trying to play devil's advocate, I've just tried so many things and she's so skittish.