Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I had this odd thought for problem feeders and was wondering if anyone had tried it:
Freshly dropped leopard gecko tails.

Not saying we should start pulling the tails of of leos. Just wondering if anyone has tried it, did it work and what subspecies did it work for?
-----
---
http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

I have done it many, many times with skink tails and it works like a charm. Drop in the still moving tail along with a lightly scented pink (scented with tail) and they almost always eat both. Skink regenerates tail and process repeats itself with a new problem feeding snake.

Not a crazy idea AT ALL!!! As a matter a fact many people have been doing this for years.. But, instead of waiting around for a tail to fall off or wasting an entire tail if one does happen to fall off I would freeze the tail, wash off a rodent and then scent the rodent using the Leo Gecko tail.. this works great with all kinds of geckos, lizards, and even toads with some species..

~ Mike Russo

I agree Mike. That way the tail goes a long way in scenting many pinks. Sometimes I have had the extreme case where they would take nothing but a "live" fresh tail and then would take a scented pink after eating the tail. Great way to get that reluctant feeder to go to pinks. In my spring and fall pursuit of five lined skinks there are many times when all I come up with is the tail itself. I don't waste them. Bag them and freeze them when I get home.

If the snake already takes unscented with less frequency, is it a step backwards to begin scenting to try to improve frequency? And then will the snake likely not take unscented at any frequency in the future?
snake adventures

>>>>If the snake already takes unscented with less frequency, is it a step backwards to begin scenting to try to improve frequency? And then will the snake likely not take unscented at any frequency in the future?>>>>

This is an excellent question. My opinion is that it would depend on the individual animal you are feeding. But, if the animal is not taking enough food to sustain life, then this would certainly be a viable option to help get back on track.

~ Mike Russo

IMO I think it would be a step back in general. I think the original post was about absolute non-feeders, and specifically snakes known to be hardcore lizard feeders in nature. Not sporadic feeders. Also, sporadic feeding behaviour could be a husbandry issue, and not necessarily a preference issue. Still, its not uncommon for certain species to go off feed and have to be tempted back with scenting, braining, etc. Alterna are good examples of this.

Exactly what I was getting at!
-----
---
http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

...in asking this is as an aid to switching over adult and subadult w/c speckled kings who refuse mice. I've been trying to establish a breeding group of SW Louisiana speckled kings for some time now, but some of the adults we catch take only lizards and go absolutely psycho (defensive strikes) when offered live or f/t rodents.
I posted more detail about that a couple of months ago for anyone interested in the discussion.

Thanks for the responses!
-----
---
http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

I will say this about the specks, the adults will eat lots of things, the last female I caught that is in my collection regurged 4 baby birds and a 1/2 digested skink. She had no problems going to rodents and is a great breeder, giving me 9 good eggs for her first clutch to me, I bet she had laid before. I bet you have tried this but try a nest of live fuzzies or chicks "hidden" for her to find, I bet they eat them all. I know the trend is for feeding frozen/thawed, but with w/c, you need to start from scratch sometimes. I have resorted to a lizard scenting for a few stubborn speck hatchlings, and it usually works, but I only do this a time or two to get a feeding response, I wait 'em out and offer every 3-4 days. That is why it is great to have a rodent colony if you have the time and patience to properly care for them, I almost always have the right size prey items to offer.
-----
Todd Hughes

I think you and I may have talked about this a couple of months ago. I didn't try the nest approach, though. Mainly because these individuals went so crazy with defensive strikes and hissing that I worried they would injure themselves if I left them alone. With one of the snakes, I even tried covering all four sides and top of an aquarium with opaque paper. I could hear the snake inside hissing and striking the glass, hide box and mouse, knocking everything around. I'd take out the mouse and he would go right back to being absolutely sweet and calm as the friendliest ball python you'd ever meet. Put a lizard in, no problem.
Keep in mind that it's only a few specks of this particular locale that have exhibited this behavior. I've had much better luck in the past getting them to take rodents. Anoles are very common there and I'm sure make up a significant part of the holbrooki diet. The problem is that with their appetites, I feared I might deplete the anole population around my house!
Thanks for the nest idea, though. I'm going to keep that in mind.
-----
---
http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

if you are in Louisiana or Texas, I don't think you will damage your anole pop, I think the young ones are easier to scent/trick, but all the adults but one went on mice right off the bat, maybe a Pyromecus? (spelling) might hold the key for you. Another thing may be to get a wild mouse nest and scent the fuzzies with that, another trick I use, I have several, lol!
-----
Todd Hughes

You may try snake scenting hairless rodents. I remember kids feeding specks caught in St. Bernard Parish baby water snakes and garter snakes. A buddy of mine who bred brooks kings also used snake to get his babies feeding.

ribbon snakes...yeah, THAT'S the ticket!
-----
Todd Hughes

I have used Mediterranean gecko tails for picky Holbrooki before with success. Here in Jefferson Co. Tx, they are very common and that wiggling tail seem irresistable. Toss in a pink as he eats the tail, and they usually eat both. Also, a slurry of Med gecko innards and a a little water is great for scenting.
-----
Greg Jackson

I am astounded how a non-native lizard like the house and med geckos found in many areas now are so eagerly taken by lizard feeding snakes. Maybe because they are similar to the geckos found in the western states or Keys areas of Florida? Whatever the case may be, I have had baby greybanded and Everglades rats take med. gecko with no problems whatsoever.