Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm trying to get one of my Trimeresurus babies to eat. I have tried f/t lizard tails, scenting, everything. She is't a striker so tease feeding has been unsucsesful. So now I would like to try tiny feeder frogs. I have heard that glass frogs make good feeders, however I can't find any for sale. If anyone has information on what frogs have worked for them or, if they know of somewhere to obtain tiny feeder frogs please let me know. Thanks a bunch!

Tucker

Hi Tucker

There are several frog breeders in the Northeastern part of the country that could help, but the problem is paying for shipping for such few frogs that you're going to need. I mean, how many froglets are you going to try to keep alive to feed your one little Trim as it eats them a couple of frogs a week? You're going to have to buy 50-100 to make it worth your time. The froglets grow way faster than the snake will and then you may end up with some pet frogs with no one to eat them.

I would suggest that you work harder at your tease feeding. And BTW, what species are you dealing with? I have worked with T. albolabris, T. popeorum, T. bornensis, T. trigonocephalus, T. purpureomaculatus. With some persistence, all of these species can be tease-fed or assist-fed with rodent parts. I would not suggest trying assist feeding to anyone who is not extremely confident with their abilities to handle their snakes.

Best of luck and let me know if you need some tease feeding tips that have worked for me.

Derek Morgan

The species is T. venustus. I wish she would strike out but, she only puffs up and crawls away. I have already assist fed her a pinky head, but I think it is too stressfull and I would rather let her feed on her own. I'm basicaly looking for apropriate feeder frogs or frog pieces. Southern leopard frogs will be morphing out soon, are they particularly toxic? I breed my own Poison dart frogs so another couple of "pets" won't be a problem. I also have a bunch of frozen bull frog tadpoles I wonder if they would work? If all else fails I will just have to go harass another toad with a pinky. Thanks Derek.

Tucker

I would use your tadpoles, if I were you. It is news to me if any of these frog species are toxic.

I have a good story. I once had a group of A. chlorechis babies that all accepted pinky parts upon birth, except for one little guy. He wouldn't strike nor bite anything, no matter what I did. I scented, tried lizard tails, fish, etc. I assist fed that snake for nine months and I started questioning why I was keeping such a "loser snake" alive that would have surely died already in the wild. I finally found some cbb baby green tree frogs at a snake show and my brother and I bought about twenty or so.

Now, this was a snake that I would have guaranteed that I could pick up, pinch between my teeth, shoot some hoops with, floss my teeth with and it would never bite. When I tossed in the little frogs the snake actually grabbed one out of mid air before it hit the ground. It recognized it's usual prey (that was alive) that quickly and it reacted. That snake went on to take to rodent parts and then full pinks with no problem. I think that we are forcing baby tree vipers to eat a food source that they are not preconditioned to accept.

I've got more on this if you have the time to hear it. Will run off to bed for now. Take care.

Derek