Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I post a few days ago about my hatchling savannah. He's about 7.5inches long, and SEEMS to be healthy looking. He's still very wary about eatting crickets. I don't think he likes them too much. lol I was wondering if i can maybe try giving him a newborn mouse, and seeing if he happens to take it, or if he's still too small. I would hate to see him die due to eatting issues. He's just really shy, and seems to not go crazy for food like he should. I'm still worried. Is there any way i can possibly make him want to eat?

I got my Sav at 8 inches and she could eat 2 or 3 day old gerbils at that point. You'd be amazed what they can stuff down their throats and it'd be better in the long run to get him/her on rodents as soon as possible while still offering well dusted insects on a regular basis while he/she is still young. As a matter of fact.. at your little guy's size... he/she might eat 2 or 3 pink mice every other day or so... I know mine was on gerbil pinks for 2 weeks before I switched her right over to rat pups from there.. What you're going to want to do is chart the growth though so, after the first year or so, you know when to slow down on the feeding so she doesn't get overweight.
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Lucien

1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
2.2 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 1 het Blizzard (Lilith) and 1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
1 Gerbil
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
2 cats (Sahara and Hercules)

Alrighty, Well.. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try to give her a pinky or two.. i just hope she eats it, because well, she doesn't seem to be into crickets, and that was her diet when i got her. So, I'll keep everyone updated.. I'm just worried about her.

Give her time... don't hover over her.. offer the pinky directly..if she won't take it from you.. leave it somewhere for her to find in her enclosure. My sav was like that for like a week before she discovered that it was easier to take food from me than to find it... I take my own health into my hands because I still hand feed her. If she won't take the pinky... you can try supplemented meats... Kiros loved beef when I first got her..to the exclusion of all else but her rat pups.. So I always used a bit of vitamin dust on whatever human grade meats she got. After she hit 20 inches.. she'd take cut up chicken wings too and that was a bit better since it had the bones and marrow to it.. but I still supplemented.. then I took her off all the meats and onto a strict rodent diet.. Now I offer her a bit of supplemented ground turkey or chicken wings again as small "snacks" when I feel she isn't using up calories well enough and cut back on her rodents a bit.
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Lucien

1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
2.2 Leopard geckos (2 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 1 het Blizzard (Lilith) and 1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
1 Gerbil
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
2 cats (Sahara and Hercules)