The sister to the male Eastern Coachwhip ate her first voluntary meal yesterday. Like her brother, her first kill was a Tree Lizard, Urosaurus ornatus. Uros are abundant in Arizona, and are widely used as feeders. I think it's worth mentioning that I believe the kind of lizard offered makes a difference. I notice that confirmed anole feeders like baby island boas don't generally accept spiny lizards, and western kingsnakes typically refuse anoles and geckos. Urosaurus are very similar to small Fence Lizards, another lizard I expect my coachwhips would accept.
The game plan now is to let the coachwhips feed voluntarily on whatever they like for a few feedings, then start working to get them to accept defrosted mice. Once the snakes get the idea that eating is good, hunger becmes a tool in the arsenal of tricks to make them eat what I want them to.
