Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my pairs has made me thought of a question probably better answered by a feild herpetologist. This pair only displays intrest in poultry products but, will take pinks occasionally. Which led me to think, in all the literature ive read the primary source of food for ackies were insects and secondary lizards. Why would there be such a strong preference for poultry, considering in no feild study have they have been cited a s having gut contents containig birds? Anyone encounter this.

they can taste the food can they not???

You have taste buds is there a food you never had but yet once you ate it you liked it more so then the last meal?

Oh and Yes it is that simple.

A little story, I first obtained ackies in 1991. I took my first ones to the vet to have then sexed. My vet, who loved varanids and had kept many, said, Frank, you should feed these fish. I said, WHAT, these are from the desert and live away from water. He said, that may be true, but they still love fish, then added, all monitors do.

So, I go home thinking my Vet is an idiot. But the seed was planted in my head. I went to the store, bought some fish, cut it up, put that fish in the ackie cages and low and behold, the dang things ate it right down.

Hmmmmmmmmm the morale of the story is, it is not about what they eat in nature, its about what they eat here. And like Jody says, its that simple.

I also have a friend, that feeds his hatchling hognose snakes, tuna, tuna, tuna. FR pictures in his head, a hognose dashing thru schools of tuna, with the tuna jumping out of the water, what a sight. He says, they love it. FR