Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted a little while ago about my new racer. My friend brought me back a racer from home thinking i might like it and now its too cold to release it here (and i don't live in blue spp. range). It took me 3 weeks but i finally got him to feed on an anole. i've tried crickets, frozen fuzzies and live pinkies with not even a look. he took the anole pretty quickly though. So now that the hard part is done, any recommendations on getting him to actually eat crickets or f/t mice (cheaper..anoles are $4-5, not to mention problems with parasites etc.)? i know they are very visual hunters so how do i get it to eat a dead pinkie/fuzzie if it wouldn't eat a live one? He's mabye a foot long, and actually calming down a little, only strikes when i open the cage and not when i walk by..lol

i have thought about trying anoles with mine, but havnt wanted to spend the money.
mine is currently eating crickets...all it took was dumping them in the cage and he chowed right down.
mine doesnt seem interested in pinks..i think maybe because they just kinda lay there....i have held a rat pink on tongs before and got a bite but that was it...i am not to worried at the moment so i am still feeding crickets...

good luck....jason

This may sound ridiculous but try pestering him with the rodent until he gets mad enough to strike and grab it. I had to do this with a juvenile eastern coachwhip. I just kept thumping him on the nose with the pinkie until he got so mad that he grabbed it and ate it. You could also try putting a live rodent and an anole in at the same time to see if all the movement tricks him into eating the rodent.