Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My girlfriend and I have a 2 week old hatchling who refuses to eat. When she hatched she was about half the size of any other hatchlings we've had, about 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" head to tail. Eggs that have hatched before and since have been fine. But this little girl is super tiny. We keep her seperate and all the proper husbandry is met. She just won't eat. She's had her first shed about a week ago, maybe longer. Any advice?

What are you feeding the little girl? You should be feeding her pinhead crickets to entice her to eat and dusting them very well. I presume that you are as you said you have raised a baby before??? Correct me if im wrong! Maybe someone else can be more help than me. I've only asked the questions they would ask! Gilbery007

Yes, about 1/4" crickets dusted. This is our first clutch and the babies before this have not been a problem. But none were this small. I'll post a picture later tonight to give an idea of the size.

Okay, sometimes there is a hatchling that comes out real small and weak and it just does not have what it takes to make it. It fails to thrive no matter what you do, and its not your fault, it is because genetically the poor thing is just not viable. It is a normal part of nature: weak ones hatch out in the wild too, and they probably get instantly eaten by the strong ones. You know how Nature is, sometimes it really sux.

Ok I say that not to discourage you but to prepare you for the worst. Now, what you need to do is hand feed / force feed it, whatever you can (gently) do to get nourishment into it daily or twice daily. If you can get it past the not-thriving stage, sometimes these geckos will decide they want to live after all and start hunting their own food. If they start doing that, they have a very good chance of making it.

For a very good formula for force-feeding, see the link below.
LeafTail's link to Marcia's recipe

I've been force feeding her. I just pick her up and when she tries to bite me I throw a cricket in her mouth. I'll do it as many times as she tries to bite me, usually 3 then she gives up. I'll just keep trying and see how it goes. Thanks again.

LMAO, great feeding technique! okay if she's biting you and eating the crickets you feed her then she'll do FINE! yep, just keep it up. lol. biters are survivers
Thanks again.

I thought she was in a lot worse shape than she is, or I wouldn't have written all that in my first post. If you just keep offering her crix to hunt and give her a chance to, then hand feed her if she won't hunt, eventually after a few days or weeks instinct will kick in and she'll hunt. you might also try offering her mealworms.