Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,

To those who have Bandeds, no matter what variety:

1) How much do each of yours tend to eat per sitting?
2) What are you feeding?
3) How many inches are your adults, from head to tip of tail?

I have a juvie rescue that everyone in the forum helped me with. I know they're little but compared to others I've seen, he's small for his age. He's definitely a boy and seems to be a fine weight but I can't tell how much he's eating. I've tried tiny crickets and he's got a dish of mini mealworms at all times. I just rarely see him hunt because he just sits and basks until I go to sleep at night. His tank also has one big piece of drift wood taking over most of the tank and he and the crickets hide under it at feeding time so I can't see them. (He likes to create little burrows underneath it, so I figure, hey, why not leave it in)

He's a bit bigger than he was in this pic now (length-wise) and has yellow bands. He also chirps loudly and pretends to be invisible if I remove the driftwood when he's under it!

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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

>>1) How much do each of yours tend to eat per sitting?

"Several" crickets/spiders/grasshoppers.

>>2) What are you feeding?

See above. I've also used mealworms.

>>3) How many inches are your adults, from head to tip of tail?

You have to be careful with this one. Some of my geckos have regenerated tails, and therefore aren't as long in total length as they "should" be! I think my biggest (C. variegatus) is around 2.5 inches snout-vent. I have exact measurements but they're on my other computer.

tiny crickets and he's got a dish of mini mealworms at all times.

How big are the insects relative to the lizard? My geckos will easily handle a cricket twice as long as their head; I just make sure the insects are soft-bodied so they "squish down" better.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

I'm used to Leopard geckos and feeding them items that are slightly smaller than the width of their heads, so I've been giving the Banded few week old crickets. I'll try him on bigger items and see what transpires.

They can truly handle grasshoppers?? Maybe I'm thinking of the big ones we get in California...or maybe I'm underestimating my Banded...

How important is vitamin dusting with these guys? The little crickets are a pain in the @$$ to dust and I'm worried he's not getting enough supplements.
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

>>I'm used to Leopard geckos and feeding them items that are slightly smaller than the width of their heads,

I've never been a big fan of that rule (used on beardeds also). Too many variables in the food items themselves for me to use that rule. If the insects are fairly soft-bodied, I go much bigger. I should've taken pics of my lizards today eating the grasshoppers.

so I've been giving the Banded few week old crickets. I'll try him on bigger items and see what transpires.

How big is he? My 2.5" SVL geckos can put away half-inch crickets.

>>They can truly handle grasshoppers?? Maybe I'm thinking of the big ones we get in California...or maybe I'm underestimating my Banded...

I think most people underestimate their lizard's capabilities, but then again it's best to err on the side of caution.

The grasshoppers I'm catching right now are about a half to 3/4-inch long and pretty soft (lime green colored, no wings). We have other types I've also tried but their exoskeletons are a little toughter and they have long wings which I think adds a little too much keratin. I'm mainly using the grasshoppers 1) for variety and 2) because my last order of crickets came in a size smaller than expected and I'm waiting for them to grow a little more!

>>How important is vitamin dusting with these guys? The little crickets are a pain in the @$$ to dust and I'm worried he's not getting enough supplements.

I think bigger crickets make it a little easier. I just shake them up in a bag with Miner-All right before feeding, but not at every feeding.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"