Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Have read and heard about the problems facing new born grey bands, but they're incredible animals that we wanted to try. Have you had luck with them taking pinks right away? scenting with anole or fence lizard? Have eggs due in 26 days...very antsy...Any advice appreciated. Have 11 snakes total and had an incubator disaster with ball python eggs last year.

Below is a link to an article by G. Merker. It's from the Documents link on the Alterna Page. Personally, I give my hatchlings thawed uta (side-blotched) and urosaurus (tree lizard) that were pre-frozen for a first meal, then begin to scent FT (frozen thawed) pinkies for the next meal using a partially thawed uta from the freezer. Usually, most in the clutch will scent over to scented FT pinks after 1-2 lizard meals (though it may take up to 4 lizard meals in really stubborn cases), then over to unscented FT pinks after 1-4 lizard scented feedings. Now, here's the thing, I have a feeling it's size that may matter because as the neonates grow (after 1-4 lizards and 1-4 scented pinks there wil be growth) they become more opportunistic and more likely to accept different prey items. You may want to ask Ric Blair for his secret, because I bought a pair of locality alterna from Ric last year as juveniles (by way of Shannon Brown) and they had an incredible feeding response.

RP
Link

Thanks for info. Great advice and great link. I'm in an area with western fence lizards, would you know if their scent has worked. Where do you obtain your lizards? I also heard that anoles would work too. Thanks again. Dave.

Northwest US?? My guess is sceloporus occidentalis should be effective, but I've never used it so others on this forum should be able to confirm that for you. Merriam's canyon lizard is a small sceloporus found sleeping on rock cuts in Sanderson and elsewhere - I use that to induce wild caught alterna to feed on domesticated mice. I live in Phoenix, AZ - where the western and N.W desert areas are loaded with utas so I go out in spring and fall and noose appropriate sized lizards for the deep freeze.

I have pretty good success using Western Fence Lizards and Sideblotch lizards for scenting but I get a much better response using Merriam's Canyon Lizards and Earless Lizards to scent with.
I wouldn't reccommend Anoles except as a last resort. One time I ordered 100 live small Anoles in hopes I wouldn't have to go out and catch lizards. Only about 10 out of about 55 babies ate the Anoles.

Sceloporus occidentalis will work well for most individuals, I have had considerable success with using that species. For more stubborn individuals however, nothing works as well as Uta stanburiana in my experience...not even the native species like Sceloporus merriami or poinsetii. As always, patience and dedication are the key to being successful...hatchling alterna can be a pain in the a$$. Good luck and keep trying...and don't forget to wash the mice thoroughly before scenting.