Reptile & Amphibian Forums

short version-- i need help getting my extremely tame year and a half gator to eat...

long version--
I'm not new to the alligator world, i've had 2 other gators,which have already been put into my neighbors alligator pond once they got to about 4ft, and 2 at the moment.. I have one 8month old gator thats fairly tame for a gator doesnt hiss or snap, but like most gators doesn't really like to be held, and is fiesty as ever when it comes to his food he loves little mice, raw chicken, crayfish, wet catfood, and the occasional gold fish or tadpole.. But he's not the reason i'm here, I was at a petstore in town about 3wks ago and I saw this poor 18inch gator that was someones pet that got bit I guess so they gave it back(big suprise) so I went out to my truck called my neighbor and asked if they wanted another gator in about 3 or 4years, he said the more the merrier so I got him and brought him home... he lets me, and anyone just pick him up and he doesn't squirm or even lay down, he has never even tried to get away. I have tapped him on his nose to get him to open his mouth and then put a finger in his mouth and nothin, I even kept it in once for awhile moving it up and down, nothin just sat there with it open... that seems all great but he won't even eat a mouse, all he wants to eat is turtle pellets, and goldfish (oh I forgot he has been in with 2 turtles since he was little, and the guy gave me them for free, they never fight and are always ontop of him and he could care less) if I put a raw piece of chicken on a pair of feeding tongs he just sits there I can even set it on his nose. and i've tried leaving that on rocks, along w/ wet catfood and he doesn't touch it.. me and my neighbor can't figure it out, the guy at the pet store said thats all he was fed. i've tried teasing him with chicken, leaving in a mouse all night, prekilled mice, and i've tried him just in a dry 75gallon to see if the smaller enclosure might help with no distractions and the mouse just sniffs him then goes about his business he just seems to like turtle pellets and the occasional goldfish.. But that def. isn't good for him... any suggestions????

UPDATE: Today he killed and ate a mouse.. so thanks for the would have been advice i guess

Ralph,

Nice to see your passion for alligators...

I recommend that you discontinue the goldfish as food. Also, you might consider cutting the chicken/beef pieces into tiny nuggets that look like turtle pellets. Toy with his psychology in this way and you might help him.

Glad to read that he ate a mouse. He may be adjusting well already.

I also recommend (not for the gator, for you) Chris Deiter's The Ultimate Guide to Crocodilians in Captivity.
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Israel Dupont
Winter Haven, FL

I definitly want to discontinue the goldfish from him, but unfortunitly he was only fed the pellets and goldfish and wasnt eating anything else, but slowly but surley i'm getting him off of the goldfish.. Great idea on the tip to cut it up into little pellet shapped pieces, i'll try slipping him some of those until I get him on bigger pieces. I'll have to check out that book also.. thanks for the help.

If the turtle pellets are Mazuri freshwater turtle food, I think your gator can live off of that fine. Mazuri has a crocodilian food that is not too much different than their turtle food, but would obviously been even better for the gator than turtle food.

Temperature is highly tied to a gator's appetite, so that could be a factor. I don't think its unusual for an animal to get use to feeding on a stable in captivity and take a while to figure out other things are prey. If you like handling your gator, your lucky. A docile gator that eats pellets only, is easier to handle than one like mine that snaps at anything near his tank.