Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 0.1 tiger retic i have had it since the 3 of July. It at good at first but now it tries to run from the food. Any suggestions!! I am feeding it adult mice i plan on trying some small rats this weekend. Her temp is 90 on the warm end and 80 on the cool side. The humidity is around 75 to 80 %.
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Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net

The impossible is often the untried!!!

>>I have a 0.1 tiger retic i have had it since the 3 of July. It at good at first but now it tries to run from the food. Any suggestions!! I am feeding it adult mice i plan on trying some small rats this weekend. Her temp is 90 on the warm end and 80 on the cool side. The humidity is around 75 to 80 %.
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>>Thomas Jones
>>aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
>>
>>The impossible is often the untried!!!
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

When I got my supers as babies they didn't eat for over 2 months! Then they developed incredible appetites and ate like the preverbial reptilian pigs that retics are. The females were over 10 feet at a year old. Sure it would have been 12,.. but so what, I was still happy. But during that 2 months I tried EVERYTHING I could think of and nothing ever worked. I know I drove Bob crazy with a neurotic email every day, "Bob! They're still not eating!! What do I do!" lol. But they ate when they were good and ready and I suspect that stress had a lot to do with it. Ironically, by trying different things each week I was probably prolonging the anorexic nightmare because I was inadverdantly altering their environment and that probably caused them to have to get used to that too. You know, by adding a hide, or placing them in all dark, or putting them together in the hopes they would relax in company, there are a dozen other things too. But the bottom line,. just back off, give her time, and try her out once a week AT BEST. If she doesn't want it right away, take it out immediately and try the next week. Don't handle during this time. No stress.

>>>>I have a 0.1 tiger retic i have had it since the 3 of July. It at good at first but now it tries to run from the food. Any suggestions!! I am feeding it adult mice i plan on trying some small rats this weekend. Her temp is 90 on the warm end and 80 on the cool side. The humidity is around 75 to 80 %.
>>>>-----
>>>>Thomas Jones
>>>>aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
>>>>
>>>>The impossible is often the untried!!!
>>-----
>>It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

I definitely wouldn't try more than once a week. If you think about it, you can condition your retics to respond to a hook by tapping them on the head every time before you take them out. After repeated experiences of being tapped, they begin to learn that you aren't going to be feeding them-and they won't try to eat you.
The same thing can apply to food-ridiculous as it may sound. If you repeatedly offer them food when they don't want it, you might be unknowingly be conditioning them not to eat the prey item you are offering. Even worse, they might learn the behavior you are employing to get them to eat as a "signal" not to eat! I know it sounds dumb, but it's essentially along the same lines as teaching them about your hook.
How long has it been since it has eaten? Did it just refuse food for a week or so? It might be in shed... Remember, these guys can go a long time without eating, so skipping a week, or even a month or two is not a problem.
~Brian Ott

That is the best Advice, I got but did not follow and that is to offer it once a week. I thought every couple days would be good, and kept trying and trying, I laid off for while and mine ate ate. I was so happy.

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Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net

The impossible is often the untried!!!

>>
>>-----
>>Thomas Jones
>>aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
>>
>>The impossible is often the untried!!!
-----
It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

AS soon as i can get them up to size. That is what she will get from now on. Until she can take pigs and rabbits.LOL
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>>>>-----
>>>>Thomas Jones
>>>>aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
>>>>
>>>>The impossible is often the untried!!!
>>-----
>>It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Systems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]
-----
Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net

The impossible is often the untried!!!