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How Long to Starve?

Abukuchick Mar 26, 2006 01:53 PM

How long does it take an anole to starve to death? Our female is still not eating much and she is still losing weight. You can see the bones in her tail now, as well as her ribs and hips. They always have access to pinhead crickets (which she eats sometimes) and we offer several wax worms a day as both were emaciated when we got them. She will not eat any crickets other than pinheads. The male is now eating well. He takes the worms, crickets and pinheads. The female will eat fruit flies but we've been waiting for more to grow in the viles we have (I just put a few in there today). Things aren't looking good for her but I'm not sure if there is even any hope for her anymore.

-Martha

Replies (4)

el_toro Mar 26, 2006 07:15 PM

I don't know how long such a thing would take. Have you tried separating her from the male? It might not be visible to people, but he could be intimidating her. If she were in her own space with lots of greenery to hide in, she might feel safe enough to eat more. The fact that she's taking some small things seems to indicate she WANTS to eat - but maybe she's too stressed out.

-----
Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
2.1.1 Mali Uros (Spike, Tank, Lilly, and Turtle)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Abukuchick Mar 28, 2006 08:37 PM

Well, tonight we tried seperating her with food from the male. She went into a 2 gallon acrylic tank we originally got for them with a heater and bugs. We gave her 1 cricket, several fruit flies and a wax worm and she didn't touch a thing. She was very green, but she just didn't want to eat! Even after she calmed down from her capture and was just hanging out she left everything alone. She even let flies crawl on her head and down her back! She's back in with her boyfriend now. I'm not sure what else to do to make her eat! She is still active and drinking, and she does eat maybe 1 or 2 fruit flies and a few pinheads a day. They always have some pinheads in there tank and we offer flies and wax worms regularly. Is there any other way we might get her to eat? We've also tried holding things up to her, but she hates that and runs away.

ajr Mar 30, 2006 10:07 AM

you said she eats a couple FFs and a few pinheads a day and she's all green. She seems to be eating when and how much she wants. I would leave her be at this point. The extra fussing is probably adding stress. My Anole went 3 weeks and 1 day without a bite of food. That was a year ago and she's fine now. I think yours is doing OK from what I read.

Andy

Abukuchick Mar 30, 2006 07:48 PM

Good to hear! We've been so worried since she's lost a little more weight since we've had her. She did eat another worm last night, she seems to be having 2-3 of those a week, and I know wax worms are fatty so hopefully they'll put a little more weight on her. I have also switched from a vitamin spray to a powder, which they like cause it makes the bugs easier to see! I think that she is eating mostly at night when he's in the plant asleep. It's good to know that she won't starve in a few days though! Thank you.

-Martha

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