Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a clutch of eggs that all hatched successfully but 1 out of the 8 is having trouble hunting. It would chase the cricket down and aim for a shoot and will miss 99% of the time. I have to break the crickets legs off and then it can eat it. When it shoot, it goes higher than normal. At first, I thought it was a sight problem but it see fine since it can see crickets across the tank. This baby does have a deform back because it appears like a bone is sticking out. Anyway, it is getting smaller by the day while the others are growing and shedding already.

It refuse to eat mealworms, only crickets.
-----
I will be back!

I'd stay away from mealworms as a staple since als tend to get obese (even babies) if fed too many.

I'd recommend hand feeding the baby that's having difficulties. Make sure the crickets are well coated with a phospherus free calcium supplement with vitamin D3. Sometimes a calcium deficiency will cause them to strike and miss. One of my madreans hatched out with one. It would hit the insect but not have the jaw strength to subdue it so it would restrike and its strikes got progressivly less accurate and more desparate. With 7 it took me awhile to realize what was going on. I started hand feeding him (if yours won't take food from your hand use forceps) well dusted prekilled crickets. I dust with rep-cal with vitamin d3. After about a week I started to notice an increase in jaw strength and after about two he started hunting on his own. He's still a little behind his clutchmates size wise but is doing great now.

Good luck!
Alice

Hey thanks Alice. BTW... Where did you buy your woodchips? Are those dry?
-----
I will be back!

I either use the zoomed repti-bark available at most pet stores or the generic equivalent for sale at herp shows (not sure of the brand). I keep the substrate dry, but do mist down hide areas and overfill the water bowl to keep some spots moister.

-Alice