Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a yellow-throated plated lizard three weeks ago and I can't get it to eat anything but superworms, mealworms, and a couple pinkies. He won't eat any kind of fruits. We have tried everything but force-feeding, which I didn't really want to do. He tears up the worms. We gave him three pinkies since we've had him and he loved those. I think the only thing they gave him at the pet store were superworms. They didn't really know too much about him either. I've been on so many websites and you guys on this forum have been really really really helpful. I have pictures, but haven't figured out how to post them yet. It says they're too big when I try to put them on here. I seen on here that somebody fed their's babyfood. I was going to try that next. Any suggestions?

To be honest with you I think that if plateds have had a poor diet in the past they wont go to eating fruits. My female when I got her had a great diet (she was given fruits, salads, chicken, Morio worms and crickets) and my male was on a poor diet of just cheap dog food. (by previous owner that I saved him from)And now my male will only eat Crickets, Morio's and Pinkies, where as my female plated will eat anything you put infront of her (she even tried to eat the thermometer when I first put it in)

when I got my newest two plateds, they'd been fed nothing but rat pinkies(they were very fat) but I've gotten them to eat fruits by doing this: chop up fruits or vegatables very tiny and put them on that ever you plated does eat. make sure you get the juice from the fruits on the bugs so they can get used to the smell and taste of it. At first they'll probably pick around all the fruits and vegatables, but after a while they'll probably start eating them. I buy bags of frozen fruit at the grocery store. Mine like blackberries, strawberries, and rasberries the best, so you might try those.
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My menagerie
1.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Amazon Tree Boa
1.0 Corn Snake
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 Bearded Dragons
2.1 Crested Geckos
2.1 Sudan Plated Lizards
0.0.5 Eastern Painted Turtles
1.2.5 Eastern Box Turtles
1.1 Eastern Red-spotted Newts
1.0 Northern Mockingbird
0.3 Chickens
2.0 Cats
1.1 Ferrets
0.1.4 Wild mice
0.0.35 some kind of goldfish

plated lizards naturally are carnivores the fact that some in captivity eat plant matter is juts them adapting to what owners put in the tank for food i have 5 two were from the store the other 3are the offspring of the first two and everyone except mom eats meat olney the mom i got from an owner that fed greens olny so donut push the greens just vita coat the food when u feed and offer UVB light to proses the vitamins

Just be patient and keep offering varous food items. I had a hard time getting my sudan to eat ANYTHING when I first got it home. It finally took some raw chicken. Then it took a small hopper mouse, some ground turkey, and eventually now will take crickets, banana, prepared bearded dragon food cubes, and cherry tomatos. I just rotate what I offer, always offering some fruit or greens with the proteins.

Yellow throated Plated Lizards (Gerrhosaurus flavigularis and G. flavigularis ssp.) are Insectivorous.

Only pre-breeding and summer captive conditions have shown the consumption of small amounts of: kale, collared greens, tips of red & green leaf lettuces, some berries (blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry), banana, kiwi, cantelope, and melon. Never force feed! They will take the food items they want as needed. And yes Baby Food (jars of mixed fruit, mixed meat & vegs are offered once a month with greens dish, this adds extra nutrients to diet.

Pinkies are a must with all plated lizards as this is a source of calcium and pure protein; each animal is feed 3 pinkie mice bi-weekly. Crickets, Superworms (zoophobias/small) only not the mealworms with tough to digest exoskeletons, waxworms are offered daily. This is a must with pairs and groups as it insures all members have access to food.

Remember that most Plated Lizards are WC thus it takes up until two years to acclimate and get their routine down with the weather cycles; Barometric pressure systems not temperatures. I have never cooled any of my girdled- tailed or plated lizards to getting breeding accomplished as over the years it has been the nature weather/barometric pressure systems that runs their biological clocks.

actually, I heard that pinkie mice are not that high in calcium, I heard that with lizards, you should definately put calcium on them.
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My menagerie
2.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Amazon Tree Boa
1.0 Corn Snake
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 Bearded Dragons
2.1 Crested Geckos
2.1 Sudan Plated Lizards
0.0.5 Eastern Painted Turtles
1.1.5 Eastern Box Turtles
1.1 Eastern Red-spotted Newts
1.0 Northern Mockingbird
0.3 Chickens
2.0 Cats
1.1 Ferrets
2.4 mice
0.0.35 some kind of goldfish