Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Since he is only eating the superworms and other worms, how often should I be feeding him and how much at a time. I don't want him to get too fat. Also, thanks for the other suggestions. I have been trying what you suggested teaspoon. Hopefully it will work. Thanks.

I also heard that feeding him too many pinkies will make him sick. Is this true?

I feed my Sudans every two or three days. I don't know how much to feed at a time, but after a while, I've figured out about how much gets eaten each time, so I leave that much the next time.
As for pinkies making plateds sick, I've never heard that. But I have heard that if a lizard becomes really fat, they'd be more likely to get tumors or something. The previous owner of my plateds fed them nothing but rat pinkies, and although they're still chubby, they seem healthy. I've never fed pinkies to my plateds though so I really don't know much about it. I hope someone else responds.
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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

You will find one feed plateds will eat 20 Supers then next feed only eat 4 supers, so best thing to do really is feed them one by one untill they stop taking them (they will only eat if they need it).

As for pinkies making them sick I haven't heard of this myself, and everyone I have spoke to about plateys feed them fuzzy mice on a regular basis (once a week).

Since they are omnivores, probably very opportunistic feeders in the wild. If they find nestling mice or any other small vertebrate they can tackle, they probably go for it. However, they probably dont feed on these prey types consistently. I think its more of a fat content issue if they feed on these types of food consistently or exclusively. Similar to obesity in monitors that are fed mice exclusively without other low-fat insect prey. Sticking with low fat insect prey (easy on some like mealworms), or low fat prepared foods like groundturkey should help keep them trim. Also, vary what is offered. A fuzzy or pinky one day, a few crickets the next feeding, etc.

Since these guys are ominivores, I definitely dont think they would pass up nestling small mammals if the opportunity were there. However, I suspect they are like monitors in that if CONSISTENTLY and EXCLUSIVELY fed a high fat protein source like mice pinks, etc., they will get obese and have generally poor health. Their protein in the wild is probably mostly insects. As part of a varied diet (maybe a pink or two a week), no harm should come of it. Also, I also understand some meal worms are too fatty as well. You can try low fat canned pet foods, or lean turkey along with fruits and veggies. My Sudan was a bit underweight and stressed when I got it, so I fed it whatever it would eat. It took mice, ground turkey, and chicken. Now it takes some fruits and veggies (yellow squash/tomatos), and crickets along with prepared bearded dragon moist cubes. So I would say limit, but dont exclude.

Thanks everyone for all the advice!!!