Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got an anaconda that i got from a friend. He is a hybrid that was bred from hybrid to hybrid. He was born in Jan and still has not eaten. He doesn't seem unhealthy in any way i just want him to eat. any tips that you can pass on to me. i have tried rat pups and mice and nothing. Am i doing something wrong? or are anacondas just that way? This is my first anaconda so any input will be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

here is a pic of him : )

All young anacondas, regardless of species, are essentially programmed to initially take small birds as their first prey. Some young anacondas will take rodents from the beginning, but that is usually the exception, and not the rule. I've had a few neonate greens hold out for as long as 4 months before feeding, and that is not overly unusual, but I feel that you should always have them feeding by no longer than 6 months or you could run into problems. Day-old chicks are usually the most available and tend to work very well to get most young to start feeding. The absolute best are young ducklings, but those are not as readily available. Young nestling pigeons will also work well if you can find them. Once they are started well on birds, I've never had much trouble getting them switched over to rats after a few months on birds. Let us know how it goes.

Kelly

Thank you for the tips. We have a farmers market here so i can get chicks pretty easy i will keep you posted.

Kelly, newborn yellow anacondas are much smaller than newborn greens, I have started all my yellows on mice, I am not sure that newborn yellows are large enough to take down a hatchling duck or any other shorebirds, they are about the size of baby boa constrictors.
Mike

Mike,
I definitely agree, however some of the green – yellow hybrids like this one are typically large enough to eat a day-old chick with no problem, but like you said, are probably not large enough to handle a duckling. If it is refusing rodents for this long, it is acting more like a green than a yellow. I have never had a lot of luck starting greens on mice or rats, and they will typically take birds much more readily. I have seen greens refuse rodents until they were in a weakened state, and then take a chick immediately the first time it was offered.

Kelly

Baby quail are tiny compared to even a duckling or chicken.. Perhaps you have a quail farm nearbye? Absent that frozen ones are available. I have a couple of live quail that I rub on a thawed frozen rat for a male green come feeding time (much to their chagrin)and he then readily consumes the food item. Presumably the same could be done with a duckling or chick, but they grow up big

With the neonates that require chicks or ducklings to get started, once they begin feeding, scenting with frozen ones will accomplish the task. Obviously saves considerable money as one chick can be used for many meals. Switching over to rodents with scented rats usually goes pretty smooth in most cases.

Kelly