Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Rhino will be two this month or next , not sure when what month he hatched . he very picky eater know . how often would you recommend i feed him now ? every day , every other ? he will not eat so many types of greens and picks through looking for anything sweet and collard greens , snap peas and fruit . i don't give him a lot of fruit , a fig or two a week and some papaya every now and then , feeding him every other day would that help stopping him from being so darn picky ?? he's 49'' and very healthy so he's not starving , but i would like him to eat a bigger variety of greens . .
Thansk ,.

dont give him what he likes or at least, less of it. That will sound shocking but he picks out what he likes because he can. Give him the stuff you want him to eat. he'll not eat it until he is too hungry not to. He wont let himself starve. Over time he will expand his diet. He'll be fine. everyday or every other is up to you. which works for you? schedule, time, $$-wise. either one works with a good diet.

jf

They way I trained my iguana to eat food like alfalfa is not to give in... They can go a long time without food, so all you have to do is give it what you want it to eat. Eventually, it will eat the food it supposed to eat. If he doesn't eat in the beginning don't worry, let him starve. when he is hungry enough he will eat it. Don't let it train you to feed only what it likes. Just make sure he is well hydrated.

Or maybe you need to change things up a bit if you are not offering him enough variety. I have found that my green iguana will sometime eat certain things at different time and completely ignores it at other times. One time my iguana got tired of eating a bunch of greens all the time and so only ate a little of it everyday. So I switched to hard veggies instead (things like butternut squash, parsnips and green beans)and when put the a dish full of hard veggies in his cage, he practically launched himself at the plate and gobble down everything including the greens I put under the hard veggies. [shrug]

At other times he won't eat as much parsnips, butternut squash and green beans either... It's challenge keeping them happy, trying to find something new.

And he's probably not growing as much and fast as he used to... that could affect appetite. Once they get older their appetite will start to level off. But some days they do eat more than other.

Feeding him variety of different things sure helps with the lack of appetite.

49” at 2 years old ? Did you use a fisherman’s ruler for that measurement? Great that you have a healthy Ig, but why the rush to make him big? The smaller , more manageable size is only for a short fraction of the ig’s potential 30-plus lifespan. Why not enjoy it? Sounds like you hit a growth stop. That sometimes occurs around 42” and 3-6years of age. Feeding less should result in a less picky pet, but sometimes an ig will not eat something because it may not be very good for them(like spinach), so be careful with that idea. Are you sure you have a “he” ? Gravid females typically become picky eaters, otherwise this is probably the least picky of all iguana species when it comes to food

49" at 24 months? I was thinking the same thing, another big fish story :/

I agree....in my experience, that's impossible.

This might give you a better idea of his age, Robert, in case you don't remember. I know it's hard for me to keep track sometimes too. In September of 2011, you posted that he was about 27", and that you had purchased him from Tom Crutchfield @ 13" in March of 2011. So we're about a year from that 27" mark. It would make sense that he's around 39", not 49", and is probably coming up on 3 years of age like you said. My male Rhino is 3 years old and about that same size (39-40".

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1943492,1943492

As far as being picky, as others have said, he won't starve himself. Have you tried him on any prepared pellet diets? That can be a good way to round out his diet if you're having trouble getting him to eat a good variety.

I do noticed with my green iguana that the older they get the more they easily become bored of the food if you feed them the same old thing all the time.

sometimes, I add more fruits to get my green iguana to eat because i went through all the veggie list.

N/P = No Post

Yu can read all about in "Iguana for Dummies" if you're interested or go to www.anapsid.org. i think that her website has more information goes into more details than in the book.

I think Roni is just board . when i put the leaves i whole between two bricks , his eyes get wide and he attacked his food . I move his rocks around periodicity and he more active.

he's been past the 39'' for a while , and sorry i just measured him again he's 46 '' NOT 49 . he was one of Wilma;s last clutch in the video Tom posted of the 26 eggs , july 2010 .when do they hatch Sep , Oct ?? Anyway i got him march 2011 and was told he was one of Wilma's clutch in 2010 .

I put 4 whole collard green leaves , 3 whole mustard green leaves and a bunch of water cress in his cage , all un-cut and he devoured them all . But cut up he refuses them . picky picky picky LOL

''but why the rush to make him big? ''

never said i was in any rush at all , i have been feeding him all the normal greens and fruits that are know to be staple for him , can't help how fast he's growing . just trying to get him to eat a bigger verity and make sure he's healthy. his parents Fred and Wilma from Tom Crutchfield are very large

positive Roni's a he

I put a clear tub in his enclosure every afternoon and he poops in it. been showing this for a long time .

here the is under the 48'' tube , though he is not lined up and hang and 46''.. Wilma laid him June or July 2010 hatched ,Tom posted the video the first part of July 2010 . so he's not three . 2 /- a month , not sure when he hatched .Oct ??

the hatch he is from .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUm18pcMgIg