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Stimulating Appetite for Adult Retic

berdache Feb 21, 2013 01:58 PM

Thanks for reading.

My adult male retic stops eating every winter. I got him as a hatchling. He ate voraciously the first year and a half. His second winter, he stopped eating for a few months, but went back to normal in the spring. He is 6 years old. I have a female in a separate enclosure nearby.

He usually refuses food for several months. He stays active, responsive, drinks, sheds, and evacuates regularly. He has no signs of RI, no noisy breathing, no bubbles around the mouth. He also has no signs of mouth rot or infection in his mouth. He doesn't have any sensitive areas when I palpate him.

I took him to a herp vet last year. The vet said he was healthy and to keep doing what I was doing re husbandry.

His high temps are mid 90's, the cool side is mid 80's. He is in a 10' X 2' X 2" critter condo with heat tape and basking light. He stays on the cool side of the tank.

Is there anything that I can do to get him back on feed quicker? Is there an appetite stimulate I can get to restart his feeding?

Thank you in advance for any advice you may have.

Replies (4)

reticguy76 Feb 21, 2013 07:37 PM

He wants to breed this time of year. Either you need to get him a ready to breed female and breed him, or just something you will have to deal with for a few to several months during later fall/winter/early spring months.
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retic is king of kings

1.0 Tiger Retic
1.0 Albino Tiger Retic
0.1 Striped Tiger Retic (het albino)
0.1 Salmon Boa
1.0 Albino Boa
0.1 False Water Cobra

berdache Feb 21, 2013 07:59 PM

Thanks so much for easing my conscious. I usually just wait till he's ready, but wanted to make sure there wasn't something I was missing.
The girl won't be ready to breed this season. He will just have to wait.

reticguy76 Feb 23, 2013 06:45 PM

If she is close (like within 6 months possible a year), you can throw him with her for a couple days to see if that breaks him out of his breeding mode at least for this season.
If you do that, just make sure you watch them very closely the first half hour or so, in case she is unhappy with him. You will need to take him out immediately.
-----
retic is king of kings

1.0 Tiger Retic
1.0 Albino Tiger Retic
0.1 Striped Tiger Retic (het albino)
0.1 Salmon Boa
1.0 Albino Boa
0.1 False Water Cobra

berdache Apr 01, 2013 11:59 AM

Thanks for easing my mind with the big guy.
My male went back on feed this week. He emptied my freezer back-up supply for fresh rats, after voraciously going for fresh pre-killed prey. I couldn't put him and the female together, due to size differences, but will do so when she gets big enough to accept his advances.

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