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TeaNinja
05-09-11, 02:05 AM
nigma had a 3-5 month fast off food but i got him to eat a f/k rat almost 10 days ago. i f/k him another rat tonight and left it for him all night. i just checked on him and the rat was still there but he was sticking his head out of his hide. i moved the rat around a little bit with some tongs in front of him then stood back for a few minutes and he struck it :)

i'm glad he'll be going back to consistent feeding.

http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/nigmaeating001.jpg
stephanbakir
05-09-11, 09:32 AM
Bet your happy hes back on food:P Nigma was the one with the "?" on his back right?
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 09:34 AM
Glad to have some consistency! Just a thought tho - feeding on loose substrate it might be worth putting a plastic plate under the rat to avoid and ingested substrate :)
Marica
05-09-11, 10:01 AM
Nice pic Zak! One of mine often ends up eating his with his head upside-down too. Hope this means Nigma's appetite is back on track.

I've tried the plate thing with my little Dum that'll only eat in his viv, but he strikes, draws back and WWE coils the f/t rat for several minutes. He's also often burrowed underneath the substrate with just his nose peaking out (a typical Dum hunting position) or he's in his hide which he'll drag the rat into - so I just make sure the rat's dry to try and avoid substrate sticking to it. Most Dum's seem to be savage, messy eaters.
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 10:03 AM
YEah - its not always easy to keep them on the plate but worth the try. My retic goes immediately into to feed response mode the second the plate gets brought into the living room - its quite funny to watch!
dshin963
05-09-11, 10:07 AM
Ohhh i really really want a retic one day
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 10:11 AM
He is one of my faves. SOOO easy to "read" as they have significantly differing "modes"
dshin963
05-09-11, 10:33 AM
How big is he? Also how big is his enclosure?
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 10:38 AM
His last shed was 6ft 4inches - havent measured him physically. He has a 4ft by 2ft by 2ft viv.
dshin963
05-09-11, 10:40 AM
Hmmm thats the size enclosure i am gonna buy or make my blood hmmm is your retic still growing?
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 10:44 AM
He should top out at no longer than 9foot as a majorly large one or 7-8 foot for a standard sized SD - the viv is his long term home - big enough got him for life.
stephanbakir
05-09-11, 10:49 AM
SD's are fantastic animals if you want a retic but don't want it to get too big, but im pretty sure Rob will agree with me when i say even a super dwarf is strong as an ox when they get riled up.
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 11:00 AM
Oh yes - he gave me a "hug" last week on my forearm and left bruises!! There was no threat, no aggression, no panic - he just decided to give my arm a squeeze!
dshin963
05-09-11, 11:07 AM
Ohhh lol i thought you ment a full sized retic lol but yea i want a SD one day what are their temperments like?
stephanbakir
05-09-11, 11:11 AM
They can be dog "tame" or angry beasts, depends how often you handle them and if you train them right.
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 11:17 AM
Ours (SD) is dog tame until he smells rat (or his feed plate appears) - tease feeding him even with 12inch tongs you have to check your fingers afterwards - just in case ;)
dshin963
05-09-11, 12:49 PM
Ahhh fair enough look forward to getting one several years from now :P
TeaNinja
05-09-11, 01:11 PM
Nice pic Zak! One of mine often ends up eating his with his head upside-down too. Hope this means Nigma's appetite is back on track.



I've tried the plate thing with my little Dum that'll only eat in his viv, but he strikes, draws back and WWE coils the f/t rat for several minutes. He's also often burrowed underneath the substrate with just his nose peaking out (a typical Dum hunting position) or he's in his hide which he'll drag the rat into - so I just make sure the rat's dry to try and avoid substrate sticking to it. Most Dum's seem to be savage, messy eaters.


mine did the same thing. after he struck he pulled it into the hide to start eating then finished in the middle of the viv. then he drank ABUNCH of water lol.

and yea stephen, this is nigma (aka the riddler)
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af184/teaninja/dogcrate003.jpg
TeaNinja
05-09-11, 02:04 PM
also, substrate ingestion is probably the least of my worries. in the wild i can't see them NEVER ingesting substrate. what if they struck an animal that was just in the water. i'm sure all kinds of dirt and bark stick to their prey in the wild.

and i make sure they are dry and everything so not much will stick to them.
Lankyrob
05-09-11, 02:29 PM
also, substrate ingestion is probably the least of my worries. in the wild i can't see them NEVER ingesting substrate. what if they struck an animal that was just in the water. i'm sure all kinds of dirt and bark stick to their prey in the wild.

and i make sure they are dry and everything so not much will stick to them.

Totally agree, but in captivity it is a risk that we can lessen.