Intro/Feeding

[EMAC1990]

Hey guys, I just moved over here from Repticzone where I had been posting questions, updates and photos about my new Melinus. Today I wanted to get some opinions about a feeding strategy I want to try.

We are not at the point where tong feeding is possible yet so I have been leaving her food in a dish every morning. What I have done is prepared a container for each day at the beginning of the week. I store them in the fridge until feeding time. Is this dangerous in any way? Storing a thawed pinkie with crickets and worms?

I should also mention that the crickets do not seem to die though they stop moving until warmed back up in the monitor's enclosure. They never regain the strength to crawl out of the cup. I do not feed live crickets directly into the cage because she will not chase them and they all end up living in her burrows or under stones. In these images, the crickets are not yet in the containers but I put about a 1/2-1 dozen in each day.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s674/Eric_McAfee/11-11-12005.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s674/Eric_McAfee/11-11-12006-1.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s674/Eric_McAfee/11-11-12007.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s674/Eric_McAfee/11-11-12009.jpg

[infernalis]

There is no harm in storing the pinkies in your fridge.

What is up with the fruit?

[Pirarucu]

I'm assuming it's bug food.

[EMAC1990]

Originally I thought the crickets would remain active in the containers and I wanted to deter them from chewing on the pinkies.

[infernalis]

Originally I thought the crickets would remain active in the containers and I wanted to deter them from chewing on the pinkies.


Makes sense.

You know, pinkies only take a few minutes to thaw. I just take out a plate load and let it set for half an hour and go feed my critters.

I like the inactive cricket thing though... However I use roaches.

[EMAC1990]

Yeah, the crickets are the real issue, though she doesn't want to eat them at all. I am really trying to wean her off her acclimation to mice, but I later learned this was all she was fed before I purchased her.

I thaw them sometimes under cold water too which takes only a few seconds, but I have always been told this isn't healthy for us and I am sure it can't be great for them. I generally work very early and she also seems more active in the morning. It is convenient to pull out a pre-planned meal and offer it while she is out in the open. Also, she is still sometimes so shy, she will go into burrow when she hears me get up. This is the only way I can have her food ready fast enough for her to see me offer it. Since the move to the juvie enclosure though, she has been much more comfortable in my presence.

If anyone has any tips with taming, they would be appreciated, perhaps on another thread. I will say I am not interested in any force handling as I am sure most people here will agree with. Maybe a routine? Getting to tong feeding is my first real goal. I will sometimes dangle a pinkie in front of her but she becomes so afraid that the feeding response is completely shut off.

[infernalis]

I just wanted to let you know, Mice are good food.

Monitors & Mice, The Myth Dispelled (http://www.savannahmonitor.co/mice/)

Keep a tub of night crawlers, They gobble them right up.

http://www.savannahmonitor.net/Exanthematicus/images/wormin.jpg

[EMAC1990]

That's good to know and a very interesting article. I just purchased Daniel Bennett's digital copy and have been working through it. Is it safe then to feed rodents every day? The same being true for shrimp, crawfish and crabs?

Thanks for the info

-Eric

[infernalis]

There is no harm in offering rodents, or anything on your list as a staple food item.

[Pirarucu]

Is it safe then to feed rodents every day? The same being true for shrimp, crawfish and crabs?As long as your basking temps are up to snuff and you feed a varied diet of whole, organic prey items, you can feed almost anything. It also varies from monitor to monitor and their individual needs. Some will need more food, some will need less.

[EMAC1990]

Are thawed shrimp with shells on (still no heads unfortunately) from the seafood section sufficient?

Update: I actually just tong fed her the first pinkie successfully. I was very excited and went to go get more from the fridge. I over estimated her comfort level as she came out of the cracked door and got chased by my cat under a bookshelf. No harm done of course, but I think it is safe to say we took a few steps back... I didn't want to grab her aggressively so she ended exploring the whole apartment in my efforts to put her back.

[EMAC1990]

Should I just let her be for another few days (no attempts to tong feed)?

[jarich]

Personally I think crayfish are a little better than shrimp from the store, though admittedly probably not a big deal. You get the whole thing (the head is an important source of nutrients), and you dont have to worry about any human preservatives and other nonsense that might be added to them. Plus you normally get them live, so they are fresh and totally non degraded (seafood especially can break down when frozen for extended periods of time). Just a thought though, again probably not a big difference

[Pirarucu]

I agree, crayfish are the smarter choice if for no reason other than them being easy. They are like underwater roaches in that they breed like crazy and are easy to maintain. Plus, you can know that they are fresh and organic.