Bad habits can be hard to break.................

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Posted by Fred Albury on April 16, 2002 at 00:37:08:

In Reply to: Question posted by EVO on April 15, 2002 at 22:37:46:

: I just rescently got my first cribo. A black tail that wouldn't eat for the first 6 months that a friend of mine had him. I was able to get him to start eating fish and a duck then eventuly unscented rats. The other day when I tried to feed him he wanted nothing to do with the rat until I put a few lare commets in his bowl. He ate one then the rat, pooped in the water bowl and went to his hide box. I know that I am supposed to give him a varied diet but, is this normal for them to refuse something like that untill he had the fish, I mean if he wanted fish he could just as easly ate a few more. Also he is very lazy when it comes to food. He dosn't bash it to heck like I have read, instead he just crawles up to it and starts to swallow, is that normal? Forgive me for being so long winded but I am tired and am rambeling, also like I said this is my first cribo. So I will be picking your brains, if of course you let me. :)

: Thanks
: Eric

Eric,

Personally,I would try to get him off of the live fish diet as soon as possible. I reviewed the list of things you fed him and one included a Duck? I asume you mean a duckling. In my opinion that is not a good choice for a food item for cribos or indigos.

Snakes often get "Stuck" on whatever food item you feed them, refuseing anything else in preference to that one "Special" food item.
This put you at a disadvantage, because the type of food your feeding isnt convenient nor very sanitary?(Goldfish carry alot of diseases an bacteria, ducks are filthy as are chickens)

He may have been initially attracted to the scent of the fish and their movement. You never mentioned if the duck was alive, or if you fed the rats alive. The movement from the fish could be the draw.
Frankly, if you had allready gotten him on scented rats, then I would continue feeding him scented rats, prekilled(Never live) and after a period of time I would offer him unscented rats, after you had let him go for a while with no food at all. I would NOT give him either fish, ducks, nor anything else you didnt intend to keep feeding him for the rest of his life. Once he gets a taste of the fish , he may reject the rats and you will be right back to where you started at all over again. Break the cycle, let him go without food for a little while, then offer him pre killed scented rats.

Fred Albury
Aztec Reptiles

Follow Ups:

Re: Bad habits can be hard to break................. EVO 04/16/02 (4)
- Attn: EVO Thane 04/16/02 (2)
  - Re: Attn: EVO EVO 04/16/02 (1)
    - a thought... Doug T 04/17/02 (0)
- PS: I never feed live rats. n/p EVO 04/16/02 (0)

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: : I just rescently got my first cribo. A black tail that wouldn't eat for the first 6 months that a friend of mine had him. I was able to get him to start eating fish and a duck then eventuly unscented rats. The other day when I tried to feed him he wanted nothing to do with the rat until I put a few lare commets in his bowl. He ate one then the rat, pooped in the water bowl and went to his hide box. I know that I am supposed to give him a varied diet but, is this normal for them to refuse something like that untill he had the fish, I mean if he wanted fish he could just as easly ate a few more. Also he is very lazy when it comes to food. He dosn't bash it to heck like I have read, instead he just crawles up to it and starts to swallow, is that normal? Forgive me for being so long winded but I am tired and am rambeling, also like I said this is my first cribo. So I will be picking your brains, if of course you let me. :) : : Thanks : : Eric : Eric, : Personally,I would try to get him off of the live fish diet as soon as possible. I reviewed the list of things you fed him and one included a Duck? I asume you mean a duckling. In my opinion that is not a good choice for a food item for cribos or indigos. : Snakes often get "Stuck" on whatever food item you feed them, refuseing anything else in preference to that one "Special" food item. : This put you at a disadvantage, because the type of food your feeding isnt convenient nor very sanitary?(Goldfish carry alot of diseases an bacteria, ducks are filthy as are chickens) : He may have been initially attracted to the scent of the fish and their movement. You never mentioned if the duck was alive, or if you fed the rats alive. The movement from the fish could be the draw. : Frankly, if you had allready gotten him on scented rats, then I would continue feeding him scented rats, prekilled(Never live) and after a period of time I would offer him unscented rats, after you had let him go for a while with no food at all. I would NOT give him either fish, ducks, nor anything else you didnt intend to keep feeding him for the rest of his life. Once he gets a taste of the fish , he may reject the rats and you will be right back to where you started at all over again. Break the cycle, let him go without food for a little while, then offer him pre killed scented rats. : Fred Albury : Aztec Reptiles

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Bad habits can be hard to break.................

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