A Visitor! (ATB)

I have taken in a small ATB to help out a friend. He picked it up at the Columbia Repticon Hot Show back in November. It had not eaten for him yet and was starting to show the effects. I personally think it was a non eater, but who knows. The vendor told him it was eating mouse tails? They did drop the price for him, but I am not sure what they go for as a baby so I am not if it was a "deal" or not. I will get better photos with my camera later.



I learned a new phrase while reading about Amazon Tree Boas. I had never heard of an "Indian Pinky", which is a pinky scented with bird feathers. I tried it, but at first thought my fuzzy was a little too large since it didnt eat it. It did check it out, and I thought it was working, but after a quick inspection, nothing. I knew I had a few mice ready to drop pinks any day, so I was going to try again with a day old pink. I dipped the same live fuzzy in raw egg and I think it worked. I only checked it quickly this morning when I turned the light on. The fuzzy was not in the small plastic cup and the boa was curled up pretty tight so I didnt bother it. I will check again when I go home, but am prety surre it ate it. I am pretty pumped up about it as my buddy has been trying for around 5 weeks to get it to eat.



Anyone else that keeps them feel free to chme in with advice.

(I just seen the link in the recent thread. I should have that copy at home, but will print a copy as well)

Good luck with him/her!

cute baby, I hope it continues to thrive and eat for you! Babies can be pretty hard to get started but once they do go, they usually stick with it.

I received a baby recently that was slow for the breeder but finally took f/t a few times, then when I got it, went off feed and eventually would only take live pinks, finally got it back over to f/t.. the trick with that one was to make sure the prey was very small (newborns), it was getting intimidated by the larger pinks (live or f/t). Amazons tend to do better with showing them the pink, then slowly moving it away from them, so they start following it, then if they can rest their body on a ledge or edge of perch, strike and coil. Tapping them with it on the head seems to frighten then, if you do tease feed, try tapping on the sides, this is a nice vid that was posted showing this technique, made by GHI reptiles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTc1_EUZ28

If it's wc I would recommend getting a fecal check for parasites.

Looks like it should turn into a nice heavy patterned yellow!

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Amazons tend to do better with showing them the pink, then slowly moving it away from them, so they start following it, then if they can rest their body on a ledge or edge of perch, strike and coil.

That's interesting April, as it works also for my Fiji Boas (who are pretty arboreal a lot of the time) - different species and different food animals, but same technique - show it and then drag it a little way off gets the reluctant ones interested. I also find that they prefer to look down on their food animals rather than up at them.

Wonder if it's an arboreal thing or if it works for all species?

How is this little one coming along? Have you gotten it eating regularly?