[Mathiaschr]

Hi i got 2.1 Nephrurus amyae in a trade, they are my first Nephrurus.

The males are doing great and eat very well.

But i got a problem - the female is not in the best shape, and shes not really interested in food. Shes taken 2 food items so far in a week.

I keep them all seperately and in the same way.

any tips and tricks to get her to feed?

thanks!

[mummabear]

I'm not going to go into all the possible underlying reasons as I'm no expert. Ill just give the basic tricks i know. Cutting the back legs off if feeding crickets. Only putting one or 2 food items in at a time so insects don't scare her. Offer food every 2nd or 3rd day to make sure she is hungry. I have heard spraying before feeding but never tried this. Feed her then turn the lights off an leave her alone. Try different types of food eg moths, woodys, crickets, grasshoppers etc.

[diplodactyla]

I only have a baby amyae but in a few days i've discovered some things:

even if baby, she eats only every other day (so an adult eating twice a week is normal), she dislikes too fast insects (lateralis) and worms (mealworms and superworms). She loves huge dubias, i give her only one big dubia per meal and I wait to see that she defecates to give another one or two days later.

[gothra]

I half bury a food dish (shallow container) in the sand, then leave 4-5 crickets (without jump legs) in there overnight. The gecko will see the crickets whenever it walk near the area. This worked for both my amyae and levis.

[meisen]

IME it can take some time for newly aquired Nephrurus to settle in as well. She could just be getting used to her new surroundings.

FWIW, my female amyae didnt eat for a week and then only 1-2 crickets (subadult female) at night with me long gone from the cage. She still has never eaten in front of me unless she's in her hide and I send a dubia or cricket in there. The male's temperment is much more mellow, he eats in front of me all the time.

Resist the temptation to check on them/handle them and generally mess around with them (which is hard, they are awesome to have out and handle!!) and your animals will eat with proper conditions otherwise. I'd like to hold back some hatchlings next year just so I can have a couple animals to handle without worrying about breeding/stress/going off feed etc.