baby food for tokay? really?

TroyL · #1 03-12-2011, 09:31 PM

So I went to my local pet shop. I pick up all my feeders from this shop till my roach colony is big enough to feed from. Anyways I was talking about my tokay with the reptile guy there. He told me that my tokay will eat baby food if offerd. I just nodded and said oh cool. Tokays don''t eat from a bowl do they? I thought they only went after prey that was moving. Is this guy full of crap or will a tokay eat baby fruit? I have done tons of reading and I know cresties will eat it and love it. But never read anything anywhere that Tokays will eat it.
I need your input on this. I think the guy is full of crap but then I could be wrong.

Troy

Lordoftheswarms · #2 03-12-2011, 11:49 PM

Cresties will eat it because it's sweet, not because it is nutritious. It is lacking Calcium and vitamin D3, so most animals that are fed baby food develop metabolic bone disease.

Also, animals that are fed baby food will not switch to repashy unless you make it a lot sweeter with jams and honey and fresh fruit, as I do anyway.

I've seen it advertised that the Gekko genus can take it, but only opportunistically as a supplement. It is not meant as a meal replacement for Gekko at all.

TroyL · #3 03-13-2011, 12:06 AM

I didnt even think they would take it in all honesty. I have/had no plans to even try to get mine to eat it. I was more curious as to if it was actually true or not.

Troy

norea · #4 03-13-2011, 12:09 AM

well u can always google since u just wanted to know whether u or the guy is full of crap... :P

Lordoftheswarms · #5 03-13-2011, 01:02 AM

Apparently a lot of the animals that we think of as insectivorous are really opportunistic feeders, that will take fermenting fruit, other plants, mice, other lizards, etc. I have a panther that nibbles on the garlic chives I have in his cage.

Dsaberton · #6 03-13-2011, 09:25 AM

i have tried it several times for my G. Gekko. Ive tried various fruits and baby foods with no luck. They are just so blood thirsty that is has to be moving so they can kill it i guess.

I have danlged small peices of chicken and steak in front of them with forceps though, and they went freaking insane for it. they have also eaten frozen mice before.

I'm willing to bet that if somehow you could dangle baby food in front of them, they would eat it, because it appears to be moving. They have also learned that the forceps carry food. perhaps if you carry a very small scoop of it with the forceps they will be inclined to accept it if you commonly feed yours using that method.

thehotchik1000 · #7 03-18-2011, 01:34 AM

I doubt they'll eat it even if dangled. Wild toks may be opportunistic but they'd have to be darn hungry to eat baby food. And captive animals aren't in that position or shouldnt be anyways. It's really just unnessesary. Pureed natural fruit may be a nice option placed in the cage, I wouldn't use baby food bc it's all sugar. But in the end tokays reley heavily on movement for prey. Fruit doesn't move. I wouldnt take advice from anyone suggesting babyfood for any animal, and they should know it's terrible for them. It used to be a popular suggestion as food for cresteds. Until the cresteds started having serious issues bc of it.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #8 03-18-2011, 10:56 AM

One thing that people need to keep in mind is that just because an animal WILL eat something, doesn't make it good for them. My dog WILL eat tons of chocolate if given the opportunity. But, as we all know, chocolate is toxic to dogs and can kill them.

So, next time you hear someone say that a gecko WILL eat something...remember that doesn't make it appropriate for them to eat.

Toomanycars · #9 03-20-2011, 11:45 PM

I have 4 tokays and since i have a 9 month old son I have baby food around .. I feed gut loaded crickets and roaches but I will put a small dish of a baby food in there just to see i the guy was full of crap for ya

.. I wouldent think it would hurt them unless it is the only thing they are fed ..