[DeepSeaKitten]

I'm noticing my male tokay is starting to look a bit thin. I've had him about 2 weeks.. He is full grown and the female in the cage with him is eating a lot. I notice that the feeding dish I have in the cage has 2 different sets of foot prints (from stepping in the bananas I mash up for them) going in and out when I wash it.... What can I do to promote eating??? The cage is kept at 80 degrees & 80% humidity pretty consistently. Thanks

[Riverside Reptiles]

Have you bothered to have a fecal sample checked for parasites since getting him? Also, he may be stressed from being in with the female, especially since you brought him straight home and tossed him in with her with no acclimation or quarantine period. You should likely separate them. If he is sick, you are now putting your female at risk as well. Are you still trying to feed him peanut butter? He'd likely feed a lot better on the foods that he'd eat in the wild such as roaches and crickets.

[Tokayy]

You should seperate them. Your tokay is provbable nervous and hasn't had time to get use to any environment and is doing so with a female around. Seperation is a smart move. Also feed him crickets other feeders that they would incur. As they are seperated, it will ensure that your male will eat the food within his cage.

[aquamentus_11]

Will they eat fruit like that?

[Tokayy]

I never tried feeding fruit. I stick to crickets that are gutloaded and dusted with calcium once and a while. Roaches are also good, I don't use them because they are not easily accessible for me.

[DeepSeaKitten]

The sweets only go in there like 2-3xa week in a little drink lid (& female loves it!), but they step in it when they eat the crickets. I put like 15 in at a time. I feeshave waxworms and kingI worms, too... Ill separate them thou.

[Riverside Reptiles]

Nate, some tokay have been known to eat small amounts of fruit, but they aren't really frugivorous. They're insectivores and for the most part should be treated as such.

[aquamentus_11]

do they gain any benefit from eating fruit once in awhile? being insectivores, i would assume that they make their own Vit C

[Riverside Reptiles]

I don't think there's any real benefits. Tokay, like many herps are opportunists and if hungry enough will eat whatever they can get hold of. But just because they eat it, doesn't make it good for them. I certainly wouldn't suggest feeding peanut butter etc. A varied diet is a good thing, but that doesn't mean to vary it beyond what's natural.

[Tokayy]

Originally Posted by Riverside Reptiles

I don't think there's any real benefits. Tokay, like many herps are opportunists and if hungry enough will eat whatever they can get hold of. But just because they eat it, doesn't make it good for them. I certainly wouldn't suggest feeding peanut butter etc. A varied diet is a good thing, but that doesn't mean to vary it beyond what's natural.

Just like pinkie mice. Tokay's will eat em, just has minimal nutritional value for them and is likely to cause health issues.