HELP - Tokay Gecko has eating issues

[woodar]

Hello all,

I'm acquiring a female Tokay from someone who rescued her from a bad situation. The Tokay was emaciated and had an open wound - it is now back to a normal weight and the wound is healed, but the gecko is quite obviously afraid of humans and will not eat live crickets or mealworms. It is currently being fed f/t pinkie mice with tongs.

I currently have a colony of dubia I would like to try with her, but am not sure what the best method is of feeding? Should I stick with tongs? I would like her to eventually be more comfortable with things such as mealworms in a dish, but am unsure how to help her feel more comfortable with the idea.

If anyone has any advice on how to get her to be more trusting of human interaction and help with feeding tips, it would be VERY helpful!



Thanks!

 

[Aimless]

I've tong-fed dubias to Tokays. there's no reason you can't start there. just try not to squish them too much with the tongs.

 

[woodar]

Thank you! I will definitely try that to see if she takes to them...

I've tong-fed dubias to Tokays. there's no reason you can't start there. just try not to squish them too much with the tongs.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

I'd put the dubia in jar or gladware type container that they can't crawl out of. That way, they can't bury themselves and you don't have to stress the tokay by tong feeding it all the time. You can count how many roaches you put in (ie ten), leave it over night, and count how many are left in the morning to see how much she really eats. It might take her a few days to figure out the jar/gladware thing. But they adjust to it quickly usually. Just make sure to see it so it doesn't tip over if she dive bombs the food inside.

 

[woodar]

That seems like a good idea. I do that with my Crested whenever I give him bugs...He seems to love it! Hopefully, she will catch on...I just feel bad that i would have to stress her out by tong-feeding so I'm glad you suggested this. It seems much less invasive into her enclosure.

I'd put the dubia in jar or gladware type container that they can't crawl out of. That way, they can't bury themselves and you don't have to stress the tokay by tong feeding it all the time. You can count how many roaches you put in (ie ten), leave it over night, and count how many are left in the morning to see how much she really eats. It might take her a few days to figure out the jar/gladware thing. But they adjust to it quickly usually. Just make sure to see it so it doesn't tip over if she dive bombs the food inside.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Yeah, they'll climb right in to get to the food no problem. They're very active hunters and they're smart. So once they learn to go there for food, they'll continue to do it every night. I like using gladware type containers in particular because it's gentle on their nose if they dive bomb in.

 

[zuper8]

My gecko dive bombs (lol) into a gladware container. It used to spook her when it would shift/ tip over so I secured the container to the glass with packing tape. Made her much more eager to eat out of it.

 

[woodar]

had her for two days now...got her to trust my hand near her, but still won't eat from a dish. Suggestions???

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

My suggestion is to put the food in a dish and leave her alone for a few days. She'll figure it out. Tokays are very smart geckos and active hunters. Once they learn that the routine is to get food from the container, they'll keep going back there for more.

 

[billewicz]

Also, don't bother with the meal worms. Tokay just do not seem to like them at all. Also, wild caught Tokay, and Tokay in general like prey that moves to trigger their feeding response.

I have some that will pound dubia, but most will not unless they are moving/skittering about. They will chase rusty reds and dusted crickets. Also, if you can get Goliath worms, most Tokay will shred them.

I'll feed dusted crickets just before dark. The white crickets seem easier to see and usually go fast. Rusty red roaches never stop moving at night. They really get Tokay to jump on them.

Good luck,

Michael

Michael's Tokay Hoard @ www.billewicz.com

 

[woodar]

Just ordered some Rusty Red roaches....i have Dubia, but she seems entirely uninterested in them! I have been putting roaches in every night and taking them out during the day, but to no avail....

I don't have anywhere local to get hornworms/goliath worms ---> would phoenix worms work? I order them from time to time for my beardie and I know that they are really good source of calcium too!

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

You can try phoenix worms but worms in general don't seem to stimulate the feed drive in tokay very well. Mine really like lobster roaches because they're big and they move around a lot and can climb. They're also very inexpensive and breed quickly. But, since they can climb, they're a little tougher to work with than the non-climbing species of roaches.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Keep in mind also that you've not had her for very long. It's going to take her some time to acclimate to her new environment. Also, make sure that all husbandry needs are being address properly. If she's too cold, etc she isn't going to have a normal feeding response. Something else to consider is that she's likely loaded with parasites. This can affect appetite as well.

 

[billewicz]

Just ordered some Rusty Red roaches....i have Dubia, but she seems entirely uninterested in them! I have been putting roaches in every night and taking them out during the day, but to no avail....

I don't have anywhere local to get hornworms/goliath worms ---> would phoenix worms work? I order them from time to time for my beardie and I know that they are really good source of calcium too!

You can try, but I would not hold my breathe. Tokay tend to chase moving insects, especially ones typically found running up walls and trees. Grubs are the domain of ground dwellers.

Have fun with the Rusty's, they're fast.