Feeding pinkies???

[geckoejon]

Hello,

I am looking for some experience, feedback, and thoughts about feeding adult nephrurus, particularly adult females, pinky mice. I have read that some people swear by them to help bulk up a little at breeding time. I have read other post that say its bad because "they can't properly digest bones" and ect... The latter I'm iffy about, because they are know to eat other geckos in the wild which have bones.

Thoughts? Experience? Feedback?

Thanks!
Jonathan

 

[UrolithicTitan]

Whilst some keepers may swear by it, the way I look at is that, in the wild, how likely is it for Nephrurus sp. to come across a small enough mammalian that they can eat? The chance of this happening is very slim, therefore, they have have most likely not evolved to properly process mammalian lipids. Because of this, while it may fatten up a gecko, who knows if the way in which the gecko is storing the fat is harmful. For example fatty liver pockets.

I cannot personally see the point in feeding a genus that has evolved to process mainly invertebrate nutrients, a mammalian prey item. Many breeders have shown that as long as you give your female(s) a rest period, keep them properly hydrated and within the correct temperature parameters, then a purely insectivorous diet can allow them to maintain an adequate weight and, in my opinion, a much healthier life long term.

It would be nice to see an article written about this issue with details of autopsies done on specimens from both ends of the spectrum.

 

[geckoejon]

i believe that the odds of a nephrurus in the wild coming across a small mammal or mouse babies might be decent. there are numerous native small rodents in australia such as silky mouse, the pebble mound mouse and the stick nest rat. with a quick google search, i even found a "mouse plague"

Mouse plague is threatening south-eastern Australia

they are also known to eat other geckos which contain bones.

do they eat them in the wild? i'm not sure, but it seems like there is that possibility.

i will agree that i would like to hear people's experience with feeding with and without though.

i disagree about the evolving part though. i believe in creation not evolution :biggrin:

jonathan

 

[Douceboyz]

I've tried feeding my female amyae a pinky and she didn't want anything to do with it. Now whenever I put one in her tank she actively avoids it, so I say why bother if she gets everything she needs from the insects. Whether you believe in creation or abide by the principles of evolutionary theory is irrelevant you should always consider the natural environment of the species you keep. However, I do agree that they should be able to digest a pinky mouse just fine.

 

[geckoejon]

agreed.... thanks for the feedback.
jonathan

 

[oli]

They are great for actively producing females. I've used them for years without any ill effects. I am not excessively feeding them rodents like these, but twice during the breeding season helps the female keep her size and weight. I've fed pygmy mouse pinks to smaller species such as levis, and newly born rat pups to species like amyae. Sometimes they won't eat them the first time they encounter them, but usually after seeing them a few times my females usually eat them. My males don't really have any interest, and they wouldn't benefit too much from them anyways. Protein from flesh is very healthy. Meat like this contains all kinds of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, etc which can only benefit the animal in moderation.