Help with Weight of my Leo please?

[CWilson13]

So, just to confirm what Todd said, Apollo loved the Horn Worms... I made the mistake of giving him one of those before his Phoenix Worms... He wanted no part of them after the Horn worm lol

Edit: After about 5min he did go after the Phoenix Worms. Though he ate only 4 and retreated to a hide. Going to check back in 20-30 to see if he eats more.

 

[amsdadtodd]

They do get spoiled on hornworms, but they are so nutritious that it's certainly worth feeding with them! I really believe they saved one of my girls life!

 

[CWilson13]

Good to know they are nutritious and not just a colorful wax worm. I need to go look for the guide on nutritional values of feeders again. Probably will print it out this time so I can keep it with the notebook I have for him. I have been keeping track of each feeding, defecating and shedding schedules, his weight, and his general behavior. I figured since I always did it for my snakes in the past, I should do it for him also.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Partial hornworm analysis
Protein: 9%
Fat: 3.07%
Calcium: 46.4mg/100mg
Moisture: 85%

 

[CWilson13]

So, while running late for work I didn't have time to change the cold packs in the insect cooler... Wife forgot to do it too... I now have a few Hornworms the size of my index finger. Guess I will be trying to breed them after all :coverlaugh: Apollo still prefers them over everything else though. Sadly I have been sick this unable to check his weight.

 

[CWilson13]

Also, back to the original reason for this thread, at the expo I saw many adult Leos. After paying close attention to which had Giant genes and those who didn't, I am now estimating Apollo to barely be a year old, if even that. Also, I do think he may have come from a breeder as he definitely enjoys hand (rubber tipped tweezers) feeding. After the latest Hornworms I swear, he walked over to the front of the tank, and gave me a "Thank you!" look

 

[amsdadtodd]

All four of mine enjoy hand feeding, but I also want to encourage the hunting instinct, so I do both. Oh, and when I say hand feeding, I mean that in the literal sense! I use this practice to keep tabs on their health. I figure that if I can keep track of the strength of their bite then it's just one more way to monitor their health!

Todd

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

So, while running late for work I didn't have time to change the cold packs in the insect cooler... Wife forgot to do it too... I now have a few Hornworms the size of my index finger. Guess I will be trying to breed them after all :coverlaugh: Apollo still prefers them over everything else though. Sadly I have been sick this unable to check his weight.

Were the Phoenix worms OK?

Perhaps you can find a good deal on a wine cooler on Craigslist for your hornworms and Phoenix worms?

Get well soon, Cory.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

All four of mine enjoy hand feeding, but I also want to encourage the hunting instinct, so I do both. Oh, and when I say hand feeding, I mean that in the literal sense! I use this practice to keep tabs on their health. I figure that if I can keep track of the strength of their bite then it's just one more way to monitor their health!

Todd

Some leos' bites are strong enough to draw blood! :/

 

[amsdadtodd]

Some leos' bites are strong enough to draw blood! :/

I'm told that, but haven't yet experienced it! I keep a big jug of anti-bacterial hand cleaner and a first aid kit in my herp room though, so I'm prepared for that possibility! Since I won't keep any "hot" animals, I feel safe with a very hands on approach! I have only had one of my reptiles draw blood, one of my boa's got me by surprise while still in feeding mode. Oh, I should also mention, I do use tongs to feed my boas! Even I have my limits!

Todd

 

[CWilson13]

I am not ready to try literal hand feeding, did it years ago with my 7ft Red Tail and it was waaaay too close for comfort. Luckily he never got me though.
With Apollo and Pandora (My Rainbow Boa) they both are still getting used to me. So I want to move at their speed. I rarely use tongs for Apollo, but I had to try, plus I crush the mouths of the Supers, just in case.
Luckily nearly all the Hornworms and all of the Phoenix were fine. It just seemed to be the 3 Hornworms. I have been looking on Craig's list for a few things, adding a wine cooler or mini-fridge would be a good idea Thanks!

 

[CWilson13]

Also, thank you for the well wishes Elizabeth I am already getting better. Despite the weather we are having.

 

[amsdadtodd]

A quick follow on to the hand-feeding discussion! I gave my Hopper the last hornworm from the current batch this afternoon, and did so by hand. She gnawed at my finger a bit before latching onto the worm. Her bite is getting quite strong and I admired her persistence! Still no blood, but she was really laying into me!

Todd

 

[CWilson13]

How old is Hopper? Funny story, today I was about to re-moisten Apollos humid hide, as usual I put my finger in front of him so he would know I'm there. This time however, he gave it the hunter stare and tilted his head. He does the exact same thing before grabbing his food. Kind of worried me a bit. It was adorable though. Also might be from him getting to watch the massive Hornworms keep growing. I swear he thinks he could eat them the way he stares.

 

[amsdadtodd]

she's coming up on a year and a half, but had a health/feeding issue which slowed her growth.

Hornworms are pretty juicy, he probably could eat one of the large ones without a problem. Not suggesting you try, just saying it may not be an issue.

Todd

 

[AlphaWolf]

Just kind of hopping into this conversation- but I have a female Leopard Gecko who I bought back in June from a reputable reptile store in the area. To relate to your first post, she seems to have a more streamlined body type (she isn't skinny, though, I feed her well), and weighs approximately 40 grams. I'm not sure on her age, but she's around 6-inches long.

I currently am feeding her dubia roaches and mealworms (both are fed with the Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food, butternut squash, carrots, apples, collard greens, and kale). I must say, she is a very happy girl!

The thing I appreciate most about dubias is that they don't carry as many parasites which = less chance. I'm hoping we can go through our "Leopard Gecko" experience together and share the experiences occurring with each other.

My Leopard Gecko seems to be a lot more crazy for food than others I've seen. Even on the first day I got her she ate tons, and has never turned down food.

I'm hoping to try phoenix worms and superworms soon to add variety to Piglet's diet.

 

[CWilson13]

Aww poor Hopper It's good to hear that she is doing better now though Todd As far as the big Hornworms go... they are pushing close to 5in long and quite fat as well. As fun as it would be to see him tear into them, I am worried he would try to swallow the worm whole like he does with the Phoenix and did with the smaller Hornworms. I am hoping the chow they have can sustain them long enough for them to start pupating. I think I am going to try to breed them. Hopefully out of the 3 I am letting grow, I get 2 females and 1 male. Figure that will give me a chance at getting some eggs.

 

[CWilson13]

Just kind of hopping into this conversation- but I have a female Leopard Gecko who I bought back in June from a reputable reptile store in the area. To relate to your first post, she seems to have a more streamlined body type (she isn't skinny, though, I feed her well), and weighs approximately 40 grams. I'm not sure on her age, but she's around 6-inches long.

I currently am feeding her dubia roaches and mealworms (both are fed with the Natural Adult Bearded Dragon Food, butternut squash, carrots, apples, collard greens, and kale). I must say, she is a very happy girl!

The thing I appreciate most about dubias is that they don't carry as many parasites which = less chance. I'm hoping we can go through our "Leopard Gecko" experience together and share the experiences occurring with each other.

My Leopard Gecko seems to be a lot more crazy for food than others I've seen. Even on the first day I got her she ate tons, and has never turned down food.

I'm hoping to try phoenix worms and superworms soon to add variety to Piglet's diet.

Yeah, Apollo may be a more slim build long term. He is now up to 56g as of yesterday though. Getting closer to the 60g goal.
Congratulations on the new friend by the way! I still am looking to try Dubias, have not found any in the area to purchase so I am going to end up ordering online. Apollo is a piggy too. He eats between 15-20 Phoenix worms without flinching. The other day he ate 15 Phoenix and 4 of the Hornworms.
I do recommend getting the Large Phoenix worms and depending on where you get the Supers from, possibly the small ones. The medium ones I have are still quite large. Nice choice on gutloading though! I use the Beardie food and still have some mixed greens for the supers. Going to be getting more greens soon though. Might try the squash too, since that has moisture, I can eliminate the carrot slices.
I think sharing our experiences would be great! Seems that it could only help us both learn more about these fantastic little Herps.

 

[amsdadtodd]

Aww poor Hopper It's good to hear that she is doing better now though Todd As far as the big Hornworms go... they are pushing close to 5in long and quite fat as well. As fun as it would be to see him tear into them, I am worried he would try to swallow the worm whole like he does with the Phoenix and did with the smaller Hornworms. I am hoping the chow they have can sustain them long enough for them to start pupating. I think I am going to try to breed them. Hopefully out of the 3 I am letting grow, I get 2 females and 1 male. Figure that will give me a chance at getting some eggs.

Good luck with the breeding project, Cory. My friend decided not to give it a shot after all, once he found how involved the process is.

 

[CWilson13]

Thanks, yeah it sounds like it might be a lot of work. But with Winter fast approaching I will have plenty of time on my hands. May as we use it productively