| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| xautomaticflowersx |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 21:19:48
I've been feeding Ripley every 5 days since I got him 4 weeks ago, which is going well. He's only refused to feed once and that was on the switch over from mice to rats, so it was understandable.
Well tonight I did the usual 'Meerkat Puppet Theatre' with the rat fluff on the end of tongs, he concentrated hard on the rat (as usual) and struck at it from about an inch away... totally missing it by about 3 inches to the side! As soon as he is about to strike I always stop wiggling the rat so it's not like he missed it cos I was moving it too much. So I kept the rat totally still, he struck again and missed it again by a mile. 
Third time lucky and he grabbed the rat... only just. He constricted it for ages and then just let it go. He hovered over the top of it with his tongue flicking away, looking all around the RUB and yawning. I noticed yesterday when I was handling him that he's got a slightly pink belly so could it be that he's going to shed soon... hence the rubbish feed? His eyes haven't gone blue yet though so I'd have thought he would be able to see OK to strike the rat. I'm sure it's nothing... he's probably just coming up to a shed, but I thought I'd double check with more experienced keepers.
I left the rat in his RUB and turned the light out in my room, so he might decide to chomp it down I guess. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| xautomaticflowersx |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 19:34:44
I use kitchen tongs... though I hasten to add they are no longer used in the kitchen!
I always defrost rodents in hot water, so he should have been able to see it. lol... there's just no excuse. |
| karl |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 10:28:55
nah, Sabine strikes so fast she forgets aim in lieu of speed, that's why I have two foot long tongs, lol |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 09:51:44
I'm with WS, superheat it with a hair dryer, then they will definitely 'see' it. |
| wolfspirit |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 09:38:03
lmao, royals are good at that, Sabine missed the other day and hit her log,,
even though i heat sometimes using a heat mat i still warm the head up with a hairdryer...
but saying that she still got the log instead of the food.. |
| xautomaticflowersx |
Posted - 11/10/2009 : 01:35:47
I let the rat warm up a bit on the heat mat, gently wiggled it in front of him... he missed it *again*. So I just put it almost against his snout and only *then* did he actually strike it successfully, constrict it and swallow it!
Ripley's obviously feeling extremely special tonight.  |
| xautomaticflowersx |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 23:03:56
Glad it's fairly typical for them to have rubbish aim! He's never missed before, so I wasn't expecting it.
Just checked him and he's sat in front of the rat, just staring at it! So I've taken it out and popped in on the heatmat on the outside of the RUB to warm up again. I'll try a bit more wiggling later and if he doesn't fancy it the ferrets can have it.
I thought that the pink belly thing was the sign of an upcoming shed, I seem to remember reading that somewhere on here. I'll look for blue eyes in the coming days/weeks. |
| kashie |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 22:36:17
Pink belly is a sign of a shed following.
I got a royal that misses 3 or 4 times before he gets it then he drops it and wanders off. I usually take it back out reheat it well, so his vision can pick it up better. It sometimes can take 2 or 3 reheats before he eventually find the head and gets it down properly.
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| hodgie |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 22:33:23
quote:
Originally posted by matty18714
Bad aim for a royal is nothing unusual.
My little karolina gets so excited that shes headbutted the side of the viv about 4 times now, misses by a mile i put it down to her being young and still learning. |
| matty18714 |
Posted - 10/10/2009 : 22:02:43
Bad aim for a royal is nothing unusual. |
