HELP!! What is going on?

[MollyT]

My little guy just started eating his breakfast(1/8 to 1/4 crix). He caught the first one and has just been sitting there holding it in his mouth for probably 5 minutes now. What does this mean? Should I be worried. He usually chews them up normally, and I have never seen him do this. Anyone know what this might be?

 

[Decadancin]

Is he hunting for them or cup fed? Sometimes they will pick up something along with the cricket (a leaf or substrate) and not quite know what to do. My guy is cup fed and I have the crickets on some kale in the cup. Once in a while he will snatch a cricket and a leaf! It does take him a while to decide what to do.

 

[MollyT]

I have been both cup and free range feeding, but when this happened he was cup feeding. He really held it in his mouth for a really long time. He eventually swallowed it though, and didn't seem to have any trouble getting it down. It was on the bigger side, but it wasn't bigger than the space between his eyes(which I always read was a good rule of thumb). He didn't eat anymore either. Just that one cricket.

 

[laurie]

I have had some of mine do that all the way to after they were adults, never known it to be a problem. I always wonder, it that cricket so good they want to savor it, or so bad they have to decide to go ahead and eat it.

 

[MollyT]

Ok, good! Thanks, Laurie! Good to know he's not the only one.

 

[macdaddy]

I have seen my Ambilobe do this with some of the larger crickets he catches. I have watched him and it almost appears like they are choking the crickets under, similar to what you would see from many wild predators. I would probably do it myself if it would keep them from kicking and scratching on the way down!

 

[MollyT]

Interesting! I never thought of it that way. That's pretty cool!

 

[UserName336]

My guy does it as well. He does it a few times a week. I've seen him do it with smaller ones as well as larger ones. I feel like it might be a taste thing. Or could be like others have mentioned with them trying to kill it so its not squirming and kicking on the way down.

 

[lysinlight87]

Is he hunting for them or cup fed? Sometimes they will pick up something along with the cricket (a leaf or substrate) and not quite know what to do. My guy is cup fed and I have the crickets on some kale in the cup. Once in a while he will snatch a cricket and a leaf! It does take him a while to decide what to do.

Aw, my boy did this the other day when I free-ranged locusts. I think he was a bit upset when he realised he had to release both the locust and the leaf

 

[lisagr07]

ha, here's Krayola doing just what you describe. he sat there for a couple of minutes before he scarfed it down...