How to 'beef up' a kinyongia multituberculata.

stevenelvin

stevenelvin

New Member
Hello, I recently picked up a k. multi (adult male) and I noticed he was a bit slim/boney. So, I have been giving him extra water and offering him food until he refuses to eat (probobly about 10-12 small, gutloaded crickets daily) in an attempt to add on some 'meat'. Now, even though I have been giving him extra food, I have been carefull not to over suppliment him.

So, my question is, how can I get this guy up to weight fairly quickly without doing him any harm? I was thinking of adding worms to his diet (because I was told they are high in fat) once a week.

Let me know what you think.

Steve
 
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Whitby! Its a small world. It sounds like he's eating quite a bit. Is he w/c? If so, has he had a fecal test? Possible parasite infection? Worms are quite fatty and can cause inpaction if overused.

Where did you get him from?
 
jackscham said:
Whitby! Its a small world. It sounds like he's eating quite a bit. Is he w/c? If so, has he had a fecal test? Possible parasite infection? Worms are quite fatty and can cause inpaction if overused.

Where did you get him from?
Click to expand...

LOL! I never thought I'd hear of someone even close to my area on these forums.

Anyways, yes he is wild caught, and no he hasnt got a fecal exam dont yet.
Would you be able to suggest a vet that knows what theyre doing (local if possible) and give me a basic estimate of the cost? I would really like to get that out of the way.

As for the worm situation. If i was to add them into his diet, how often would you reccomend me feeding them to him? And what kind of worms?

I got him from the PJ pets in Pickering by the way.

Keep in mind that he has only been in my care for a few days
 
Hey Steven,

Congrats on your new addition! This is one of my favorite species that I have worked with. Of course I like anything Kinyongia:D

Giving him ample water (WC or even a healthy captive) is a must. This species loves to drink! Of course you want to let the enclosure dry out between each watering. Using a humidifier in the room or a properly set up terrarium would be best for this species. They like it humid and will not need watered as much in these situations. They do not loose water as quick when it is humid and the water does not evaporate off of the plants as quickly, giving it a longer opportunity to drink.

How scrawny does he look? Can you get a few pictures? I cant really reply on how much to feed without seeing him. Sounds like he is hungry though. I do not think you want to power feed him to get him back to weight super quick. I can see offering more feeders but not over doing it;)

What types of worms are you trying to feed. A few butter worms would be good for this situation if he is interested in worms. Wax worms could be thrown in here and there but I would not over do them. He needs more nutrition than what you can get into those types of worms. Crickets and roaches are the best, IMO, commercially available insects for devouring a home made gut loads full of different fruits and veggies. Crix/roaches, good gutload, along with some worms here and there is how I would approach it.

Have you read any articles on the species? I can send some links and articles through email if you PM me your address.:)
 
Cainschams said:
Hey Steven,

Congrats on your new addition! This is one of my favorite species that I have worked with. Of course I like anything Kinyongia:D

Giving him ample water (WC or even a healthy captive) is a must. This species loves to drink! Of course you want to let the enclosure dry out between each watering. Using a humidifier in the room or a properly set up terrarium would be best for this species. They like it humid and will not need watered as much in these situations. They do not loose water as quick when it is humid and the water does not evaporate off of the plants as quickly, giving it a longer opportunity to drink.

How scrawny does he look? Can you get a few pictures? I cant really reply on how much to feed without seeing him. Sounds like he is hungry though. I do not think you want to power feed him to get him back to weight super quick. I can see offering more feeders but not over doing it;)

What types of worms are you trying to feed. A few butter worms would be good for this situation if he is interested in worms. Wax worms could be thrown in here and there but I would not over do them. He needs more nutrition than what you can get into those types of worms. Crickets and roaches are the best, IMO, commercially available insects for devouring a home made gut loads full of different fruits and veggies. Crix/roaches, good gutload, along with some worms here and there is how I would approach it.

Have you read any articles on the species? I can send some links and articles through email if you PM me your address.:)
Click to expand...

He is not horribly skinny at all. His ribs aren't poking out or anything (they arent seen until he stretches out), but his back (not the crest) and leg bones are detectable when he is at rest. I just want him up to optimal weight. I will try and get pics today.

As for the worms, I haven't offered him any yet, I wanted to see what the 'experts' had to say about it before I just went ahead and did it. ;)

Also, Cainschams, I'm not forcefeeding him or anything (incase you were worried), he only eats what he wants.

As for articles, I read up on enlosures and such but I don't know too much on the subject of feeding. I do know they like crickets! lol.
 
You cant really see it because of the quality. But it does show that hes not in 'bad' condition at all. He's just a bit under weight.
 
From what I can see in that picture he looks really good already. It is not the best pic though, as you said:p

I do not use a scale:eek: But I do look at other signs that they are of decent weight. One thing is that multis fat pads on the casque should not be all bulgy like you see a lot of the panthers and possibly some multis. It should not be severely sunken either though. Also the tail is a good spot to check. The files I will send you will have plenty of pictures of healthy animals to compare;)

Are his cheeks flush, bulgy or sunken? They should be somewhat bulgy but not chubby cheeks.

I cant really get a size comparison from the picture but he does appear to not be a full grown adult. Which is good for longevity and acclimating.

If it were me I would keep him to around 6 appropriate sized bugs or equivalent to every other day. Even skipping 2 days here and there is not bad on this schedule. That is if he is as healthy as it seems on the picture. Worms are good for him but make sure to keep giving him a nice variety. Also use worms that are more healthy unlike wax worms.
 
I used to. It's been my account since I was 10-12 years old.

Anyways, from what I can tell his cheeks are pretty flat, maybe a bit indented. I had to look real hard to even tell though. Maybe its my eyes playing tricks on me...

His casque doesn't seem bad at all. Its not bulging and its not severly sunken in either.
 
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Ill stick to your suggested schedule and give you updates whenever possible.

Thanks for all your help Cainschams!

Steve
 
Cool! I am trying to get my washed up butt back into it. Just something about eating concrete that I dont like:rolleyes:

I would need clearer pictures to look at the cheeks but you can see plenty of good pics to compare with in the files I sent. The feeding schedule I gave you is what I do with my animals give or take. Some might need a few more feeders a week to keep a good appearance and others less. Just got to get a feel for the individual animal itself.

He looks good in the pic so I am sure he will acclimate well for you. Do keep me posted and feel free to ask any questions!
 
Hey Steve, great title to get my attention. Whenever I see anything with Kinyongia in the title, I always poke my nose around.

Sounds like you're doing well. Good going on being proactive with his care. We give you props for putting yourself out there. Cain has already given you great tips that I agree with. Keep us posted and good luck with your long-nosed fellow!
 
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