I have noticed fiew strange things. I've bought my melleri (wc) on the end of june. The first two monthes he used to eat quite a lot. Almost anything that it moves and passed near he used to show interest and hunting instinct. The strange thing is that after the antiparasites treatment (he has now no parasites) and with the incoming of the autumn he seems more lazy and, especially, he seems less more interested in food. He eats more or less every other day eating just something like 5-6 adult crickets or 2-3 locusts. What do you think ? Is it normal ? Could it be because of the season ? The other strange thing is that in the last three monthes he had something like 3-4 sheddings. At the moment he is not shedding, and seems a little bit more active, moving from one part of the cage to another and having losts of spotlamp bathes, but still not showing great interest in food. Could any melleri keeper tell me something about it ?
Melleri not eating as It suppose ?
- Thread starter napoleone
- Start date
Jimturner
Established Member
I'm no expert... Maybe the slowdown in feeding is due to de-worming, the parasites no longer taking their share of his energy might lead him to feel less hungry and able to maintain a healthy body weight on less food intake. My melleri all had several back to back sheds as well. I think they may have had a few incomplete/bad sheds during importation and once they settled into their new homes were able to slough off the built up skin. They all look much better, not so scared up now.
jessica
Avid Member
My Melleri have slowed down a bit with the weather change.
I did notice the WC I bought in September was ravenous when it came to food until s/he realized the food bin would be filled every day, now she eats every other day by her/his choice.
I also dewormed her/her which makes me wonder... if being parasite free they actually absorb all the nutrition they eat making it so they eat less to be sustained or satisfied.
Is your Melleri loosing weight? Is he/she defecating properly?
I did notice the WC I bought in September was ravenous when it came to food until s/he realized the food bin would be filled every day, now she eats every other day by her/his choice.
I also dewormed her/her which makes me wonder... if being parasite free they actually absorb all the nutrition they eat making it so they eat less to be sustained or satisfied.
Is your Melleri loosing weight? Is he/she defecating properly?
He doesn't seems to loose weight and he defecate properly. He is not totally mysinterested in food, for example he is more interested in locusts than in cricket (thats obvious, locusts are bigger). More interested in locusta Gregaria than in locusta migratoria (locusta gregaria is bright yellow while locusta migratoria is brown). Totally mysinterested in giant superworms. Anyway he eats, more or less, 3-4 locusts a day, and have a normal behaviour (moving around the cage from spot to the upper part of the tree, drinking etc etc) with relaxed bright skyn colour. Tis is a photo of june, when I took him:
jessica
Avid Member
He is beautiful!
They are always more attracted to bright colorful bugs, my guys will go after 20 tiny green banana roaches before they eat a proper sized cricket or other brown insects :rolleyes
Have you giving him a once over? Take him out make sure he doesn't have any unknown lesions (really check his feet)
There is a few reasons why he slowed down on is eating
1. He is satisfied and realizes that he no longer has to fend for food, it's now delivered right to his territory
2. Shedding can be uncomfortable the first several times after import
3. It is spring/summer in Africa. Being a WC he could be preparing for breeding season. I read on Melleri Discovery that they will eat eat eat then
slow down to search for a mate(male) or prepare breed.
I would check him out for lesions, keep track of his weight and offer food every other day rather then daily.
Hope this helps, he/she is beautiful
They are always more attracted to bright colorful bugs, my guys will go after 20 tiny green banana roaches before they eat a proper sized cricket or other brown insects :rolleyes
Have you giving him a once over? Take him out make sure he doesn't have any unknown lesions (really check his feet)
There is a few reasons why he slowed down on is eating
1. He is satisfied and realizes that he no longer has to fend for food, it's now delivered right to his territory
2. Shedding can be uncomfortable the first several times after import
3. It is spring/summer in Africa. Being a WC he could be preparing for breeding season. I read on Melleri Discovery that they will eat eat eat then
slow down to search for a mate(male) or prepare breed.
I would check him out for lesions, keep track of his weight and offer food every other day rather then daily.
Hope this helps, he/she is beautiful
