Help! My Skinky is picky!

[MbMachine07]

My skink won't eat anything but superworms! I tried silk worms, butter worms, cabbage, broccoli, and pretty much everything else under the sun. He will eat blackberries and blueberries and when I try to mash it up with the greens he won't eat it . I've been putting a multi vitamin on his worms with a calcium supplement but I don't feel like that's a proper supplement when not eating greens. Anyone have any advice for a picky skink?

Thank you!

[NOP]

From what i understand a great way to deal with picky eaters is a can-o-snails or any kind of Snails....keep in mind though this is just what i have researched as i have not picked up my skink yet and have no experience with them

[Fatal_S]

Stop feeding him the worms. Offer only a healthy diet. Don't give in. You can outlast him. If they get hungry they eat whatever is offered.

[MbMachine07]

I went almost two weeks and he still wouldn't eat it...should I just be stubborn and wait as long as it takes to force him to eat it?

[Linnea]

two weeks is nothing. you can easily wait two months and not be worried at all, unless of course your skink drops a lot of weight, but it shouldnt.
of course there should always be water.

offer once a week.

you should definitely be stubborn. mix the dogfood well with the chopped up/mashed veggies.

oh, and about cabbage, you may wanna try other veggies with higher vitamin content

[MbMachine07]

carrots, squash, spinach... man i've tried EVERYTHING lol trust me. Really? They can go a month without food? Am I feeding mine too much? lol

[Linnea]

if your skink is an adult and is well fed, he should last as long as my skink has. my skink has barely eaten anything in 4 months, he is just starting to accept meals again now after winter, which of course makes me very happy.

an adult bts can have different feeding schedules, but it is not unlikely it will not eat more than once a week. i feed once every 3-4 days, and some on the forum once a week to help build an appetite.

if your skink is a juvenile you will have to wait for more experienced owners to answer, im sorry, ive only had an adult skink (though he was still growing when i got him)

squash is excellent t mix in. spinach contains a lot of a cerrtain substance that can be harmful in large amounts, so dont keep it as a too regular feeder.
mustard greens, collard greens and such are excellent as well just keep mixing till it works.

check out the forums excellent little food chart with good greens and directions~~

[skeetersmom]

When I got my skink, he ate eggs, bannanas, and dog food 2-3 times a week! He balked at everything healthy; roaches, tomato worms, snails and all greens.

I picked up a small black&decker chopper (per the great advice on the care sheet) and chopped everything up (except the dog food) together. Then I took the dog food and added enough to "hide" the healthy stuff. It took time, but now he eats the snails whole by themselves, along with the tomato worms and roaches.

Since these guys are our babies, sometimes we have to "trick" them into eating healthy But like everyone else said, when they get hungry enough, they will eat. Being they are wild animals, their eating habits are so different from our, and it gets some getting used to. I have other reptiles that eat on a regular basis, then fast for awhile for no reason I can come up with.

[MbMachine07]

Sounds like I'm going to have to invest in that chopper! I haven't tried the dog food, what kind do you get? Chicken.. beef? Does it matter? I'm an organic freak so I know I'll end up buying some from the Wellness brand.

[skeetersmom]

I use the Cesar brand - small container lasts 4 weeks (I use 1/4 of each container per feeding) If you don't want to invest in the chopper; I only used mine for a short time - you could get away with just making the veggies into tineey tiny pieces. My guy is so into the dog food that the veggies were taken right with the dog food. I give him chicken since I didn't see beef on the food list - and figured it would be healthier for him. The dog food is the soft variety, not dry.

It is so satisfying seeing my guy eat like a normal skink - also found that if you used a dish for the dogfood/veggie mixture that can also be used for live feeds (roaches, tomato worms) it is helpful. I know my guy associates that bowl with food - won't eat the live stuff unless it is offered in the bowl...but whatever it takes right?

[Richard.C]

i wouldnt leave it a month or more to to not eat,over winter the shut down if they sense the cool so can easily go months with out food,as metabolisms drops so fat reserves last the break,plus your in florida,so warm there,warm plus no food isnt a good combo,try some wet dog food,if he eats that theres plenty of options for adding veg ect to it,main thing is to get him eating,id say its used to mealworms,so you need to find other things to tempt him,snails they rarely say no to if u can aquire any

[Katrina]

Can you post pictures? If they are in good condition then they can wait for weeks or months not to eat, but pictures would help determine that. We are just getting out of winter / brumation season, so that might have contributed to the picky-ness. Like others said, if they don't eat and then you give in and offer what they want, you are just reinforcing them being picky. So tough love is often a good idea, as long as they are healthy and in good condition. You can also start adding more and more foods in slowly, changing the ratios from mostly foods they like to less and less of those foods.

[Richard.C]

also if its an adult male,after brumation they are often picky buggers as they have females on there mind

[SFBlueTongue81]

When I got my skink, he ate eggs, bannanas, and dog food 2-3 times a week! He balked at everything healthy; roaches, tomato worms, snails and all greens.

I picked up a small black&decker chopper (per the great advice on the care sheet) and chopped everything up (except the dog food) together. Then I took the dog food and added enough to "hide" the healthy stuff. It took time, but now he eats the snails whole by themselves, along with the tomato worms and roaches.

Since these guys are our babies, sometimes we have to "trick" them into eating healthy But like everyone else said, when they get hungry enough, they will eat. Being they are wild animals, their eating habits are so different from our, and it gets some getting used to. I have other reptiles that eat on a regular basis, then fast for awhile for no reason I can come up with.

I did the same thing with the chopper and it works great! I put just enough dog food/fruit to meet the requirements.

I have to say snails have been the best for mine! Even over worms, or even canned snails, Mine will eat the snails right out from my hands and has never refused.
In any case, Good luck!!!!!