I am a new owner of a juvenile eastern

[gigi100]

Hi everyone
I have a 4 month old Eastern Blue Tongue and its just shed but seems to be not as active now (all the skin has come away). Just sits under its aspen shavings all day (heat lamp on). Is it usual for them to be a bit listless after shedding? Also not eating for 2 days. Fussy eater anyway only seems to like cat food. Also is it possible they do not need to eat live food if eating catfood and calcium powder 3 times a week?
Any advice appreciated thanks

[Shadowfax]

As we all will say, check out the caresheet on the main site first and that will answer many questions. Make sure your temps are right. Congrats on your new baby!! No one else is allowed to respond to your post until you post pictures!

[Colin Hamilton]

Ime responding Miss shadowfax control freak! Just cause old edward got lost in the desert dont mean your taking over HaHa Yes the care sheet on here is very good

[gigi100]

Thanks guys looked at care sheet - excellent. Regards to feeding live things i just wondered if many people on here didnt do it or if it is really a no no. Lenny (my sons choice of name btw!) is now up and about so no worries there. Although he skidding through my hands fast as lighting and kamikazied off the bed where i was sitting with him. He seems to be okay so hopefully it wont happen again. I wwill try and post a piccy but not good with computers.

[Tattoo]

and congrats on your new eastern. Once you have had it for a few months you will get used to his behavior patterns around eating, shedding, moodiness etc. Sounds like all normal stuff.

[gigi100]

I am sure that we will get used to his behaviour. Just hope he slows down a bit he is so fast i am scared he will dissapear and we wont catch him. Stil no replies about whether we should definately feed him live food and do other people not feed live creatures? Appreciate some views on subject maybe some from people who dont feed live food and the reasons behind it.
Thanks

[jasjmm27]

I wouldn't think that it is "required" to feed blue tongues any live food. They do fine with some cooked meat, high quality cat food, escargot, thawed pinkies, etc....as the protein part of their diet along with all the veggies, fruits, etc. that would be the primary part of their diet...oh, mine really like boiled eggs as well! I need to try some scrambled soon! Then they can eat breakfast with me!

[jasjmm27]

That said...sorry, forgot to get to the point I wanted to make! I just like to give my blueys the "thrill of the hunt" occasionally...letting them chase around some roaches or "finding" a hidden mouse next to get the pinkies...etc. Or catching that elusive caterpillar that coincidentally fell off the high tree branch!

[aggiegirl]

I picked our bluey because I knew everything he needed could be purchased at the local grocery store. (Very important if you live in a small town.) Although he does get occasional feeders, most of his protein is a modified (no seasonings, boiled) version of what goes on the plates of his human counterparts. There is a feeder thread going so check that out too!

[Tattoo]

The only live I have fed would be snails and worms (phoenix and butter worms). I don't want my bluey mistaking my fingers for wiggling food. Also feeding live animals (such as mice) is too cruel for my liking. I don't feel a pet I want to kiss and cuddle needs to run down it's food. Live food can also cause damage to your pet in the fight. This is just my opinion. Many keepers feed live food but I don't believe it is required.

[Leigh]

I feed most of my boy his meat/protien live, snails are the number one food for Blue Tongues,thats what they'd live on in the wild(if found) it has all the calcium needed in the shell and protien from the meaty bit. Get them from the garden or fish tank. If garden caught,put them in a covered bucket with some green ,if in 3-5 days they've survived, they're food mate.I also offer earth worms,locusts,super worms and the beetles the super worms change into,its all good,with the calci dust on.Lots of people offer mice ,but I wont do that.

[gigi100]

It is reassuring to find others dont necessarily feed live to their BTS. I know he/she would maybe like a snail or too but i have a fear of snails (i know *I like cookies :-)!!) Baby mice- i wont go there! Maybe a couple of jumping grasshopper things may do. One more thing, can you give cooked veggies off your plate or does it have to be raw? The carrots and Broccoli look too hard to crunch up.

Lenny is still hissing a bit when i try to pick him up and we have had him since Christmas. Is this usual? We try and get him out for 10 minutes or so every day so i thought he would be used to it by now. Bit fearful that he may bite and he is getting bigger. I grab him round the middle and put my other hand under his back legs while his front legs rest on my hand too so i think i am handling him okay.

Thanks for your advice

[Blotch]

In regards to harder vegies like carrot etc... I generally grate them up or chop it really finely.

I will just state something that doesn't anger me - it's just something i think most members go overboard with.

Leigh said it perfectly: "I feed most of my boy his meat/protien live, snails are the number one food for Blue Tongues,thats what they'd live on in the wild(if found) it has all the calcium needed in the shell and protien from the meaty bit. Get them from the garden or fish tank. If garden caught,put them in a covered bucket with some green ,if in 3-5 days they've survived, they're food mate.I also offer earth worms,locusts,super worms and the beetles the super worms change into,its all good,with the calci dust on.Lots of people offer mice ,but I wont do that."

with the exception of the mouse thing, leigh is bang on. Blueys don't have a massive selection of vegies in the wild, They either get their vegies from things like dandelions, or on the odd occasion that they wander into someones yard that has fruit or vegies there or even market gardens. Basically what I'm saying is Don't freak out too much over vegies. Sure it's not gonna hurt them, but it's also not as big an issue as it seems to be made out to be.

The natural diet of blueys revolves around meat (snails, grubs, worms etc...).

I'm not saying the caresheet is wrong, it's a fantastic guide as to the upkeep of your bluey, but if you want to know how they are in the wild over here in Australia, well you've just been told.

Just to let you know - I personally give vegies on every feed, but i don't feed my blueys as frequently as most of the people on here do.

Hope this gives you another outlook.

Luke

EDIT - I forgot, in regards to leighs comments on the mice. Pinkie mice, pinkie rats, fuzzies or even full grown mice are fine to give to your bluey, as long as they won't choke on them. So look at your bluey and judge for yourself. Also frozen pinkies are probably the easiest to give. I just pop them in a small bowl of boiling water for a couple of minutes to defrost then feed it to my guys, and they love them!

Leigh isn't wrong to not give his bluey mice, it's just a personal thing really.

[Scotts1au]

I have to agree with Luke on this.

It is not like wild blueys are strolling through the wild vege fields of Australia. Wild blueys wouldn't know what we call veges if they fell over it.

In fact if the only vegetable matter that they would find in the wild is often pretty nasty stuff that would actually kill many other animals - being loaded with sodium fluoroacetate, and caustic substances. Maybe the occassional salt bush berry, some fungi if lucky, a lilly pilly fruit or a geebung, leaves and flowers of certain plants. Most of this stuff is hideously astringent.

I have some experience with wild caught blueys from days gone by and I can tell you all they will accept for a long time is the occassional bullet like unripe grape, or plum, dandelion flower etc. Sugary ripe fruits, vegetables per se are shunned - quite frankly they don't know what to do with them. Btw not even dandelions are native although there are native equivalents - yam daisies etc - parallel evolution.

Of course they wolf down raw meat and snails.

Actually my personal feeling is that they need more animal proteins and fats than they actually get from the majority of owners. Also I believe that it is a fundamental requirement, particularly late in the season prior to brumation for southern species reproductive success.

Animal fat- long chain fatty acids, cholesterol, increased availability for steriod hormones. It is the reduction in production of these through non eating in brumation that trigger the reproductive process to be intiated.

As Colin H mentioned before in an earlier on another topic condition is important. But an animal can be fat and malnourished at the same time relative to its requirements. A similar problem experienced by aquarists.

Anyway Gigi - don't worry so much about the veges you are doing the right thing.

Scott

[gigi100]

Sorry moderator that you had to edit me there. Seen that on lots of sites without being editied and the first time i use the phrase "where's the funnyfarm" (*I like cookies :-)) i find out its offensive!!! Sorry it wont happen again. I Just thought you might all think i was strange to have a phobia of snails Just previewed before posting this and it looks like it automatically is programmed to change *I like cookies :-) to Go to school brilliant i cant be offensive, no matter how hard i want to try Not that i am really as i appreciate the advice you guys are giving me and agree with the fact that in the wild they wouldnt be given veggies whether they were cooked, frozen OR served with a garlic sauce!!!
Thankyou for your replies

Sorry i am a bit tipsy

[Blotch]

Tipsy is good!

Where are you located gigi?

[gigi100]

Hello Blotch
I am in Kilsyth east side out yonder! Where ar you then. Could do with someone knowledgeable close by!!

Now for another question... anyone know if i can use a normal guinea pig house without the top on for outdoor enclosure. It says it is made of fir wood. Already put a bid in on ebay as it looks perfect but then noticed the fir wood part and i know you cant use pine substrate can you? So hopefully because its just the enclosure and not substrate i can use?

Or are BTS allergic to it?
Thanks again

I like red wine, champers and Southern Comfort (cant find the SC in Oz though )

[Blotch]

Hey gigi - I'm down in Frankston. Not "close" but closer than the yanks!

In regards to the guinea pig house, I'm not sure. treated pine is treated with psionide, so I guess it's not a good thing for your bluey. But I'm not sure.

You can't find Southern Comfort in OZ????

Safeway sells it, I see it all the time!

[gigi100]

Thanks Blotch
I looked in only 2 stores and gave up on the SC but now i will resume the hunt!

Frankston is not far , been the last 2 weekends for a dip in the sea. Went to the little sand sculpture show as well i enjoyed it more than the kids. Be nearer when the new road gets finished though.

I will find out if its coated with anything thanks.

Keep in touch
George

[gigi100]

Thats George for Georgina by the way!!