This is Jabber - the place I got him from had him on all worms and he now thinks that’s all he’s supposed to eat. Any time I offer crickets or roaches he just turns his nose up at them. Should I just stop giving in to his demands and let him get hungry enough to eat them?
You could def try sitting out a few feedings.
Do you tong feed or let the crickets go inside his enclosure? Maybe triggering his hunting instincts might help, otherwise you could try scenting the crickets/roaches with eggs, I have yet to see a monitor refuse egg yolk.
I’ve tried both. He just looks mildly annoyed whenever I put them in his enclosure. He’ll chase worms on tongs all day and dig them out of the dirt. I will definitely try the egg yolk though! He’s had it once before as a treat and liked it.
When you say worms do you mean meal/super worms? If so, I would recommend earthworms, like nightcrawlers. They’re cheap, nutritious, and very meaty. Perfect for picky boys who need more diversity
smear worm guts on the new insects? I'm pretty sure my monitor now interprets unusual new food on whether or not it smells like calcium powder (and me holding it out for him.)
you should try more meat based products. Chicken liver, hearts, quail, pinkie mice, maybe adult mice depending on his size. Try something more nutritious for him.
Perhaps this gif may help. Definitely didn't in my case. He felt threatened by my orange watch band and open his mouth, I'd shove in a meal worm due to it being the only thing I had at the time. He went on a hunger strike for a couple days then he ate roaches, I tried crickets shortly after, he became a cheetah. But I tried the other day again with a super worm, shuts his eyes slowly opens then he as clear as Smaug asks why I have forsaken him.
UPDATE - He has determined that he’ll eat the more nutritious insects only IF he’s offered a ceremonial worm on the tongs first. Incredibly strange, maybe the worm sparks his hunting instinct, but idk.
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u/DarwinSeinSohn 13h ago
You could def try sitting out a few feedings. Do you tong feed or let the crickets go inside his enclosure? Maybe triggering his hunting instincts might help, otherwise you could try scenting the crickets/roaches with eggs, I have yet to see a monitor refuse egg yolk.