Not Eating

[Lena]

My female rescue, Sunny, hasn't touched a single thing for almost a month and a half now. One day she just started to refuse food of any kind. Supers, mealies, and crickets... Even silkworms.. I've tried it all. I also haven't seen her leave her moist hide at all unless I'm doing something in her enclosure that disturbs her.

I'm posting because I'm curious as to the the likelihood of her brumating as opposed to parasites?

Note: I have not observed any weight loss. And she's FAT!

 

[Pepper]

Could be parasites, have you had a fecal done?

Sometimes animals appear fat when full of worms.

 

[acpart]

I went through the same thing with my rescue shortly after I got her last May. She ate at first and then wouldn't eat. Her tail started to get thin and she went down to 38 grams. For a couple of days I would hold her gently and "bother" her with a cricket around her mouth. Eventually she'd get annoyed, bite the cricket and end up eating it. After awhile she got back into the habit of eating and went up to 60 grams. Now we're going through the same thing again with her and the male. Both brumated through Nov. and Dec, although they're usually so reclusive there's not that much difference. I warmed them up just after New Years and though they're more awake and have both just shed, neither really wants to eat. I'm starting the cricket teasing again. They haven't lost much weight but are taking awhile to come out of brumation mode.

Aliza

 

[Lena]

I'd send in a fecal.. Only there's nothing to send in. Her poos show she hasn't eaten anything. Just a little piece of urate.

 

[snared99]

Fattails can be quite touchy. What i would suggest is covering all the side but one with black construction paper so she feels more secure. Give her ample hides, even if she is by herself. Dont feed her for 5 days, just water and make sure the heat/humidity is right. Then try crickets, but only for 15-20 min then remove them.
This may sound funny but has worked for me, in the not so distant past. I had a AFT come in and just would not eat and this method worked. Good luck

 

[Lena]

Thanks for the advice, Snared. I'll employ this after the enclosure change I am planning.. See if it does any good.

 

[Gregg M]

AFTs should not be brumated with the use of temperature drops... This is not what triggers them to go into brumation in the wild... In the wild it is the dry season that triggers brumation... It is a good idea to keep AFTs at a consistant temp all year round and should not be brumated at all...

I would say that if you heat up your AFTs they should eat without issue... Back in the day when I kept AFTs, I kept them at minimum temps or 95 degrees hot side and the ambient air temps were always at around 85 through out the cage... They all did great and this was way before they were bred in captivity with any regularity... EVERYTHING was wild caught.... Infact my sister has 2 that I did not sell off... They are well over 12 years old...

 

[Lena]

Temps are around 90 degrees right now, I didn't initiate any kind of cooling for winter time.

Perhaps I should up the temperature to 95 and see if anything changes?

EDIT: Post #777!