Baby Alligator Lizard - Bit off More than it can chew (swallow)?

[Nifty-Chicken]

Some may remember my post Chickens Vs. An Alligator.

Well, we found an itty bitty baby one a few weeks ago. We showed it to Alana and next thing we knew it was her new pet "Torquia" (no idea where that name came from).

Here's Alana with her new best friend:

Anyhow... Torquia was fed a cricket that's about twice as big as her head. She grabbed onto it and isn't letting go. Any idea what will happen? Will she get tired of holing onto it? Will she find a way to break it into, um, bite size pieces?

Anybody with snakes know what happens if you feed them more than they can chew?

 

[texaschickmama]

We used to have geckos and ususally if it is too big they would not even go for it, so this little one must be starving. I think it will let go eventually.

PS Great name for your little one!!!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

It's hard to find stuff small enough for it to eat and we've got no idea how much / often to feed it. Usually we just give her spiders and she gobbles them up.

I'll keep an eye on her and if she doesn't drop it I'll put in a spider treat and see if she takes the new bait.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

Good old house flies would work as well. We use to pull off one wing to make it easier for our Blue Bellies to eat.

The rule about sizes to feed a lizard is that the bug/food should not be larger then the area between Torquia eyes.

 

[firechicken]

You can get meal worms at the pet store. Might eat them, I don't know.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

HOLY COW... it's gone!

If my wife wasn't away with the camera I would have taken pictures.

I looked all over the little bug cage and can't see it anywhere (not any place for it to hide either. I don't notice a huge bulge in her, but she does look a bit more plump.

Seriously, I think she ate it and I have no idea how... I mean, it was REALLY big.

I guess I just wait for a big lizard poop now?

So, how often am I suppose to be feeding this thing?

 

[Bubba]

I used to have a pet alligator lizard. I once caught a moth, a HUGE moth. 4 inches long at least, threw it in the cage it gobbled it right down. Was truely amazing to watch it disappear. They are akin to snakes I think in that they can dislodge their jaws to swallow huge meals...

Bubba

PS Feed it when its hungry. If you keep it indoors it will eat more often. Remember when its warm they love to eat, when its cold.....not so much

 

[peeps7]

Go to a petsmart or a pet store and get some of the small crickets. (NOT LARGE!!!) I have tons of Lizards and things that eat crickets. My sister "adopted" a blue tail skink and he has been alive in his little cage for about 2-3 months and he eats baby crickets. Do you have a light for the little guy? If you don't and plan on keeping him then you better get him one. Go to walmart and get a 5 gallon betta aquarium for $35.00 and it comes with a tank,light,filter, etc.Of course don't put the filter on there just turn the light on. Get some potting soil for the bottom of the tank and a water bowl(You can get one at a petstore for $2.00, it doesn't have to be big.) After you do that then get a piece of wood or something outside and put in the tank for the lizard to climb and hide under.


HOPE THIS HELPS!!!!

 

[SpottedCrow]

We sell small crickets and large crickets at Petco. Petsmart sells em too. And mealworms in small, large and waxworms and superworms which can bite...We also sell wingless Drisophila.(fruit flies)
Lizards need the heat to digest their food. They need a warm spot to bask and a cooler spot to move to so that they can thermoregulate their bodies.
http://www.anapsid.org/gerrhont.html
This is a little bit of information on alligator lizards.