gecko-mad
Very Well-Known Member
the only ones they would have should be all aussie native ones.
Feeder Lizards?
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the only ones they would have should be all aussie native ones.
Yes there is a risk.
But there is a risk in feeding any live or freshly killed prey species to your reptiles, even cultured ones. Just because a food item has been raised as food in captivity doesn't mean it is totally free of parasites. All prey items will have parasites of one kind or another.Even you likely have parasites you are not aware of and cause no harm. Its more a case of whether those parasites will cause issues with your animal.
Freezing for extended periods will kill most parasites.
Aussie native parasites can still cause problems with your animals. In the wild all predators pick up parasites from their prey usually with little or no ill effect. Its the stresses and some times poor husbandry in captive environments that allows parasites to get the upper hand.
Don't be fooled into thinking that your pets have no parasites and they can't get them from their food. The best way to minimise the chances is to only feed freshly thawed food that has been frozen for 4 weeks at least.
Easy to do for snakes that will usually accept a diet like this but harder for other species like many lizards that will only take live food.
The trick with catching AHG's is not to hesitate. Just go straight up and grab them. If you hesitate they will scoot to the closest hiding place and they will already have that worked out. I can catch twenty in a good night around here but there are always one or two that learn and disappear at the first sign of movement. Its the recent arrivals that are easier to catch. I have a two tailed one on my deck that I have been trying to get for months....no luck yet!!
But there is a risk in feeding any live or freshly killed prey species to your reptiles, even cultured ones. Just because a food item has been raised as food in captivity doesn't mean it is totally free of parasites. All prey items will have parasites of one kind or another.Even you likely have parasites you are not aware of and cause no harm. Its more a case of whether those parasites will cause issues with your animal.
Freezing for extended periods will kill most parasites.
Aussie native parasites can still cause problems with your animals. In the wild all predators pick up parasites from their prey usually with little or no ill effect. Its the stresses and some times poor husbandry in captive environments that allows parasites to get the upper hand.
Don't be fooled into thinking that your pets have no parasites and they can't get them from their food. The best way to minimise the chances is to only feed freshly thawed food that has been frozen for 4 weeks at least.
Easy to do for snakes that will usually accept a diet like this but harder for other species like many lizards that will only take live food.
The trick with catching AHG's is not to hesitate. Just go straight up and grab them. If you hesitate they will scoot to the closest hiding place and they will already have that worked out. I can catch twenty in a good night around here but there are always one or two that learn and disappear at the first sign of movement. Its the recent arrivals that are easier to catch. I have a two tailed one on my deck that I have been trying to get for months....no luck yet!!
townsvillepython
Well-Known Member
i feed AHG to my trantulas but not to my snakes
I would have thought so too, but when I asked around it didn't seem to be the case. It wasn't legal anyway, so I never bothered.
moosenoose
Legendary
I'd never feed my copperhead lizards......NEVER!!!!........:lol:.....8)...Only a complete idiot would do such a thing!! Perish the thought!
sonyanicholls
New Member
The National Parks and Wildllife Act of SA (sec 60) states a person must not have in his posession or control a animal that has been illigally taken or acquired if taken or acquired contrary to this Act (which means its is an offence to take a protected animal from the wild for any purpose - including feed to another) As a AHG is not a protected animal it does not fit within the Act. Part 13 of the PCA Act states a person ill treats an animal if they cause the animal to be killed or injured by another animals. So the short of it is that it is an offence under the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals Act to feed a live animal to another, so you will need to kill the animal prioir to feeding it (or render it unconscious (stun) prioir to feeding)
Are you allowed to feed them captive bred lizards?
AHG's are not a legal or practical option in SA.
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