benjamind2010
Well-Known Member
Hey,
This just happened with both my male womas. I haven't offered my large female any food as she is changing hands and she is being collected on Friday. Otherwise I'd give the rats to her.
My hatchling female has been eating like a hog and is now in shed and should resume her feeding once she sloughs.
The female I got off Dickyknee has eaten twice in the past month, she's definitely on the mend. It took a while to fix her up, she had a mild RI and a mild mouth infection that has since healed up very nicely, she has grown quite well over that time, she's put on about 75g from those two feeds.
When both males sniffed the rat, they pulled their heads back fairly quickly as if to say "I'm not eating that!!!".
Can anyone on here tell me what it means. I've seen this before, but was interested in anyone who had experience with this sort of behaviour. It may be normal for males to lose interest in food at this time of year and I know someone in Victoria who keeps womas who stopped feeding his about 3 weeks ago and swears that air pressure changes will throw them off their food, which I'm inclined to believe. Perhaps they've just decided it's winter and they're not hungry. Both males were eating like pigs before, so he could be right about the sudden drop in air pressure switching them off. Temps are as per usual, about 31-34 on the hot end and around 24-26 on the cool end. Should I bump up both the cool end and the hot end, or just the cool end? I really would prefer both males to eat so they can get a bit more bulk on them, especially the one I got off Dickyknee, but both are very healthy specimens and are pacing around their tubs now, I see them all the time trying to get out (presumably they can smell the female who is in the same rack and they know she is there and they're trying to get out to get access to the female)...
Anyone have ideas as to what is causing this funny sniffing and pulling back behaviour?
I've noticed it before but didn't think much about it, but now I'm wondering and wanted someone else's input. All my womas are very healthy and doing well. The males are, by far, the most active - they've been pacing their tubs like there is no tomorrow and I think it's a sexual type behaviour. Thankfully neither of them have any nose-rub type injuries or anything like that.
Just curious as to why they're pulling their heads back when they are sniffing the rat.
BTW the girl I got off Dickyknee has just had another feed, she's taken a rat and I've offered her a 2nd rat...fingers crossed she takes that one too
That girl took both rats I offered her. I felt great this morning and saw a bulge where she'd taken the 2nd rat.
I was told by a woma breeder that the behavior of the male womas was perfectly normal and that they were "snapping" away from their food because they were not interested. He said it was normal behavior because they want females, not food
Trouble is, the females I plan to breed with are too small so it'll be next year at least and maybe the year after before I get into breeding. There is always a risk of nose-rub injury during this period especially with some conventional enclosures with certain ventilation screens or light screens where they can stick their noses into or rub against), but if there is any injury (no concern because it won't affect their health if treated with betadine) it'll heal up very quickly once their shedding patterns return to normal. As of now, they've been doing this for almost a month and no sigh of nose-rub injury
This just happened with both my male womas. I haven't offered my large female any food as she is changing hands and she is being collected on Friday. Otherwise I'd give the rats to her.
My hatchling female has been eating like a hog and is now in shed and should resume her feeding once she sloughs.
The female I got off Dickyknee has eaten twice in the past month, she's definitely on the mend. It took a while to fix her up, she had a mild RI and a mild mouth infection that has since healed up very nicely, she has grown quite well over that time, she's put on about 75g from those two feeds.
When both males sniffed the rat, they pulled their heads back fairly quickly as if to say "I'm not eating that!!!".
Can anyone on here tell me what it means. I've seen this before, but was interested in anyone who had experience with this sort of behaviour. It may be normal for males to lose interest in food at this time of year and I know someone in Victoria who keeps womas who stopped feeding his about 3 weeks ago and swears that air pressure changes will throw them off their food, which I'm inclined to believe. Perhaps they've just decided it's winter and they're not hungry. Both males were eating like pigs before, so he could be right about the sudden drop in air pressure switching them off. Temps are as per usual, about 31-34 on the hot end and around 24-26 on the cool end. Should I bump up both the cool end and the hot end, or just the cool end? I really would prefer both males to eat so they can get a bit more bulk on them, especially the one I got off Dickyknee, but both are very healthy specimens and are pacing around their tubs now, I see them all the time trying to get out (presumably they can smell the female who is in the same rack and they know she is there and they're trying to get out to get access to the female)...
Anyone have ideas as to what is causing this funny sniffing and pulling back behaviour?
I've noticed it before but didn't think much about it, but now I'm wondering and wanted someone else's input. All my womas are very healthy and doing well. The males are, by far, the most active - they've been pacing their tubs like there is no tomorrow and I think it's a sexual type behaviour. Thankfully neither of them have any nose-rub type injuries or anything like that.
Just curious as to why they're pulling their heads back when they are sniffing the rat.
BTW the girl I got off Dickyknee has just had another feed, she's taken a rat and I've offered her a 2nd rat...fingers crossed she takes that one too
That girl took both rats I offered her. I felt great this morning and saw a bulge where she'd taken the 2nd rat.
I was told by a woma breeder that the behavior of the male womas was perfectly normal and that they were "snapping" away from their food because they were not interested. He said it was normal behavior because they want females, not food
Trouble is, the females I plan to breed with are too small so it'll be next year at least and maybe the year after before I get into breeding. There is always a risk of nose-rub injury during this period especially with some conventional enclosures with certain ventilation screens or light screens where they can stick their noses into or rub against), but if there is any injury (no concern because it won't affect their health if treated with betadine) it'll heal up very quickly once their shedding patterns return to normal. As of now, they've been doing this for almost a month and no sigh of nose-rub injury
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