HE'S EATING GREENS!

Sorry, this is the first time without "incentivizing" him for a whole day (just since last night, so he's only missed one meal). He's also definitely made the association between his "bug bowl" (which is also his salad bowl), the "giant hand" and food.

He seems to have a fondness for fresh oregano... PIZZA, anyone? :laughing6:
Tried it for the first time, and he went right for it.

Can't tell you how relieved we are at this nutritional turn of events.

Another thing I figured out (Duh.)
If he's supposed to be eating 20% greens/veggies, and he eats 21 meals/week (let's round that down to 20 for easy "arthiti-metic" (that's doing arithmetic with arthritis), then 20% of 20 = 4 meals per week of greens/veggies. I wonder why I hadn't read anyone putting it that way before... :?:
Now I have to figure out if those 4 meals worth of veggies are supposed to be mixed/divided with the assorted bugs, and how to accomplish that and see to it he's getting everything he's supposed to....

Parenting is HARD! :shock: :lol:

That's a big milestone Don't worry too much about the ratios. They are just a general guideline and they all kind of do whatever they want anyway. Just make plenty of variety available and he'll take what he needs.

Our little girl will eat her salad at first meal (breakfast). Her mom finely dices Kale, Mustard and Collard Greens, and blueberries into her food bowl. On top of that, she gets a mix of (mostly) BSFL, Waxworms, and the occasional Mealworms. Calcium and vitamins are sprinkled/dusted at about every other breakfast.

As long as 'Mom' isn't looking, she'll eat everything in the bowl. If 'mom' is spied watching her eat, she'll stop and go right back to her basking rock! These little critters are tricky, weird, and just plain cute in their individuality. :lol:

Hooray! To quote Balki Bartokomus of the old show "Perfect Strangers" - now we are so happy, we do the Dance of Joy! Glad he's discovered at least one green thing he likes - keep us apprised as he expands his palate!

And I never made the connection between the ratios and actual meals... I just offer greens before every insect feeding to try to get as much into him as possible. But your idea of four meals per week sounds good, too!

CooperDragon":25ot6oow said:

Just make plenty of variety available and he'll take what he needs.

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With him it's more like a li'l kid picking at his dinner plate (bowl in this case).

Coopersdad":25ot6oow said:

...and blueberries into her food bowl.

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I tried giving him a blueberry last night. He took it, tasted it, and spit it back out at me with a look that said, "Hey, that's not a bug you dirty so & so!" Now he just eyes them with disdain/disgust.

As long as 'Mom' isn't looking, she'll eat everything in the bowl. If 'mom' is spied watching her eat, she'll stop and go right back to her basking rock! These little critters are tricky, weird, and just plain cute in their individuality. :lol:

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:lol: Yes, that's exactly what Zardoz does. Once in a while if he's really hungry, his inner lizard will get the better of him, and he'll dive headfirst into his bug bowl devouring 4-9 dubias (depending on size). When he comes up for air, he'll look at me like a cat that just got caught doing something un-catified--indignant--and wait until I'm out of sight before eating anything else. That's partly why it's so difficult determining his veggie intake.

ComicBookMama":25ot6oow said:

And I never made the connection between the ratios and actual meals... I just offer greens before every insect feeding to try to get as much into him as possible. But your idea of four meals per week sounds good, too!

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Wasn't really an idea--just trying to get my head around how much veggies 20% looks like/is supposed to be. We've tried the "every feeding" method repeatedly, but he'd rather hold out for num-nums. Withholding/being late with a meal seems to be the only incentivization that works (so far).

I'm hoping (but I doubt they're that smart) he'll deduce the veggies are all he's going to get, so he better just eat them...
(It didn't work with this picky kid either... :roll: )

Whoo hooooo! As a parent of a picky dragon, I know how truly exciting that is :0)