Hawk the PIG

[breezy559]

I got this little guy about a month ago from a local reptile shop, who said he is a red hypo. So far he has cost me a lot of money in supplies but mostly in food LOL He eats like a pig. I was worried the first week I have him because he was eating maybe 5 crickets a day. I put him on Reptiworms after that and now he gets a mix of dubia's and reptiworms, and occasionally I give him hornworms or wax/butterworms(when i run out of the others). He will literally sit and eat 30-40 small dubias or worms at each of his 2-3 daily feedings. I've got a dubia colony of about 200 in a rubbermaid in my garage with a hermit crab heater taped to it, hoping I have feeders available soon cause he is eating me out of house and home! I leave rep-cal juvie pellets in his tank at all times and he picks at them occasionally. He's also got collard and cilantro which he'll eat if I hand feed it to him. He's just started taking live food from the tongs and hopefully we'll progress to hand feeding soon.

He's in a 60 gallon tank with reptile carpet, a branch from the top corner of the hot side of his tank and runs about 2/3 of the tank into the bottom of the cool side. He's got a hide on both the hot and cool sides, a shallow water dish he never uses, and 2 food dishes(for pellets and salad). I put his worms/dubia in a mealworm dish at feeding time. He will jump down from his branch and start glass surfing the second he sees me putting bugs in his bowl. He has an MVB and a zilla mini halogen 50w basking bulb on his hot side keeping the ambient around 96-98 and surface temp at the top of his branch is about 107. He spends 90% of his time(including sleep time) at the hot side. The only time he is ever on the cool side is to chase down food. I also have a regular household bulb placed at the middle of his tank for more lighting. The cool side runs about 80 during the day. He has a hammock which he LOVES, especially after he eats he'll go in it and chill.

Right now I'm trying to find him a wider branch because he is QUICKLY outgrowing his. Can't seem to find anything for less than $40 (not including shipping) so I'm thinking about mutilating the crepe myrtle in my backyard for one of it's branches Also thinking about putting a reptisun 10 over his cool side just in case. Need opinions on this though, not sure he needs it since he's never over there and he's already got his mvb bulb.

He makes me laugh a lot, I'm pretty sure he's missing a few brain cells and he's clumsy as all heck. Watching him chase bugs is hilarious because it takes him 2-3 tries to catch them. He does a little better with the tongs and eating from a bowl but...I make him work for it sometimes lol He tries jumping from the ground to his branch and misses. A lot. And he'll stare at me and puff up when I put his bug bowl in like he's waiting for me to leave before he eats. Ungrateful jerk! I love him though.

I think he's about to go through his 2nd shed since I've had him, his nose is getting dusty looking which is how it started for his last one. Hoping some of his colors start showing soon, most of his red/orange is just along his sides. Most of his sibling had much more color but I was drawn to him.

Here are a few pictures of him and his setup;
The day I brought him home :]

Last week

His tank [upside down...sorry :lol: )

 

[CooperDragon]

Sounds like he's off to a great start with a healthy appetite! They certainly will eat you out of house and home for a while. How long has your dubia colony been going? If you want it available sooner rather than later I'd ensure you have a handful of adults and possibly boost the number in your enclosure. I started mine with about 600 (no adults, mixed sizes) and it took about 3-4 months for the next generation to start appearing. I agree with letting him work for the bugs. I'd offer them in small batches of maybe 5 at a time or so (and just keep repeating for 10 min or until he's done) so they're easier to track. It's good for him to think about the food and try to hunt it rather than being hand fed for the most part. I wouldn't bother with the extra UVB tube in a tank that size. The MVB should put out enough UVB at the basking site. It's good to have an area without much UVB along with a cool side. If you can find some wide driftwood it works well as a basking log. Picking a properly sized branch from your yard will work too. Just rinse it off well and then bake it in the oven on low (around 250) for 30-45 minutes to sanitize it before it goes in the tank.

 

[breezy559]

Only had the colony going about 2 weeks. It was 20 female, 10 males and the rest mixed sized nymphs.

 

[CooperDragon]

That should be a good start then. Do you have an under tank heater to keep them nice and warm? They seem to grow a bit faster when it's warm in the tank at least along the bottom in the frass.

 

[breezy559]

I've got a 4watt hermit crab heater on one side, may get something bigger since its hooked up to a thermostat cause its hovering around 87. Especially since its cooling down here. Last week it was still 95 outside and since theyre in the garage the heater never even had to turn on.

 

[CooperDragon]

87 is fine. That's about how hot mine get with a heater. 90s in the summer maybe. The basement is usually in the 60s ambient though with 70s in most of the tank.

 

[breezy559]

I think there are some new dubia babies in there, I saw some when I had to pull a handful of roaches from the colony today because my feeders ran out, petco didn't have anything but giant mealworms and supers in stock and the food I ordered him from Mulberry doesn't get here til tomorrow.

I got that crepe myrtle branch from my yard sterilized and in his tank. Its a much better size for him but its a bit too smooth-surfaced I think, may have to wrap fake plants around it so he has a better grip :/

 

[breezy559]

Update on Mr. Hawk who continues to be a giant pig

 

[TeddyLC]

Cute little buddy! I was encountering the same problem with the branches - for something you can find for free outdoors and sanitize, they're so expensive even online! He's so precious lying on his blanket!

I'm pretty sure he's missing a few brain cells and he's clumsy as all heck.
- HA. Sounds adorable!