PogoLover
Juvie Member
I got Pogo yesterday. I am calling him a he but he could be a she (too early to tell). He is about 7" long (with tail) and 10 grams. I think he is about 8 weeks old.
His set up - 50 gal vivarium; 36" Reptisun 10.0 UVB running the full length of the cage. 50W halogen basking light - his basking spot is about 105 degrees tested with a point thermometer (don't know what those are called - the ones that point the laser) - he comes down off the basking area enough that I don't want to make it hotter (even though I know people recommend 110 for youngsters). The cold side of the cage is about 78-82 (and he goes and sits over there, so I don't think he thinks it's too cold). He has a CHE that turns on when his other lights go off at night to keep the cage above 75. He has branches to climb on that get him up to the basking platform and he can stop at different heights under the bulb (so there is a full range of temps going on).
This morning he ate 4 gut loaded, calcium dusted crickets for breakfast (they were slightly smaller than the space between his eyes). I tried to feed him crickets again at lunch, but he didn't want them. One walked over his head and he just watched it when it jumped off. He did eat kale/mustard greens at lunch - only a couple of bites - and also sat in his water tray and drank. Then he ate one more cricket later. Tonight, an hour or so before lights out, I am going to try crickets again. I am also going to order some dubias so that he has a choice/variety. I plan on leaving a fresh salad in his viv daily with some juvie pellet diet as well. He has been running all over his cage and exploring, and then he'll rest for a while and go up and bask. He also made one big poop today - which from what I can tell was a healthy one.
My concern is mainly that people talk about how voracious the juvies are - like 50 crickets a day - but there is no way I could get Pogo to eat that much - even if he has 5 for dinner - that will be a total of 10. Maybe it is because he is young or stressed from moving out of the pet store? Pogo looks and has been acting really healthy, so I don't think he is sick. He is also pretty friendly already - he will crawl on to my hand if I put it down in the cage, so I think he was treated well at the store.
I think I am just being a nervous new mom (and my husband is laughing at me - I actually came down in the middle of the night to double check the cage temp and that he was breathing, just like I did with my kids when they were babies!).
His set up - 50 gal vivarium; 36" Reptisun 10.0 UVB running the full length of the cage. 50W halogen basking light - his basking spot is about 105 degrees tested with a point thermometer (don't know what those are called - the ones that point the laser) - he comes down off the basking area enough that I don't want to make it hotter (even though I know people recommend 110 for youngsters). The cold side of the cage is about 78-82 (and he goes and sits over there, so I don't think he thinks it's too cold). He has a CHE that turns on when his other lights go off at night to keep the cage above 75. He has branches to climb on that get him up to the basking platform and he can stop at different heights under the bulb (so there is a full range of temps going on).
This morning he ate 4 gut loaded, calcium dusted crickets for breakfast (they were slightly smaller than the space between his eyes). I tried to feed him crickets again at lunch, but he didn't want them. One walked over his head and he just watched it when it jumped off. He did eat kale/mustard greens at lunch - only a couple of bites - and also sat in his water tray and drank. Then he ate one more cricket later. Tonight, an hour or so before lights out, I am going to try crickets again. I am also going to order some dubias so that he has a choice/variety. I plan on leaving a fresh salad in his viv daily with some juvie pellet diet as well. He has been running all over his cage and exploring, and then he'll rest for a while and go up and bask. He also made one big poop today - which from what I can tell was a healthy one.
My concern is mainly that people talk about how voracious the juvies are - like 50 crickets a day - but there is no way I could get Pogo to eat that much - even if he has 5 for dinner - that will be a total of 10. Maybe it is because he is young or stressed from moving out of the pet store? Pogo looks and has been acting really healthy, so I don't think he is sick. He is also pretty friendly already - he will crawl on to my hand if I put it down in the cage, so I think he was treated well at the store.
I think I am just being a nervous new mom (and my husband is laughing at me - I actually came down in the middle of the night to double check the cage temp and that he was breathing, just like I did with my kids when they were babies!).
And babies actually may go through relocation stress ....a period of time when they are adjusting and not eating much. Pogo's appetite will probably pick up after a week or so.
