So I recently bought a baby b/w argentine. While I’m new to owning one I do have a little experience dealing w them, as I used to help a friend of mine That bred them. I’ve never experienced the feeding issues I’m having with this guy. First off he’s incredibly picky. I’m having a lot of trouble getting him to eat veggies or fruits. Even ground up in turkey he won’t touch the turkey if there’s anything in it. I’ve tried many different fruits and veggies in his meat, cut in tiny pieces by themselves and even fruit and veggie baby food, the baby food he will, on occasion, give a lick or two. He also seems to get fixated on certain foods. When I first got him he would eat plain turkey w no issue, then I introduced salmon into his diet and he went on a hunger strike until he was given it again. I’m trying really hard to give him a varied diet but he’s really fighting me on it. Weekly, he’s given turkey, salmon, chicken hearts, a pinkie, crickets and shrimp Or tilapia every now and then. I sprinkle zoo med calcium powder On all of it. He wouldn’t touch the calcium powder at first either, that was struggle.
Now to the aggression part, he gets fed in the late morning pretty much every day. If I attempt to touch him or interact with him in any way before he’s fed, he considers me food. I realize he’s still little but being repeatedly bitten every time I try to move him to eat is ridiculous. I’ve now given up on moving him to feed. I think it’s incredibly stressful for both of us at this point. After eating he’s completely fine to touch and hold, still a little skittish but not at all aggressive. I’m sitting in front of his enclosure right now and he’s going after my finger through the glass as I type. He was fed today already but he’s having a tantrum because I put his chicken hearts (normally one of his favs) on top of vegetable babyfood so now he won’t touch them. Last thing, he also intentionally eats his substrate if his food doesn’t come quickly enough or if he doesn’t like it. His substrate is reptichip, forest floor and peat moss. So I also have to soak him daily because he understandably has trouble going to the bathroom. I’m kinda at a loss with this little guy.
Now to the aggression part, he gets fed in the late morning pretty much every day. If I attempt to touch him or interact with him in any way before he’s fed, he considers me food. I realize he’s still little but being repeatedly bitten every time I try to move him to eat is ridiculous. I’ve now given up on moving him to feed. I think it’s incredibly stressful for both of us at this point. After eating he’s completely fine to touch and hold, still a little skittish but not at all aggressive. I’m sitting in front of his enclosure right now and he’s going after my finger through the glass as I type. He was fed today already but he’s having a tantrum because I put his chicken hearts (normally one of his favs) on top of vegetable babyfood so now he won’t touch them. Last thing, he also intentionally eats his substrate if his food doesn’t come quickly enough or if he doesn’t like it. His substrate is reptichip, forest floor and peat moss. So I also have to soak him daily because he understandably has trouble going to the bathroom. I’m kinda at a loss with this little guy.
