Baby lizard won't eat! :(?

Question

I just got a hachling western fence lizard.I'm hoping that I don't have to release it into the wild and assume it can live on its own out here in this neighborhood with so many pesticides and so many birds that might eat it.

I've tried pinhead crickets and and ants.The ants he ate, but the crickets he doesn't even seem to notice.

Problem with ants is that they are REALLY hard to find around here.I literally left candy out to attract them and they're still nowhere to be seen.

Is there a certain trick to get a swift to eat?The pinheads are small enough, they fit between his eyes(so i've been told is the guideline)

Answer 1

my son found a anole. a small type lizard. he wouldn't eat and like you i tried the crickets,  but they were to hard.

he seems to like a little tiny piece of water melon, grapes and gnats.after a short while, he would not leave my sons hand. we had to take him everywhere. but, he really needed to be outside. one day my son feel asleep with the little creature on his finger and woke up and couldn't find him. i found him in my sons laundry.he was fine. he was as cute as a button. he really needed to be in the wild, but, hopefully you will get him to eat tiny pieces of melon or grapes and a little water. i don't know if he might take to a tiny piece of raw hamburger meat.

Answer 2

wait when u say got do u mean caught. if its a wild one u really need to let i go its stressed and its life is threatened if u keep it (due to stress and stress induced disease) please release. those that survive in captivity tend to have stress related disease and behavior disorders.

if its one brought from a shop you could try fruitflies or ask what they fed it in the shop

Answer 3

I have seen flightless fruit flys for sale at the petstore. It sounds like those might be a better size for your lizard until he gets alittle bigger.

PS please DO NOT release your pet. If the lizard is not a native species he could damage the ecosystem . Invasive nonnative species are a REAL problem. Even if the lizard IS native, it could be ill and may spread disease in the wild population.  

Answer 4

try a different type of cricket, you should go to the pet store they may have bugs they keep in the back to feed the lizards, did u try flies?

you should leave peanut butter out to attract more ants, you can also buy ants but i thinl thats expensive cuz u have to buy the whole farm.

Answer 5

I wouldn't feed him anymore ants, or anything else out and about that may be hard to get ahold of. The main problem that arises from feeding reptiles things out in the yard is that the taste is different, and if they like it enough that is all they will eat.

I would just keep an eye on him for now and continue with the crickets. Sometimes when they are so small they aren't able to keep up with the cricket, so maybe pull off the back legs of the cricket (I know sounds kinda mean, but if its gotta be done!)

Here is a couple forums that might help:

http://repticzone.com/forums/FenceLizard...

http://www.repticzone.com/caresheets/Fen...

http://www.pet-health.org/forums/showthr...

Answer 6

hatchling