Hi Folks,
For the first time in their lives my five year old axies have had live food.
I hovered anxiously over their tank last night, worm bowl in hand as my axies waited expectantly with their eyes shining brightly. I withdrew one worm, the tension mounting. I secured the wriggling worm in my fingers and lowered it toward my plucky little Leia.
Some history on Leia. She is a finicky little pain in the neck, who will only accept small morsels of food and is not a 'great eater'. She is the one axolotl who I was sure would give me problems.
I was ready to encourage her, as I've read on the forum that the first time sensation of wriggling food in the axies mouth can 'discomfort' the axolotl, they may spit it out and one may need to console them and then try again...giving them 'time' to adjust to a new experience.
She grabbed it! She sucked it in like spagetti and then blew it out part way savouring the new taste, sucked it in again (I started to feel so sorry for the worm), moved it around looking enraptured, gulped it down and burped. Unlike her namesake, she can be a little un-lady-like...
I fed the other two (I wasn't worried about them, they're veterans when it comes to eating), down the hatch the worm went! It was Leia's turn again.
The next worm had a cunning plan and decided to hide in a rock gap. Leia stalked it, and started moving around the rock planning where to meet the worm, she almost looked cat like in her hunt - it was so cute...she got it.
Eowyn and Vader were attracted over by the excitement and enjoyed the partaking of a second helping of worm as well...just not with quite as much enthusiasm as their counterpart!
After being squeamish for five years, I felt so sorry for the worms, but comforted myself knowing that one day I would be food for them and would thus make it up to their ancestors consumed by my axies...unless I'm cremated and then it's just too bad! Better luck next time worms!!
Ah well, I've done it now which will make it easier on me the next time.
Thank you to all who have posted over the years on their experience on feeding live worms to caudata - it really does help those of us who are squeamish about taking the plunge.
Cheers Jacq.
For the first time in their lives my five year old axies have had live food.
I hovered anxiously over their tank last night, worm bowl in hand as my axies waited expectantly with their eyes shining brightly. I withdrew one worm, the tension mounting. I secured the wriggling worm in my fingers and lowered it toward my plucky little Leia.
Some history on Leia. She is a finicky little pain in the neck, who will only accept small morsels of food and is not a 'great eater'. She is the one axolotl who I was sure would give me problems.
I was ready to encourage her, as I've read on the forum that the first time sensation of wriggling food in the axies mouth can 'discomfort' the axolotl, they may spit it out and one may need to console them and then try again...giving them 'time' to adjust to a new experience.
She grabbed it! She sucked it in like spagetti and then blew it out part way savouring the new taste, sucked it in again (I started to feel so sorry for the worm), moved it around looking enraptured, gulped it down and burped. Unlike her namesake, she can be a little un-lady-like...
I fed the other two (I wasn't worried about them, they're veterans when it comes to eating
), down the hatch the worm went! It was Leia's turn again.The next worm had a cunning plan and decided to hide in a rock gap. Leia stalked it, and started moving around the rock planning where to meet the worm, she almost looked cat like in her hunt - it was so cute...she got it.
Eowyn and Vader were attracted over by the excitement and enjoyed the partaking of a second helping of worm as well...just not with quite as much enthusiasm as their counterpart!
After being squeamish for five years, I felt so sorry for the worms, but comforted myself knowing that one day I would be food for them and would thus make it up to their ancestors consumed by my axies...unless I'm cremated and then it's just too bad! Better luck next time worms!!
Ah well, I've done it now which will make it easier on me the next time.
Thank you to all who have posted over the years on their experience on feeding live worms to caudata - it really does help those of us who are squeamish about taking the plunge.
Cheers Jacq.
