Red Efts Won't Eat!

[heppgalvan]

Hello!
This past August, we collected three Red Efts from Adirondack State Park. For the past 6 months, they've been living in an aquarium with part land/part water. One Eft eats a waxworm every two weeks. He is big and healthy. The other two have NEVER eaten! We have tried fruit flies, bloodworms, mealworms and of course, wax worms. They are small and skinny and I can't believe they're still alive. I'd let them go, but it's now February and we're not near their original habitat. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[nwmnnaturalist]

First I'd like to caution you in that it is against the law to collect any animal from a State or National Park without prior permission, let alone permits. It can be ruled as a federal offense in some cases!

I suggest you change to earthworms, such as ones sold as "Trout Worms" (usually not measuring over 3 - 3 1/2 inches). They often will come in different sizes, though you can cut them up into smaller segments to feed to them. Sometimes you may need to 'tempt' them a bit by brushing the worm gently around their mouths and chins to stimulate their feeding drive.

Releasing any animal, whether it is wild-caught or store bought, is not advisable because you can introduce diseases and parasites into an environment.