Posted by:
Kelly_Haller
at Fri Feb 2 16:01:42 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Kelly_Haller ]
It is most likely a wild caught green and for this you may need to wait anywhere from several weeks to several months before it becomes acclimated. The first thing would be to determine that the snake is healthy and the environmental conditions are correct (temps, hide box, humidity, etc.) We have started more than 60 young greens over the years and the ultimate key to getting young greens to start feeding is to be patient, and offer the right food items. I think the number one cause of new young greens not feeding is that the owner tries too hard and stresses them out. Greens only appear difficult to start because most boid keepers are not accustomed to having to wait so long for results. Try to keep disturbances and handling to a minimum. If they won’t take straight rodents, chicken broth scenting will work with some greens, but for many it will not. It is the cheapest and easiest, so it should be tried first. It is best to broth scent small rats, as a majority of young greens don't care for the strong scent of mice. The second best item is chicks, as probably 80% of young greens will take these as a first food source. By far the first food of choice by young greens would be ducklings. I would say 90 to 95% of young greens will take these as a first food source. If they don't take it on the first offering, wait and offer again in about a week. If a month or two goes by without success, re-evaluate your environment to make sure you are not missing something. It is also best to feed just after lights out in the evening, as they are the most willing to feed at this time. Also, it will usually go better if you do not move them to a separate feeding enclosure, as greens are shy and this usually inhibits their feeding response. Once feeding well on birds, scent switching to rats is usually not a problem.
But again the key is patience. Never force feed a green for any reason, as it is not necessary. The chance of causing permanent damage is too great, and at the least, you could cause them so much stress that they will never take food voluntarily. I have never had to resort to force feeding with any green, you just need to give them time to acclimate. A young healthy green can easily go 4 to 6 months without eating with no problems whatsoever. Good luck.
Kelly
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Keys to starting young greens ....... - Kelly_Haller, Fri Feb 2 16:01:42 2007