Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My '05 Jalisco Milk has been setting himself on a 2 week feeding schedule. He has refused meals sooner than that for the last month.

A month ago, he went from 2 Pinks to a small Hopper (I was given Hoppers when I asked for Fuzzies and didn't know any different). Two weeks later (after refusing more small hoppers), he ate one medium Pinkie. I've been trying true Fuzzies for the last 10 days and he's been turning them down. I'm tired of flushing these mice down the toilet.

Should I rub the next Fuzzy with a Pinkie to try and scent it?

Should I present a Pinkie AND a Fuzzy and see which (or both) he eats?

I haven't changed the method of feeding. I put him in a small separate Critter Keeper with his coconut hide and the prey item, put that in his enclosure (for familiarity), and either cover with a towel or leave overnight. This morning he was coiled NEXT to the Fuzzy under his coconut!

HELP!

Walt

Jalisco milks are montane milksnakes, and their habits are very like montane kingsnakes. You aren't dealing with a Honduran here. Jaliscos are smaller and can be more picky at times just like some other montane kings can be.

Some young mtn kings I've had were much more likely to eat a few pinks rather than a larger prey item. It is just the way they were. I always kept a Cal king around to eat any uneaten prey items.

I would go with what works. If he will eat pinks, then pinks it is. Keep in mind that in his natural habitat he would probably be eating lizards mostly, and maybe include nestling warm-blooded prey as he got bigger. He would also experience a cooldown at night and possibly have a cool retreat during the day to be used as needed.

I have noticed that he spends most of his time on the cool side of his enclosure.

He can't eat pinks forever, though. I want him to grow. Plus, I hear they're not as nutritionally sound as fuzzies and hoppers.

What do you think about the scenting idea?

Walt

I have had milks do this to me in the past. Sometimes if I offered a prey item that was too big, they resorted to eating something really small for a while, until I could get them eating consistently again.

I still have adult milks that will only take fuzzies when they should be eating hoppers.

What I would do is give him pinks again until he is consistently eating. Then I would try a "peach" fuzzy. Some mice suppliers sell a fuzzy in between the size of a large pink and a regular fuzzy that they call peach fuzzies.

Good luck.

Dave

DNS Reptiles

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Dave Niles

Thank you very much! I'll try that!

I wish the milk and king snakes would eat like my daughter's corn. She's growing like a weed and is on hoppers. Eats RIGHT AWAY every single time. What a little piggie.

Walt