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My splendida refuses to have anything to do with F/T pinks or fuzzies. Actually becomes very defensive. The pet store (yeah, I couldn't resist - she's a beauty) lied to me and said she was CB on F/T pinks/fuzzies. I named her Fatty. Seeing as she musks, squirts, bites, and generally flips out, I may change that to "Psycho".

As an experiment, I put a plastic model Coral Snake next to her enclosure and moved it about. She tracked it, then agressively pursued it.I left the model Coral next to her cage and she is determined to try to get to it! So it looks like she's a snakeater.

This is frustrating. She is obviously WC. I could go out and raid the woods for storiea, etc., but I dont like that idea.

Any suggestions?

John D.

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

>>My splendida refuses to have anything to do with F/T pinks or fuzzies. Actually becomes very defensive. The pet store (yeah, I couldn't resist - she's a beauty) lied to me and said she was CB on F/T pinks/fuzzies. I named her Fatty. Seeing as she musks, squirts, bites, and generally flips out, I may change that to "Psycho".
>>
>>As an experiment, I put a plastic model Coral Snake next to her enclosure and moved it about. She tracked it, then agressively pursued it.I left the model Coral next to her cage and she is determined to try to get to it! So it looks like she's a snakeater.
>>
>>This is frustrating. She is obviously WC. I could go out and raid the woods for storiea, etc., but I dont like that idea.
>>
>>Any suggestions?
>>
Try to return him to the pet store!!!!!
Good luck;
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

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R.BICHLER

LOL

I thought of that - I figure they will be less inclined than me to try to get her to eat, and like ly let her starve and/or foist her off on some other schmuck.

JD

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

I would wait it out and let it settle in. You don't want to scent with snake if you want it to be a rodent feeder. Don't start a bad habit or a good one you can't support! Leave 'em alone for a few days and try a small adult mouse, live or knocked out. make sure it has a good hide and plenty of water. I say wait and let it get good n' hungry. Never had a splendy that didn't come around, they are mice killin' machines!
Todd Hughes

I would try lizards.

Have you tried live rodents?
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3.0 WC; 0.1 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 CB L. pyromelana pyromelana
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Those are next. First live pinks, then lizards.

You should see her go after the plastic Coral!

Thx JD

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

I would let her chill out for about a week, to let her get use to her new home. Did you have a hide box for her? If after that and she still doesn't want to eat, try a small fuzzy and split the head open and try do to this and night or dusk. You might also want to put her in a paper bag with he fuzzie for the night. All the dersrt kings I've had are like non-stop eating machines. Just give her some down time!

Yes. Leaving her alone for a week may be all that's needed.
Before my big king decided to become a good eater, sometimes he would kill a big mouse but make no attempt to eat it - meaning he wasn't hungry, and perceived it as a threat rather than food.

I wonder if the response to the rubber snake is not a feeding response, but a response to the rubber snake as a threat.
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3.0 WC; 0.1 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 CB L. pyromelana pyromelana
0.1 WC; 10 eggs (7/11) Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I managed to get this pic last nite.

She wanted to kill it!

Interestingly, after awhile she seemed to learn that the model was out of reach and lost interest.

I will try live etc. today

Thanks for all the help guys!

JPD

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

Part of the reason your snake may not be eating is stress. A new, unfamiliar environment is part of the problem and will go away once your snake settles in. The two possible problems I see are the plastic snake causing stress, and the small enclosure. The enclosure should be big enough to provide two hides and a temperature gradient. Your enclosure looks barely big enough for one hide and the water bowl. Get a biiger, longer enclosure, then get an under the tank heating pad on one side. Put a hide on the warm side and one on the cool side. The warm hide should be around the mid 80's the cool hide around the mid 70's. Make sure your water is on the cool side. Your snake is a fatty and is not going to starve to death even if it doesnt eat for months. Get the husbandry conditions right and start off with small food items and he'll become a mouse wrecker in no time!

You are of course completely correct.
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

Totally agree and hide the model, just stressin' the snake.
Todd Hughes

She's a big enough girl for a small mouse. maybe a little bigger enclosure but yeah chill out for a week and let her settle in and she will chow.
Todd Hughes

Don't let the snake set the agenda! Have patience! Don't handle it much until it starts to eat. I am a certified Splendida nut--have nine of them from different locales. I've caught them throughout their range. And I've never had one that wouldn't eventually eat rodents! Once you get it to eat rodents on a regular basis then start the handling thing. All that I have ever kept (going back to my first in 1966) would musk for awile but eventually stop and become a great snake to handle. Good luck!

Pat GC

I'd recommend a live fuzzy rat or mouse, depending on the size of your snake. This is what I did w/my WC splendida female for 2-3 feedings. Since then, she takes f/t adult mice no problem. You might have to scent the prey with lizard or snake the first few times.

Best of luck
Andrew
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1.1 Lampropeltis g. splendida
1 50 gal. Saltwater Reef Aquarium in Progress. . .

Well...tried a live fuzzy/hopper mouse - no joy.

Will let things settle for awhile then try something else.

Thinking bout scenting - just so happen to have a fresh frozen cornsnake hide in the fridge. Try that next.

Thanks everyone - will keep you posted.

Best Regards,

John D.

Oh, and no more plastic Coralsnakes!
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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

As mentioned before, give her sometime to chill, get a hide box for her (if you don't have one) and give her time to adjust her new environment.

You can also try feeding her at different times of the day and night. Try a pinky or fuzzie and wash it down good. Wild mice have a different scent than captive mice. Put the snake and mouse in a paper bag in your cage and see what happens.

You can also slice open the head of a pinky or fuzzie, this sometimes seems to help them induce feeding and you can try scenting a pinky or fuzzie with a lizard tail, though I wouldn't do this for too long.

Living in NM I've never had a splendida refuse a meal. Good luck and let us know how things go!