Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I caught the little nipper in the photo in the foothills above Salt Lake City, Utah, about a week ago. I belive that it is a very young Western Racer. It's about 7in. long. If I can get it to eat, I would like to keep it, but I have no previous experience with racers. I had good luck feeding it a few small crickets the day after I caught it, but it hasn't eaten anything since. Are crickets a good food choice for this snake? If so, how many, and how often should I feed it? Also, should I dust the crickets w/Herptivite 1x weekly or so? Any other food suggestions would be appreciated. Also, with fall rapidly approaching, is hibernation an issue that I will have to deal with in any way? It doesn't seen to mind being held, and hasn't tried biting anyone (yet). I would love to raise this beautiful little snake, but if things don't go well, I will plan to release it where I found it. Thanks in advance for any and all advice!

You should probably start it on small pinkies soon crickets can give snakes blockage issues , if you just cant get it to eat a mouse, then you may try a soffter body insect
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Ricky

1.0. Melanistic Corn
0.1 Ball Pythons
5.1. Red Ear Sliders
1.0. Spiny Softshell
0.1. Desert Tortoise
1.0. Missouri Box Turtle
0.1.California ebony tarantula
Scorpion Paruroctonus baergi 0.0.1.
4.1. Feline
1.1. Canine
1.0. Cockatiel

I've had really good luck with feeding froglets(although this kind of sucks), and also mine seems to relish mealworms and waxworms. If it doesn't eat right in the cage, try to pick it up and, holding about two inches back from the head, put the prey item up to its mouth; it should gobble it up! That seems to work well on getting them started. Western yellow-bellied racers are really fun to watch! Good luck!
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Roy Blodgett

1.0 Drymarchon corais
0.1 Coluber mormon
1.0 Masticophis flagellum piceus
0.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae
0.1 Corytophanes cristatus
1.1 Pogona vitticeps
1.0 Iguana iguana