Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a baby WC that ate 3 times after capture, but now hasn't eaten in several weeks. It's odd, as I've never had that behavior in rat snakes before.
Any suggestions?
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V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.

>>I have a baby WC that ate 3 times after capture, but now hasn't eaten in several weeks. It's odd, as I've never had that behavior in rat snakes before.
>>Any suggestions?
>>-----
>>V.P.
>>Austin Herp. Soc.

Could be parasites, the time of day you're feeding it, that it's cage is too big and feels insecure, that it's hidebox is too big, etc., etc.

I would suggest offering food at night just before you turn out the lights, and don't disturb it. Try pre-killed and live. Some TPRSs, especially females - but some males too, can be quite shy and picky feeders. I've never had a suboc not take rodents, though, of some kind or another.

Keep it in a small cage, w/ a small dark hidebox with good ventilation at about 72-79 degrees F on the cool end and 81-88 degrees F on the warm end. Make sure that it has a hidebox in both temp. zones. And since it is WC, maybe deworm it?? Heck it doesn't hurt to deworm CB animals either, for that matter.
Hope that helps!

DR

Suboc.com

Jack,

First of all, I don't have the extensive experience with bogeys that Dusty does, but I have had a couple of WC babies.

One trick I used to use that worked for me several times is to put a handful of small stones into the hidebox. Somehow lying on the pile of stones in their hidebox seems to make them feel more "at home" and they will eat more readily. I thought it might be an issue of wanting a "tight" space, but a smaller hidebox didn't help. They seemed to like the rocks under them?

I used to use a handful of stones about the size of a grape to almost golfball sized. Whenever I lifted the hidebox, the snakse were coiled up on top of the rocks near the top of the hidebox.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Hey,

Anything Chris Harrison says is gospel.
It's interesting that a thigmotropic (tight) hideaway with rocks worked to get the WCs feeding. I did bring home a couple or three young WCs this summer (when it was still legal to do so), and I placed dampened sphagnum in their hideboxes and piled it fairly high. They've been eating like champs since day one.
It's always amazed me how hardy any of my WCs have been compared to my CBs. They usually have a lightning fast feeding response, and they really seem to value a free, easy meal.

By the way, Chris, you've got a quote in my book in the "Natural History of TPRSs" chapter.

Later dudes,

DR

Suboc.com

>>By the way, Chris, you've got a quote in my book in >>the "Natural History of TPRSs" chapter.

Geez, I hope it wasn't something stupid I said!

Was I drinking at the time? LOL
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

>>Geez, I hope it wasn't something stupid I said!
>>
>>Was I drinking at the time? LOL

You'll just have to wait and see. Haha! Just kiddin', man. It was actually pretty cool and witty. And if you were drinking, I couldn't tell.

DR

"It was actually pretty cool and witty. And if you were drinking, I couldn't tell."

You mean the accompanying pic with chris wearing the lampshade didnt give it away?
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5.5 Nuevo Leon Kings
1.3 Kunasir Island Rats
1.1 Albino Japanese Rats
1.1 San Luis Potosi Kings
0.1 Everglades Rats
0.1 White Oak Gray Rat
0.1 Speckled King
0.1 Tarahumara Mtn King
0.1 Amelanistic Corn

>>You mean the accompanying pic with chris wearing the lampshade didnt give it away?

Hey, some of us just know how to accessorize better than others!
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Hello:

That rock business reminds me of my first sub-ocs, 30 years ago.
Kept them on very large "fish" gravel with lots of rock hiding areas. They ate like champs; fresh killed or df. I would think they enjoy the "cold" feeling from the stones. It wasn't that easy housekeeping with gravel, but I always sanitized the stones for reuse. I keep my pair(het for blonde) on aspen, but will definitely use pebbles in half their cage to see what happens. It's a 3' home made wood cage.

Thanks for the reminder of how things used to be.

Mike

I'll try all of the above suggestions and let you know.
This particular one is very young and has a bite mark on its neck from another colubrid. The mark is just about the size of a typical grayband mouth.
Might be far-fetched, but that's the story I'm going with for now. Any other snake-eating snakes on RR?
Whipsnake, maybe,...patchnosed...no other kingsnakes in the area (at least, not usually)
-Jack
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V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.

how about a hide of stacks broken cut pieces? I usually get some from the ground each trip, along with a good amount of small rock/soil from the area of capture. A twisted piece of root/branch completes my enclosure.

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Todd Hughes

Mike Price, his son Nathan, Tanner Tumlinson, and I found a splendida on the RR a few weeks ago in early June. If I remember correctly, it seems it was just west of Lajitas. It was a freshly killed DOR, sadly. But Mike was ecstatic to find that splendida - apparently they are rarely spotted on that road.

DR

Two years ago a friend and I were cruising RR when we came on a young female splendida just east of Lajitas. I've been trying to pair it up ever since-closest I've been able to find was the northern xmas mntns, along 118....

Brad Chambers

They aren't supposed to be there according to Dixon. No dots in the big book.
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V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.

i picked one up right in front of the study butte mall about 20 years ago.....funny, ican remember every snake i've seen, but some mornings i can't remember my own name!!!!!!!!

Milksnakes are there.
Regal ringnecks, not sure they're there but they definitly eat snakes and get well over 2 feet long.
Others that might eat snakes:
I've seen Nightsnakes that were probably over 22" there.
Lyresnakes
Various Garters
Coachwhips, Racers and/or Whipsnakes

I have a wild caught that was a spotty eater for years. She was feeding on mice. One day I put rat pinks in and she ate them. She now feeds exclusively on rat pinks and fuzzies. She eats consistently now. Try some rat pinks if you haven't already. Good Luck, Rin.

Seems the snake was holding out for a live mouse. I did set the box up with rocks and a moist hide, though. Maybe it appreciates it.
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V.P.
Austin Herp. Soc.