Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 5 baby Chihuahua Mtn Kingsnakes that hatched about a month ago and we've not been able to get them to eat pinkies. We've tried scenting them on our lizards, but it hasn't worked. I'd appreciate any other ideas as to how to get them to start eating. How long till I should get worried about them (OK..I'm already worried..)

Thanks!
Lori

How do you scent with the lizard? I have not had much luck with rubbing a pinky on the back of a lizard like some people do.

I have had great luck with feeding picky alterna hatchlings scenting pinks with anole blood. Kinda barbaric, but it has worked for me 100% of the time. I wash live pinkies very well with warm water and some hand soap, rinse them well, and pat them dry. Then I take a freshly killed anole and place a smear of its blood on the head of the pinky. I place the pinky in the favorite hide of the snake just before dusk, and check to make sure it ate first thing in the morning. So far this method has worked for me.

I also save the dead anole in the freezer and thaw it when I need a little more anole juice. One anole usually lasts me long enough to get the hatchlings over to unscented live pink mice.

I have also had limited success wrapping pink mice like a pig in a blanket in lizard skin. I have done this with freshly shed anole and leopard gecko skin with decent results. If you don't want to kill an anole, you should check to see if there are any shedding lizards at the petshop where you buy your feeder mice, and ask the empoyee if they can throw a peice of skin in the bag for you. Just wet it and wrap the pinky up.

Try this, and let me know if it works. If this method does work, use a little less 'juice' each feeding, then stop washing and rinsing the pink for a couple of feedings, then you can try a live unscented pink mouse.

Great luck,
Tom

Another trick that has worked for me is braining live pinks. It is a little gruesome too, but has gotten many of my Thayeri hatchlings to feed. Just cut the pinkie's head open and let some of the grey matter and blood be exposed. Cover the pink and the hatchling snake with a dark bowl. Check every so often.

I wish you all the luck. I know how it is to have beautiful baby snakes that do not eat. I would not get too worried until their second shed.

GOOD LUCk!,
John Lassiter
E-mail me if you have any more questions. Would be glad to give you a few more tricks if these do not work.
dlassiter@stx.rr.com