Reptile & Amphibian Forums

There was a recent post about feeding stubborn hatchlings. I thought the suggestions were great, but I have tried all these and have not gotten a single snake to eat. I know I must be doing something wrong, but if I knew what it was I would stop it. Is there feeding hatchlings for dummies?

Dave
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I'm still looking for that Striped King snake that got away 45 years ago!!

Please let us know what you have tried(all the details) and we can let you know what else you can try.
But a brown paper bag left overnight works well for me.
put the pinky in first then the snake and roll the top down and tape it shut....Good luck...
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CD
Corns(Adults)
1.0 Snow ZigZag (01)
1.0 Bloodred het Pewter(05)
0.1 Banded Motley het Amel (01)
0.1 Blizzard het Anery A (01)
Babies
1.0 Normal Aztec het Snow (07)
0.1 Normal Aztec het ???? (08)

1) I put a small pinky in their cage overnight. I made sure that the snake saw the food but tried not to disturb the snake.

2) The next time (all the pinkies thrown away) I put the food in a deli cup and left them alone for a few hours. After a few hours I pierced the head of the pinky and smeared the brains over the face and nose of the pinky. Still no takers.

3) Tonight I tried to tease feed the snake. I put the pinky in front of the snake and moved it around. A few snakes struck at the food, but no one swallowed (after 30 minutes with two snakes).

I am beginning to think that I don't know anything about snakes.

Dave
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I'm still looking for that Striped King snake that got away 45 years ago!!

theres still alot of feeding ways to try!!
~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, A pair of Leucistic Black Rat X Leucistic Texas Rat Intergrades, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn, Ball Pythons, A reverse Trio of Candoia, Leopard Geckos, Green Anoles, a Snapping Turtle, a White Cheeked Mud Turtle, a Bearded Dragon, an Adult Rescue Iguana, and A Baby Iguana

Thanks for all the help with feeding. I am now force feeding mouse tails with the hope that they will survive and make something of themselves.

I have a large leaf in the Kritter Keeper with them. Very few use this as a hide. Most are camping out by the water bowl. Temps are in the low 80's (around 82). One snake became a meal for my king snake and others seem to be competing for the same honor. The babies are about four weeks old. None have eaten on their own. All are kept in separate cages.

Maybe I need more cover. I will try moss in a few cages and rolled up paper towels in others. I do not have any small boxes, but I will try different things and see what happens.

Dave
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One man with faith equals the majority.
Thomas Jefferson

the odd and usually not done feeding items include

tree frogs and other small frogs, skinks, other snakes... but some snakes I believe are meant just for food for other critters...

~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, A pair of Leucistic Black Rat X Leucistic Texas Rat Intergrades, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn, Ball Pythons, A reverse Trio of Candoia, Leopard Geckos, Green Anoles, a Snapping Turtle, a White Cheeked Mud Turtle, a Bearded Dragon, an Adult Rescue Iguana, and A Baby Iguana

Some things to think about:

1. Have the snakes had their post-hatching shed?
Baby snakes typically live off fat reserves until they shed 7-10 days after hatching.

2. Cage Size
Baby snakes fare best when kept in relatively small enclosures (e.g. a plastic shoebox).

3. Hide Box
A hide area is beneficial to a snake’s well-being.

4. Lighting
A baby corn snake is most likely to come out in the early evening or at night. For this reason, lighting its enclosure is not only unnecessary, but it may cause the animal stress.

5. Time of Feeding
Baby corns feed most readily in the evening.

6. Type of Food
Pinkies are the ideal food, but they may need to be scented with lizards or frogs.

7. Handling and Other Disturbances
While few snakes are as tame as corns, their docile nature does not mean that they should be handled – at least not until they are feeding regularly.

8. Temperature
It is important to have a “hot spot” in the enclosure where the temperature reaches the mid-80’s.

9. Live Food
While frozen/thawed rodents are convenient, some snakes will only eat live food.

10. Single Lifestyle
Corn snakes do best (and feed best) when housed separately.

Tim

Third Eye

i agree with everything Tim said..
heres how i do it or tell people to try....

f/t pink
f/t pink brained
f/t pink beheaded
f/t pink cut in 1/2 long ways
f/t pink scented with Green anole, house gecko, tuna juice, chicken broth
f/t pink with green anole or house gecko blood
f/t pink wrapped in green anole or house gecko skin

Live pink brained
Live pink scented with Green anole, house gecko, tuna juice, chicken broth
Live pink with green anole or house gecko blood
Live pink wrapped in green anole or house gecko skin

Small live green anole or house gecko
Small live green anole or house gecko with blood(pinch tail off)

small baby tree frog (these are usually harder to find which is why they are last)

make sure you aren't trying this all in 1 day. this should be tried every 3-5 days apart.
you can also try putting the pink in a deli cup with the snake or "hide" the prey 1/2 way under the water bowl. and then there is always the paper bag trick... make sure all is done at night time and take the uneaten prey out in the AM.

~kin
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~Sober Serpents~
www.freewebs.com/soberserpents
Corns, Creamsicles, A Black Rat, A pair of Leucistic Black Rat X Leucistic Texas Rat Intergrades, Thayeri, Cal Kings, A Jungle Corn, Ball Pythons, A reverse Trio of Candoia, Leopard Geckos, Green Anoles, a Snapping Turtle, a White Cheeked Mud Turtle, a Bearded Dragon, an Adult Rescue Iguana, and A Baby Iguana

this is such a common question. It would be so nice to have a collection of hinds/tricks/what ever you want to call them.

Even give referance to the person that agave them if they want.

My odd ball additions are,

1 I've had a few snakes that like a small brown paper bag rathr than a deli cup. No idea why it works. And over night.

2 I've scented with many small animals, even rabbits and G-pigs just because they were there. I've had a few baby rats and corns like rat scenting.

3 Also, and PLEASE be careful. I had this work only once. I had a corn that fed, and I placed non feeders with him as I fed the feeding corn a pinky,, carefully watching. And one got excited by the other feeding??? MAYBE? But I dropped in a pinky and that non eater ate. This is a trick with turtles and torts. I have no idea if it worked, or that non feeder just turned into a feeder.

Good luck, the list is long.
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Thanks for reading.
Big Tom

www.HerpZillA.com

I was successful with anole scenting in one case. Also, I had one just start to feed after its second shed (after refusing all attempts before that). I am force-feeding a few now.

Graybands are easier IMO than some cornsnakes.

Don't forget that inbreeding has occurred to a great deal with cornsnakes, resulting in hatchlings with little desire to feed on mice, so it seems. I would try scenting as suggested by others.
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Mark

I caught some gecko's outside my home in Texas and tried rubbing the pinkies face and nose on the gecko. I left the snakes overnight with the scented mouse but none of them ate. I know there are more things to try. I never thought it would be this hard.

Dave
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One man with faith equals the majority.
Thomas Jefferson

>>There was a recent post about feeding stubborn hatchlings. I thought the suggestions were great, but I have tried all these and have not gotten a single snake to eat. I know I must be doing something wrong, but if I knew what it was I would stop it. Is there feeding hatchlings for dummies?
>>
>>Dave
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>>I'm still looking for that Striped King snake that got away 45 years ago!!

How old are the hatchlings and how are they kept.

I know my Children's hatchlings like to live in shoeboxes with spaghnum moss cover at least an inch deep. No moving to feed, just put in a pinky.

Rats and corns I have raised need separate cups with pinks, sometimes brained, sometimes f/t , sometimes f/t and washed.

None of mine eat before they are two weeks old at least, sometimes a month.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

My hatchlings are almost three weeks old. They are kept seperate in a small kritter keeper. I have a folded paper towel in the bottom and a leaf from a fake plant to hide. They is also water and the temp is a constant 80 - 82. I have no way to check the humidity. Maybe I am worried too soon but I have wanted to raise babies for many years. I want to do all I can to take care of them.
I also want to thank all of you who have taken the time to write and share your knowledge with me.

Dave
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One man with faith equals the majority.
Thomas Jefferson