Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just caught a baby copperhead on a recent roadtrip...this thing is about 5.5". The ones I am used to keeping have all been roughly double this size when I acquired them. It is starting to shed (I'm guessing this is the 1st or the 2nd shedding) and I know that most baby copperheads won't eat until their 1st shed. My question is what is an appropriatly sized 1st meal? It seems like pinkies would be too big. Should I try catching some small grass frogs or perhaps guppies? How long should wait for it to eat before I start to worry?

Thanks for the help guys!

I have four baby copperheads that were born on the 27th of august. They have all shed for the first time already and I am currently in the process of getting them to feed for the first time. There are a couple of things that I know of that you can try and these other guys will be able to tell you some more. Try scenting day old pinks with either a frog or a lizard. If it doesnt seem interested in the pink at first, try leaving the pink in for a day or two. Sometimes when they start to rot they will start to appeal to the snake.
Another thing that has worked for me in the past is to put the snake and the pink in a brown paper bag inside of the cage. Staple the bag shut and leave it alone for a day or so.
Copperheads love frogs and toads. Try a small frog or toad or a small lizard.
I'm no expert by any means but these are just a few things that have worked for me in the past. It's been a long time since I've had baby copperheads and I'm really enjoying my new babies.
Good luck with your snake and keep us posted!

>>I just caught a baby copperhead on a recent roadtrip...this thing is about 5.5". The ones I am used to keeping have all been roughly double this size when I acquired them. It is starting to shed (I'm guessing this is the 1st or the 2nd shedding) and I know that most baby copperheads won't eat until their 1st shed. My question is what is an appropriatly sized 1st meal? It seems like pinkies would be too big. Should I try catching some small grass frogs or perhaps guppies? How long should wait for it to eat before I start to worry?
>>
>>Thanks for the help guys!
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0.1.0 albino burmese
1.0.0 normal burmese
1.0.0 redtail boa
1.0.0 albino corn
0.1.0 creamsicle corn
1.1.0 leopard geckos
2.0.4 copperheads
0.0.1 timber rattler
1.0.0 green iguana
0.0.1 veiled chameleon
2.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 mexican red knee tarantula
0.0.1 emperor scorpion

Thanks for the info and the quick response! Do you think that a baby copperhead will be able to handle a day old pinkie (maybe I'm not giving it enough credit)?

pinky parts...not a full pinky...

rule of thumb is to give the snake a meal that is roughly the same diameter as the snake or smaller. You want to be cautious with young snakes as their stomach is more likely to be injured from eating something larger than an adult snake, since adults have tougher stomachs. If the middle of the snake's body is the diameter of a pencil eraser, then find a meal that is that same size.

I've fed snakes mouse tails, feet and legs because they were too small for anything else I had.
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1.0.0 Great Plains Ratsnake
1.0.0 Corn, Lavender Aztec het for Amel
0.1.0 Black Ratsnake
0.0.1 Texas Rat (tame)
1.0.0 Broad Banded Water Snake, Hypo
1.0.0 Black Bassador Retriever
2.1.0 Godchildren, 1 Evil, 2 possible hets

thanks guys, I think I'll try to find a very puny pinkie or some pinkie parts. Has anyone had success with invertebrates? I have witnessed adults eating cicadas in the wild and was wondering if a baby might be interested in something like a roach?

I'm not sure about a roach...never tried one. However I have fed baby copperheads grasshoppers in the past just to see if they would eat one. I probably wouldn't depend on just inverts as a diet, that's just me though.
Another thing I do as an extra safety precaution is to freeze anything I catch in the wild like small frogs or lizards for a minmum of two weeks. This just ensures that anykind of mites or parasites they may have are dead.
Hope this helps a little

>>thanks guys, I think I'll try to find a very puny pinkie or some pinkie parts. Has anyone had success with invertebrates? I have witnessed adults eating cicadas in the wild and was wondering if a baby might be interested in something like a roach?
-----
0.1.0 albino burmese
1.0.0 normal burmese
1.0.0 redtail boa
1.0.0 albino corn
0.1.0 creamsicle corn
1.1.0 leopard geckos
2.0.4 copperheads
0.0.1 timber rattler
1.0.0 green iguana
0.0.1 veiled chameleon
2.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 mexican red knee tarantula
0.0.1 emperor scorpion

Yeah I wasn't going to go with a staple diet of inverebrates, I was just looking for something as a "first meal". I've tried putting a pinkie in there and I've let it sit for about three days and still nothing. I've also cut a pinkie in half and tried that, but still nothing. Do you think I should try to find a live pinkie?

Well, after many failed attempts at getting my babies to take a first meal, I finally took a frozen pinkie and cut it into four pieces with a razor blade. Then I let the four pieces thaw out in room temperature water. After they had thawed, I got one of the babies out on the table and using a paint brush, I gently pinned it down right behind the head and picked up one of the parts with some tweezers and gently coaxed the babies mouth open with the part. After the part was in it's mouth, I let it go and it swallowed it without any problem. I did this with all four babies. So now they have all eaten.
If you do this, use caution and don't use a whole lot of pressure as you might do some damage.
I had tried everything before I did this though. I probably could have waited another week or so before I tried to feed them, but I feel better knowing they have had the first meal. I hope I don't have to do it again cause I know it causes some unnessecary stress to the snake.
You can try live if you want to just leave it in for a day or two.

>>Yeah I wasn't going to go with a staple diet of inverebrates, I was just looking for something as a "first meal". I've tried putting a pinkie in there and I've let it sit for about three days and still nothing. I've also cut a pinkie in half and tried that, but still nothing. Do you think I should try to find a live pinkie?
-----
0.1.0 albino burmese
1.0.0 normal burmese
1.0.0 redtail boa
1.0.0 albino corn
0.1.0 creamsicle corn
1.1.0 leopard geckos
2.0.4 copperheads
0.0.1 timber rattler
1.0.0 green iguana
0.0.1 veiled chameleon
2.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 mexican red knee tarantula
0.0.1 emperor scorpion

Glad to hear it worked for you....I'm not looking forward to handfeeding/forfeeding this guy because I really don't want to put any unnecessary stress on him, but I might have to if he doesn't eat in a week or so. Any suggestions on handeling the babies or is it pretty much the same routine as the adults?

Since I don't have a small hook anymore, I just bent up a coat hanger and that's how I move them from the cage. I was able to assist feed without actually touching them. If you do have to hold it down, it will be alot different than an adult. A baby can slip it's little head out of your fingers or get twisted around and tag you alot easier.
In the past, when I have had to hold them down with my fingers, I very gently held them down on the table with my thumb and middle finger on either side of the body behind the head, and my index finger up top. You have to be very gentle though. Make sure once you get the pinkie part in it's mouth, let go so it can swallow it.
More than likely it will try to spit it out, but if it does then try it again.
These are things that have worked for me. Others may know a better way of doing it than me.

>>Glad to hear it worked for you....I'm not looking forward to handfeeding/forfeeding this guy because I really don't want to put any unnecessary stress on him, but I might have to if he doesn't eat in a week or so. Any suggestions on handeling the babies or is it pretty much the same routine as the adults?
-----
0.1.0 albino burmese
1.0.0 normal burmese
1.0.0 redtail boa
1.0.0 albino corn
0.1.0 creamsicle corn
1.1.0 leopard geckos
2.0.4 copperheads
0.0.1 timber rattler
1.0.0 green iguana
0.0.1 veiled chameleon
2.1.0 ball pythons
0.0.1 mexican red knee tarantula
0.0.1 emperor scorpion

Yeah, I've been using a copper wire to act as a snake hook and I can bend it into any shape I want. I tried force feeding today and he was actually very calm about it. He latched on to a pinkie piece (1/3 of a pinkie) and just held on to it. I put him in a box away from distractions and returned after fifteen minutes and it was gone. I debated on weather trying to feed the other 2/3 of the pinkie to him but decided against it. I thought the stress might cause him to regurgitate the first 1/3. I have also found through the help of another local person that I could easily handle the baby with a batting glove on underneath a baking glove......their fangs are not long enough to penetrate both articles of clothing(or so I've been told). They fellow demonstrated this procedure to me, but I don't think I'm gonna risk it.