Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, for all that have been following..I attempted to feed my baby corn the past few days..I had hm for about a week now... two days ago, I tried to feed him in separate contaner.. I put the pinky in the container, and put container back in his tank for the night, with the snake and pinky in the little tupperware container...no go in the morning, pinky still there...then tonight, I placed the pinky on a small plate inside the tank, and still no go... snake wont touch it...temps are all good..any other suggestions to try to get him to eat? thanks..

Don't refreeze or try to feed a F/T pinky again after it has been refused. Toss it out and get a different one for next time.

You haven't had the snake long enough for this to be a 'feeding problem' yet. It's way to early to be getting worried. Just do what has been suggestd to you earlier and you'll probably be fine. If about 2 more weeks pass without a successful feeding yet, we can reevaluate your situation. I'm betting that the snake eats on its own way before then.

Wait about 3-4 days between each feeding attempt to avoid stress.

Also, if this snake continues to absolutely refuse F/T, you might have to go with live mice. Some snakes are picky like that.

I see you asked the same question over at Repticzone, and I like this answer better (although the suggestions over there have merit).

Your snake might also be getting ready to shed; I don't "do amels" so I'm not familiar with the color changes that preclude it, but only one of my snakes will eat while in shed, and with couple of them, the first indication I receive is when they refuse a meal.

I see you bought your snake at Petco, and you were certain you were going to get blasted for this, but having made your choice (and some don't have any other source of herps), it's doubtless time to move on . . . Your cage is really large; I have a year-and-a-half old corn I raised from a clutch I hatched that I still keep in a ten gallon tank (yeah, something larger is in the works); cage size probably figures in your decision to feed outside the cage, something I generally advocate (I do have a Nelson's milk that will gently take a pinky from my hands in his cage, but he's full grown and that only happens when one of the other smaller ones refuses something and I don't want to waste it). So give the little guy a break as suggested . . .

The only other thing I'll add is a plug for the time-honored wisdom of making sure a snake is eating before purchasing it (particularly with hatchlings); this saves a lot of worry and heartache . . .

Yankeeslover, you're just starting out with this hobby and we were all beginners once like you are now. You're going to find out that a lot of keeping corns is trial and error. There is a lot of good info out there and there are knowledgeable people who can help you out with questions. You'll have it figured out in time, but you never really stop learning. I've been in this game for a little while now and I still come across new information and am still learning.

You're going to find out that different keepers do things differently. Sometimes you're going to get different advice from different people. I've figured out what works for me as others here have figured out what works for them. I've seen some things here that I've never thought of and I'm going to try out just to see if it works better than what I've been doing. Hey, if it works it works.

Most of all, have fun with this hobby. Don't be afraid to experiment (as long as it doesn't put an animal at risk). Take the time to learn from others and take the time to share what you have learned.

I am actually going to give Petco a vote of confidence that they didnt sell you a bum snake. They are usually pretty honest in representing what they sell, and if they sold it to you feeding on frozen thawed, I don't see where they would gain from be dishonest about that. If the animal is misrepresented, its probably from the source Petco got it from and Petco didnt have enough time to find out it was a bum snake before you bought it from them. I could be wrong, but I just found the receipt for my WC russian tortoise I got from Petco, and realized I have had him for five years as of March 23rd. He is doing great and I never had a problem with him. He is definitely not "junk" many people claim the big chain stores sell. Getting back to your feeding issue, I have to agree with the other posters. Give it time!!! Wait a few days and try again. Are you handling the new guy a lot due to his newness?? Overhandling may cause stress and lack of feeding. Just leave him alone and disturb him as little as possible between feeding attempts. And as also posted, everyone starts somewhere. I kept snakes for quite a few years before I got my first real "problem" snake that taxed my patience and love of the hobby. It will come together, just give it time and patience. Leave the snake alone, and try again. As also mentioned, you can try a live pink, or even washing a frozen thawed pink with mild soap, then rinsing well and drying before offering. I know this sounds silly, but are you feeding frozen pinkys from the same source as Petco? Finally (I know this is long, sorry!!), you may want to get back with Petco and ask again about what and how they were feeding. You may have missed something key, or easily forgot a bit of information they gave you.

Best of Luck

thanks, I actually talked to Petco today..they advised me that they actually didnt have chance to feed it..it came in Thursday w/a shipment of around 5-6 other baby corns, and I purchased Friday...they did say there vendor does feed F/T...but have no clue when it ate last, or how it was fed..Petco advised that they always feed in a separate container(a small critter carrier).. Im really trying to lean towards this route,as I would rather him/her eat in a separate container anyways...as far as the Pinks go...I have purchased the pinkys from a local petshop, as Petco is around 1 hour drive from me...could this be an issue? I figured all Pinkys would be the same...should I go to a petco or petsmart for frozen pinkys? they honestly look alittle better, some of these loooked alittle freezer burnt(not sure if snakes can tell difference or not)...I like the little containers that petsmart sells them in(called arctic mice)
Also, last but not least....the rep from Petco today says I have two weeks to bring it back...I would really hate to do this, but I hate to be stuck with a non eater...should I even consider taking it back if it hasnt eating at the two week mark? if I did return him/her, I was gonna trade it for a Desert Kingsnake(baby) But once again, I rather not go this route..Pete