Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey I have a six week old gray band that has yet to eat. I have tried feeding him a live pinkie scented with a fence lizard. I'm not too worried about him quite yet, but what would be the best method to try next? Like I tried feeding him today, but should I wait a week or less than that to try next?Thanks!!

You might try cooling them down and start up again in the spring.
-----
___________________________
Herp Conservation Unlimited

If people really learn from their mistakes, I should be like the smartest guy in the world

I was going to cool them from Dec 1-March 1

They may be ready now, if they are not eating then they will just metabolize what they have and lose weight. Sometimes they win...
-----
___________________________
Herp Conservation Unlimited

If people really learn from their mistakes, I should be like the smartest guy in the world

He just had his second shed, so I am going to try atleast two more times and if not then just go ahead and put him down.

I had couple of hatchling grey bands a few years ago that refused to eat. I tried the heating and cooling down stuff and the scenting with no success. After one died(the nicer one of course) I resorted to force feeding adult mouse tails to prevent another loss. It was quite easy. once you got it in a quarter of the way she would suck the rest down. after a few weeks of that i assume she realized that that is what her food is suppose to smell like she started accepting F/T pinkie if i placed her in a brown paper bag with it and put the bag in total darkness. If you attempt this method be sure you are sliding the mouse tail into her throat and not her airway. im sure a lot of people will disagree with this method but i am sure i prevented another hatchling death with it.Use at your own discretion.

The only thing that works is a live lizard. I’m fortunate enough to live in area that is relatively close to several lizard species – side-blotched, tree, earless, plateau and spiny – which I go out and noose during the spring and fall months. I have all of these lizards in my freezer available for feeders or for scenting. For the past few years, I’ve used a method that works pretty well to get anywhere from 60-80% to hit a scented pink their first meal. Most that won’t take a scented pink will take a f/t lizard of one species or another (some may refuse one lizard species, but eagerly feed on another). The few that do not take a scented pink or a f/t lizard WILL take a live lizard their first meal. The second meal for these stubborn feeders will almost certainly be a f/t lizard, then they move on to scented pinks, then finally pinks.

Sometimes, all that a wc alterna (or milk snake) will eat for their first meal in captivity is a lizard – and I’ve never had one refuse a f/t lizard. Then, it’s a fairly quick process of moving them off lizards to domesticated mice. It’s a labor of love really...lol.

Robert

How long should you wait before assist feeding? It is 8 wks old now and still has not ate anything. I can't cool him down because I dont control the temperature because I am in a dorm room. Advice appreciated!Thanks.

Zack

I can’t help you with assist feeding. I give stubborn feeders what they want – lizards. However, your difficulty getting the neonate to feed illustrates the reason I don’t offer cb alterna to the “general” public in the year of birth. How about going to the source of those cb alterna? Can you get any advice from them?

Robert