Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, I have my pair and love them to pieces, but good grief they don't move anything like my cali kings! They move fast and flail a lot - is that typical of the babies? OK - that's not my intended question though.

Mine were eating f/t from the breeder, but will not eat f/t for me. Don't know if I'm just not holding my tongue right or not? LOL

I have no problem offering them live pinks for now, they'll eat those, even really small live ASF's when I can't get to the pet store for live pinks (I only breed ASF's and rats at the moment, no mice).

How hard is it going to be to get them to switch to f/t? Are there any tricks to getting them to do so, since they don't seem to want to take them right now for me?
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Robins Nest Reptiles

My black milk was nervous, squirmy, and would flail about wildly as a hatchling, so I think that not unusual behavior for them.
As far as feeding, I don't think it should be that tough for yours to switch over. I'm a bit surprised yours is not taking F/T already. Maybe try braining, and leaving it over night, and see if that works. Mine as always been an aggressive feeder from day one. Steve

Robin,
I guess the blacks flip & flail around a bit as neonates but I really didn't notice as I keep a number of North American milks that are much worse at flailing around. Your gaigeae will mellow in time.

If their tub or tank is to big neonates seem to not eat as well as they do when they are kept in a smaller container. Try a smaller tub 5" by 2" or a deli cup, lay in a brained f/t pink, and a paper towel folded in half laid over the milk snake, and the pink. Place in a dark space and check in the morning.
I've found that getting milks to take f/t pinks after being on live pinks can be a little more difficult. You may want to rub the thawed pink w/ a live pink for a few feedings to get the gaigeae to take f/t. I also found I got a better feeding response from my Black neonates when their tub was on a small portion of heat tape. After a few weeks I took them off heat tape for good.
Good luck,
-Dell

Thanks Dell! I do have them both in six quart shoeboxes right now, with paper towel (they were on aspen, but the f/t pinks were getting buried in the aspen rather than eaten so I switched).

I have them on heat tape right now (at about 82 degrees) with a cool side that gets into the low 70's. They both are offered a very snug hide on the warm side and they tend to get between the paper towel folds when hanging out on the cool end.

I've kept handling to just when I have to do routine enclosure cleaning.

I haven't tried braining the pinks yet - that may be my next step.

Do they tend to prefer a "zombie" dance presentation of f/t or just laying it down and leaving it with them (as my young cali king prefers).
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Robins Nest Reptiles

Robin,
six quart shoebox could be a bit big for now, try keeping them in a little smaller tub for now. And I agree w/ you, aspen can cause the pinks to get lost in the substrate, I don't use aspen until neonates out grow their deli cup, then they have fed a number of times too. For neonates I like small tubs and a paper towel because all the neonate can do is smell and look at that pink, at least that's my line of thinking.

"Zombie-dance", that's funny, never heard that one before. I have used a few slow twitches to entice a feeding response w/ succsess at times. We could call them Zombie twitches.

-Dell

Dell,

There are tubs smaller than six quart? OK - I'll have to go and check that out then. Amazing isn't it - for their adult size that they start out so tiny!
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Robins Nest Reptiles