Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm just gonna vent here, amongst folks who will feel my pain....

I received all my current snakes, all 09s, in mid-December. Three are eating F/T just fine. One, of course, is refusing to cooperate. Dangit.

Yes, I know I can try things like opening the brain, doing the "zombie dance" (somebody here on kingsnake.com used that term, I love it!), and so on. But I don't waaaaaaaaannnnnnnaaaaaa. I want the danged snake to eat what I tell it to when I tell it to, and be grateful to get fed at all!

Oddly enough, the recalcitrant critter is NOT my albino hondo, who is by far the most nervous of the bunch. The one that won't eat is my tangerine hypo hondo. Stupid Snake......
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa -- Amaru
0.3 Honduran milk snakes
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

LOL!! "Do the zombie dance" LOL!!

I do feel your pain. I went through two picky feeders this past year. A transpecos ratsnake and a frickin' cal king. A CAL KING!!!! Both are feeding great now, but at one point I said "Dammit, just starve if you aint gonna eat!!" Just keep trying, be patient, take deep breaths....

Thanks, my misery does love company...

>>but at one point I said "Dammit, just starve if you aint gonna eat!!" Just keep trying, be patient, take deep breaths....

Deeeeeep cleansing breaths......

Right now, I'm telling that stupid baby exactly what you said. I'm telling her that the more she doesn't eat, the more she's gonna get hungry. Eventually, I suppose I'll break down and try one of the more involved tricks...but I hope she "blinks" before I do!
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa -- Amaru
0.3 Honduran milk snakes
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Here is a old trick that has worked more than once. Put the sucker in a sock, then into the trunk(if a warm state) or backseat and GO 4 WHEELIN!! All the bumping around and really rough treatment does something to them and they might eat soon after. Many many times people send me "problem feeders" that feed right away for me. Why?? Rough shipping! No promises but it dont cost nothin....
Another reason to make friends in this hobby, you can swap problem feeders! Also realize every snake isnt destined to make it to adulthood to breed. If you think of all the breeders and the sheer amounts produced every year we rely on inexperienced keepers and problem feeders as job security. Too many guys start with a pair of these and 3 of those.....when you should start with 5-6 of the same type figuring you will lose 1-2(feeding, escape, disease,etc)before they are big enough to reproduce. Inevitably it will be all of one sex and the most prized specimens but you gotta take the good with the bad.
And you think you got problems, try some late hatching NA milks if you want a challenge. They make Hondos look like fat kids with cake.

No, I don't want a challenge, thanks! LOL!

>>Too many guys start with a pair of these and 3 of those.....when you should start with 5-6 of the same type figuring you will lose 1-2(feeding, escape, disease,etc)before they are big enough to reproduce. Inevitably it will be all of one sex and the most prized specimens but you gotta take the good with the bad.

Yeah, I only got 3 at the same time since I had to pay shipping anyway -- might as well pay one shipping fee on three snakes as one. I really only *wanted* one, but I'd be sad to lose her anyway. I'm not really worried about this little snake yet, though. Just aggravated. It's only been a month since she last ate, and we all know that a snake can go a lot longer than that! She just doesn't want to switch from live (what the breeder was feeding) to F/T. That's a battle of wills that I intend to win.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milk snakes (Chicchan, others TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

It will eat in April
snake adventures

>>It will eat in April
>>snake adventures

I think it's too young to brumate, isn't it? It hatched 10/12/09.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milk snakes (Chicchan, others TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

No, you can cool it. I once had a second clutch of Mexican Black Kings hatch in October and hardly any of them would eat. I cooled them for three months and afterwards most of them ate.

Is the Honduran eating live food? I've noticed some Hondurans (especially males for some reason) won't take frozen/thawed, but will readily eat live food.

Tim

Third Eye

>>No, you can cool it. I once had a second clutch of Mexican Black Kings hatch in October and hardly any of them would eat. I cooled them for three months and afterwards most of them ate.

Thanks, you taught me something!

>>Is the Honduran eating live food? I've noticed some Hondurans (especially males for some reason) won't take frozen/thawed, but will readily eat live food.

According to the breeder's records, she ate 3 live meals before I received it. As I mentioned in my earlier post, she just doesn't want to eat my nasty ol' F/T.

If she refuses her next meal, I'll probably try opening the brain next.

Thanks for your input!
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milk snakes (Chicchan, TBA, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

I have LOTS of milk experience, and the fact is some individuals WILL NOT accept F/T no matter WHAT you do to it, brain, lizard scent, wash, etc... I had several awesome extreme hypos that I produced this year that were like this, and after trying different F/T tactics, I had to break-down and take the long ride to the pet store to get live pinks. As soon as they were seen by all three non-feeders, they were INSTANTLY consumed. Sometimes you just have to get them to eat WHATEVER they will accept, then work on changing them over to what YOU want later on, The important thing is to get them going on a steady fedding regimen first!, whatever it may be!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Doug,

Yep, I've been breeding Hondurans for 20 years, and that's been my experience as well.

Tim

Yeah Tim, I'm sure you'll agree, it seems that there is always going to be a small percentage of animals that are a bit non-typical and are just like this, and nothing can change it at first. The important thing is that people need to just roll with what DOES work with these individuals to initially get them going, things can always be worked on later regarding feeding changes.

later, ~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

check the temps
check the humidity
check the other factors on the cage (light ,sound,eople walking , ) yea I know these shouldn't matter much

.....it's a hondo.....just cut the brain open on a live pink.....

.....aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahLMMFFAO
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......JY

It happens, a snake can be just like a wife. Doesn't listen when it needs too and you can't hit the snake with a telephone book (no bruises) lol.
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Please don't talk about snake prices when my wife is around!!

That comment explains alot.

>>It happens, a snake can be just like a wife. Doesn't listen when it needs too and you can't hit the snake with a telephone book (no bruises) lol.

That's it, where's my phone book??

(Except I wouldn't have a wife -- it would be a husband!)
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milk snakes (Chicchan, TBA, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Haha. I'm glad my wife doesn't check this place out or I would be the one getting hit with the phone book for making that joke lol.
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Please don't talk about snake prices when my wife is around!!

.
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Myself I would first try braining a pinky and placing both the snake and the brained pinky in a small container, like a deli cup or even a paper bag and then put the container/paper bag back in the cage over night. A brained pinky really seems to kick the snake/snakes in high gear to eat. I've done this with many young snakes, always worked for me.

Scott

>>Myself I would first try braining a pinky and placing both the snake and the brained pinky in a small container, like a deli cup or even a paper bag and then put the container/paper bag back in the cage over night. A brained pinky really seems to kick the snake/snakes in high gear to eat. I've done this with many young snakes, always worked for me.

Yeah, if this little stinker refuses the next meal I'll probably try that next. But I don't waaaaaaaaaant tooooooooo. I want the Stupid Snake to eat its lunch like a good little herp!

/whine

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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milk snakes (Chicchan, TBA, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Yeah I hear you. Sometimes some snakes just act like a spoiled kid who dosen't want to eat his veggies. That's when you stop pulling punches and do what you have to.

Scott