Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's all 10 of them. Still none have eaten, but I will be trying live newborn pinkies tonight. (Thanks for inspiring me Bob!)

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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

Very nice. One of these days I want to get a pair of those.

Just awesome! This Blairs is my favorite alterna. They are ALL my favorite! LOL!

It is interesting that they are nocturnal. My pyros and pits are diurnal for the most part, although the pyros do come out at dusk quite a bit if it has been a hot day.

www.kingsnake.com/alterna/hatchlin.html
A link I found which might be of use. I think someone else posted this link as well, because I remember the thing about the lizard soup in the microwave.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

As far as being nocturnal, I actually see my alternas (all 13 of them currently) out during the day quite a bit. I also see my rubber boas out alot lately. My corns are rarely out during the day.

I have looked at that article on the Alterna Page quite a bit, and will be referring to it frequently. I haven't gotten as far as lizard soup though!

So far I have tried f/t pinkies, brained pinkies, and pinkies scented with anoles. The anoles have been in my freezer way too long though (about a year and a half), so I am not sure if the scent they are giving is appealing to the hatchlings.

Tonight it will be the live pinkies, then if that doesn't work I will pick up an anole at a local pet store for scenting.

I may end up ordering anoles from a guy I have been in contact with, if it comes to that.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

I know that some alterna breeders just put them into brumation their first year, and report they feed well in the spring. My concern with that is that it is so early still. It will be a couple of months before my animal room is cool enough. I have noticed that they spend quite a bit of time at the cool end of the cage, as if they know that they don't need to be at 85 degrees right now.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

My pyros spend a lot of time in their moist moss hides when it is hot.

I was talking to my friend Herb who breeds pyros and he said the way he generally gets babies to eat is by putting the pink next to the snake's hide, and the snake will come out at night and find it. Maybe I was over thinking with putting my babies in deli cups with the pinks, as I got only one taker. So now the others have pinks in jar lids next to their hides so they can find them on their own, and not be intimidated by being in the deli cup. I've got plenty of fence lizards if it comes to that, as well.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Great babies...ahhh, the difficulty with greybands. One thing I didnt see you try was unscented(as in washed) pinks...
a tip given to me on my most stubborn feeders last year was to waterboard a pink with small drop dish soap. Rinse thoroughly, dry then feed. Worked for me. good luck. Dave.

Live or dead?
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

Live or dead?
Excuse me for butting in, but I am guessing live if it is water boarded! LOL! Pinkies drown really easy so it is important to not get their snouts too wet for very long.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

No problem Bob! No takers on the live pinkies last night. So I put the pinkies in the freezer. I have another litter due any day so I might try "waterboarding" and washing with dish soap.

I think I will pick up a live anole today for scenting.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

The idea being get rid all all smell/scent...I did have one reluctant feeder take brained for first meal, but I see you have tried that...good luck. Keep us posted on what works...how close is your 2nd clutch to pipping? Dave.

Re read your post, others ate readily when after washing pink, I scented with fence lizard. like bob, I also have a lizard living here for poss scenting later.

I have some unscented liquid soap I bought awhile back just for washing pinks. I would think regular dish soap would leave a smell of its own if it is scented, as most of them are. Heh, lizard scented soap would be a winner with snake keepers! LOL!
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

I used a drop of dawn dish soap, then rinsed good. you can feel it when soap is gone. Your tea seems great idea. my alterna arent due until late next month...Dave

The second clutch is 6 weeks along, so I expect mid-August, probably while I am on vacation.

I will try the washing in a couple of days. I don't have access to anything here except anoles. I have seen lizards while hiking rarely (with blue tail, very fast!) Maybe someone needs to mail me a fence lizard!
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

Could actually do that...did already this spring to friend who took 4 from last years babies. Lots fence lizards here...Dave.

Could actually do that...did already this spring to friend who took 4 from last years babies. Lots fence lizards here...Dave.

Thanks Dave for the offer. I will let you know if I need to take you up on it. Anole scented pinkies are next on the menu!
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

They sure are all picture perfect!

--Dennis

>>Here's all 10 of them. Still none have eaten, but I will be trying live newborn pinkies tonight. >>-----
>>Kent

Nice clutch there Kent, They look great!
Bob Bichler

Nice snakes! I've had good luck scenting pinkies with house geckos from Petco. I live up north and don't really have wild lizard around here.

I bought an anole on sale at Petsmart today, and popped it in the freezer. I will try scenting with that. I haven't seen house geckos at the pet stores here.

By "north", do you mean northeast or northwest? I am in WA state.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

I live in Northwest Ohio. House geckos aren't always available at pet store here but have worked good for me. Good luck!!

I appreciate the positive feedback. I can see that these are going to be more of a challenge than corn snakes!

Does anyone have anything to say about brumating their first winter if they don't feed? My biggest concern is that there are still a couple of warm months ahead. The snake room is staying in the 70s, occasionally dropping into the high 60s. I would think they can use up their reserves pretty quickly.

Thanks for any suggestions, and of course I will keep trying all of the tricks for getting them to feed.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17

What to do if they don't feed this summer is a concern of mine, too. Of mine, numbers five and six ate last night. So three of them have eaten. Each day I put a fresh scented live pink just at the entrance to their moss hide. They tend to come out at dusk to feed. I weighed them all post shed, and will watch to see if the reluctant ones begin to lose too much weight. If so, next step is a lizard. My lizard clutch is due to hatch Late August.

If I have a totally stubborn one by fall I will just brumate it anyway. I am going to brumate all my snakes this winter, to follow the natural cycle they are designed for. My friend Herb's pyro that didn't eat until 11 months after hatching is an example of just how sturdy these creatures are. That snake became a behemoth! LOL!

They all seem to have different personalities even at this very young age, some being bolder than others. Overall, they are very timid little things (being at the bottom of the food chain themselves! LOL!) So I think providing food with a minimum of disturbance is important.

Yesterday I gave their uneaten pinks to one of my yearlings, just put the pinks in a cup in her cage, and she ate them right away. She is one of my more shy ones, so separate container feeding does not work that well with her.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Bob, I am sending you a PM.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
0.0.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 2000 and something

Colossians 3:17