Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I had a clutch of corn snakes hatch week of Aug 8th - 12th. 16 in all hatched. Sold couple, took the others to reptile store for credit an kept the runt. Now to get him to eat. He hasn't eaten a thing. I've tried f/t, teasing him with it, hopper rat tails, picking some skin off the head of f/t pinky. Even a live pinky last night. Put him in the little paper bag with the live pinky. This morning it was still there an still live. I have since frozen the little thing. He acts like he doesn't know he's suppose to eat. I don't know.

I have him in a shoe box container with couple little hides, water...which I've seen him drink. He's active but won't eat. I'd hate to have the little thing starve to death. What can I do to get him to eat?? I'm reluctant to try an force feed him. Have never tried to force feed any of my snakes. I just want him to eat an survive.

Have you tried heavily scenting(smearing) a F/T pink with crushed up anole tail, or guts?. This works very well quite often with reluctant corn hatchlings.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Last year one of my corns wouldn't eat and I ended up losing him. Another was also very reluctant, but when I offered him an anole, he grabbed it, then ate a pinky too. I had to scent his pinkies with anole for 2 or three months before he finally took unscented pinkies.

So if you can pick up a very small anole or two at your local pet shop that might do the trick.

Most of my gray-banded king snake babies this year are showing a preference for anoles.

Keep trying. It is amazing how long they can go without eating.

-----
Kent

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

Colossians 3:17