Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those of you with experience with these little pains in the neck:

I just turned on the heat for 9 of my hatchlings that would not eat, and have been cooled for about two months. How long would you recommend letting them warm up before offering a meal?

I have a litter of new-born mice I could offer live, and I thought I might do that tonight.

I want to try unscented first, and hope that two months in the cold will be enough to get them started eating.

Any advice, suggestions or experiences would be appreciated.
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Kent

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

Colossians 3:17

Kent I would offer them the pinky in a deli cup first over night. If they don't eat, or some don't eat, I would tease feed them. I have had a lot of success with that method. I have a video on my website showing how I do it. it's a bit time consuming but they will eventually catch on and eat on their own. There always seems to be one or two that just make you pull your hair out. Good luck with them!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

I am interested in your progress with these stubborn babies. All 6 of my baby pyros ate at least three times before quitting altogether in early November, so are now in brumation. I plan to wake them up in early March, when it is a natural spring with longer days, etc. They will be offered live scented pinks and if that fails, live lizards. I would bring them out sooner except I think following the natural photo-period may work better.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Yeah Kent, if the snakes get a clue that it's winter they may be reluctant still. Keep the temps up and away from windows, lol. The tease feeding should still work though, cause it is based on them fighting back and eating out of a defense mode.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

My Site > www.Sierrasnakes.com

All of them refused live pinkies left overnight, so I will try tease feeding tomorrow night.

I am thinking that if I don't get them to eat within the next week or two, I will just turn off the heat again until February or March.

Here is a quick shot of one of the non-eaters next to one that started eating in August.

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Kent

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

Colossians 3:17

Ack! I feel your pain! Quit a difference in size there. But I would just recool these little guys until spring and try then. Snakes seem to have an untrickable sense as to when it is actually spring. Artificial lights don't seem to fool them. They must be able to sense the position of the earth, etc. At least that has been my admittedly limited experience with snakes, feeding response, and seasonal influences. By brumating my babies I am conserving their resources until spring, when I expect a better shot at feeding response.

Little Zuni her first spring. She was sporadic the previous fall. I love spring, when every thing wakes up!
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

Also just occurred to me you could try hand feeding them mouse tails. Easy to get into mouth and swallow.
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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 tried feeding mouse tails to a cornsnake hatchling last year. It didn't seem to help and the hatchling didn't make it. I agree that cooling until spring seems like the wisest course of action.
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Kent

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

Colossians 3:17