Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Of the 18 hatchling alternas from last summer, I still have 16. Two didn't make it. Several of them fed, then shut down. Only 3 fed all winter. Those that shut down or didn't eat were cooled. I just warmed them up a couple of weeks ago.

Since I warmed them one of the eaters has started again, and two of the non-eaters have eaten once. The rest are being stubborn. I am using all the recommended methods, but this is really difficult.

Pray for patience (those of you that pray!)
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.1 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
6.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 20??

My best wishes for you and your stubborn babies.
These little buggers are our Zen lesson in patience! LOL!

Since bringing my baby pyros out of brumation February 3, one has already eaten. I am offering lizards; give 'em what they like is my philosophy. I expect by March they will all have eaten. They all ate a few times last fall, not like some of your alternas, which do seem very challenging.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

It makes me want to do something easy again this year, like corns. I haven't decided whether or not to put my corns together this year or not, since they are not 2 yet. Also plan to wait another year before putting the alternas together. Something about a daughter getting married tells me I will have plenty to keep me busy!
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.1 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
6.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 20??

Iknow you may already know this, but offer them the smallest pinks you can find, to get them started. I had an adult alterna act like she didn't know what to do with a medium mouse. I gave her a fuzzy, and that's all it took.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

Other than some husbandry techniques I would suggest feeding it uta or sceloporus........once it eats a lizard you can use that lizard of choice for scenting pinkies......typically alterna neonates that refuse rodents, med gex and anoles will eat uta or sceloporus........Or whiptails.......

Some will flat out refuse rodents until the rodent smells like a lizard they want.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Last summer when these hatched I first tried anoles. Some ate them and some didn't. I was then able to get a few fence lizards from Dave in California. Again, some were interested, some were not.

I currently have a fence lizard and an anole sharing a habitat, and have been using them to scent, with little success. I also have some frozen adult fence lizards. I have been able to get some of the babies to take parts of the adult lizards, since I don't have any baby lizards.

Tonight I will try a new litter of live pinkies that was born today. I thought I would scent half with anole and half with fence lizard.

Has anyone had luck scenting with deer mouse bedding?
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.1 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
6.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 20??

>>It makes me want to do something easy again this year, like corns. I haven't decided whether or not to put my corns together this year or not, since they are not 2 yet. Also plan to wait another year before putting the alternas together. Something about a daughter getting married tells me I will have plenty to keep me busy!

I don't know about corns being easier....lol
The worst feeding clutches of snakes I've hatched were holbrooki and corns......way worse than any alterna, thayeri, greeri, ruthveni, zonata, pyro or Mex Mex........lol.

I don't think picky feeding is confined to just alterna or the mexicana complex in general.........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Something easy, eh? Well, I will probably do bull snakes again. They eat right out of the egg!
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

It is difficult and I feel your pain...I still have a baby that will only eat lizards, and being down to my last 2, with 1 prob too big,I scented the cr*p out of a newborn pink and Nothing...Good luck and keep trying...Dave.

Thanks! I still have a male fency that you sent me. The female I kept alive didn't make it through the winter.

I will keep trying!
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.1 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
6.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 20??

Have you tied lizard poop on the pinks head?
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
Jorge Sierra

Not recently! I think once in the fall I did. I also had some success with using shed skin on the pinky's head. I think they are just not in a hurry to start, even the ones that did eat.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) corn snakes, 2010
1.1 Gray-banded king snakes, blairs phase, 2008
6.10 Gray-banded king snakes, 2011
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, w/c 20??