Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a thayeri hatchling (I'm guessing about 1.5 months old) at a reptile show 2 weeks ago and she still hasn't eaten! The breeder I bought her from sold her to me saying that she has been feeding on thawed pinkies. I've tried everything I can think of - I've tried tease feeding, leaving a thawed pinkie in the cage with her overnight and I've tried cutting a hole in the head and smearing the goo around and leaving that with her overnight. I've left her alone - avoided handling since I got her (except for when I needed to change her newspaper)and I've given her several days between feeding attempts. I'm at a loss! The only thing I can think of is that she may smell my male corn snake who is in a cage very near by and that is making her not eat. Any suggestions? The cage she is in is also my corn's old cage but it has been thoroughly cleaned several times with nolvasan.

Have you tried a live pinkie? Sometimes a snake that won't take a dead one will take a live one. All of my snakes stopped eating around the third week of September, except for a couple. My hatchlings and adults tend not to feed much this time of year. For some reason my one and two year olds eat year round if kept warm. It's just seasonal. I have two 2003 hatchlings that haven't eaten and I plan to just keep them cool till spring comes around, and then try feeding. Greg

No I haven't tried a live one yet - honestly don't know where I'd get a live one. I live in Chicago. The breeder said she was feeding on dead ones only and ate about a total of 12 of them before being brought to the show (over the course of her thus far short life, of course). So thayeris typically stop eating or slow down in the fall/winter? Because I have been keeping her at warm temps with a heating pad so would she still loose her appetite and slow down? Her activity levels are sure high - she is constantly rubbing against her cage trying to get out. How long should I go before I get really concerned enough to forcefeed or something like that?

I can get live pinkies at almost any pet store that sells reptiles. In Chicago there has to be some source for them. I would call a reptile store and ask. Two weeks without food is not a long time, even for a hatchling. They can go a long time without eating. New snakes need some time to get used to their surroundings before they will eat. Hatchlings often need to be put into a small container (deli cup or something) with the pinkie, overnight. They may not find a pinkie left in their enclosure or may not have strong enough of a feeding response to eat it. You should try to feed in the early evening, and leave the snake with the pinkie all night. I would definitely wait a few weeks before thinking about force feeding. Contact a herp shop in Chicago, there has to be some good ones.
Greg

There are many methods to coax a lizard eater to eat mice. What has worked well for me is braining a live pinkie and covering the pinkie along with the snake with a dark colored bowl. Check back in about 30 minutes and see if it has eaten. If not you could freeze a lizard(s) and thaw it out and scent with it or it's internals. Email me if you need any more tricks. I have gotten used to getting some reluctant feeders to take to mice over the last 3 years of breeding numerous Thayeri. I would be glad to be of service if you need any more help.
John Lassiter
dlassiter@stx.rr.com