Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have the two juvie CB Copperheads that have been problem feeders since born. My living situation has changed drastically and I need to unload them ASAP. I'll deliver them to any experienced keeper near Greensboro, NC. They are very active and alert, but I no longer have the time to properly address the feeding issues. I don't want to euthanize the little guys, and I can't watch them starve to death ... can someone help?

plh34@aol.com

After a couple of force fed meals they should really start taking newborn pinks on their own. If you can't find Mazuri, a high quality cat food with all natural ingredients will do fine for just a couple of meals. Use a 1cc syringe and small diameter aquarium tubing. More detailed instructions can be found at www.snakegetters.com.

I don't personally want the little guys (already raising up too many that I will be giving away anyhow), but if they're somehow gotten to me in Florida I will be glad to get them well started.

I already tried the force-feeding route, but their heads are so small that smallest thawed pinkie was rather tight, and he was really resisting. These things are small, and I have no experience with this.

Juvenile Canebrakes were just large enough that a small, newborn pinkie would go right on in. I just forced the head in to open the jaws, gently moved the pinkie further and further back with the handle of a small artists paint brush, and the rattler did the rest. I never had one regurgitate a meal, and all were eating fine by the third force-feed. The Coppers are just too small and I'm concerned about hurting them, so I stopped.

I placed the small tree frog in the cage yesterday morning that I was using to scent the pinkies. Last night when I got home he was MIA ... but I didn't noticed pronounce lumps in either of the babies. I dunno how he got out, if that's what happened.

They have to be eating or gone by Sunday. I'm leaving Monday for an open-ended engagement and I don't know what my schedule will be like for the next month. If I could get them to take a meal I'd set the heat/light up on a timer and leave plenty of water. But I don't see it happening.

This weekend and all next week is supposed to be very warm, and since I have a hot location for local Coppers I may have to release them there and hope they can find the dens. Just let mother nature do her thing.

This sucks ....

Minh/Phil

had a similar experience with neonate copperfellas. They couldn't take full pinkies so I forced just legs, tails and crushed skulls. They would try to spit them out, but if I got the item just beyond the seam of their mouths they would swallow them. ave you tried to get ahold of a pinkie pump?

Another major concern is hydration. If you leave those snakes for a time, they may be dried and shriveled within a week, regardless as to whether or not they have a meal in them. Just as MSTT stated, if you could ship them, I'd be glad to get them started, I'm in central PA.

One more thing, DO NOT release them into the wild. They will probably die anyway and there is always th concern of releasing pathogens along with them. That could spell disaster for wild populations.

Good luck
creep

Don't use pinkies. Use Gerber's meat baby food, a small syringe and some aquarium tubing. Or use pinkies that have been thoroughly crushed to a pulp.

Detailed instructions at www.snakegetters.com, follow the links to venomous handling and veterinary care articles.