Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a baby that has never eaten for me. I have tried live and thawed mice and rats of all appropritae sizes. I have tried scenting with chameleon, chick and lizard. He doesn't even appear to notice them. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I have him in my pet store and MANY people have enquired about buying them BUT I cannot sell them until I have their eating problems solved. {Please e-mail me at vferra7777@cs.com or through this site, Thank you Vinny Ferraiolo
MY STORE!

>>I have a baby that has never eaten for me. I have tried live and thawed mice and rats of all appropritae sizes. I have tried scenting with chameleon, chick and lizard. He doesn't even appear to notice them. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I have him in my pet store and MANY people have enquired about buying them BUT I cannot sell them until I have their eating problems solved. {Please e-mail me at vferra7777@cs.com or through this site, Thank you Vinny Ferraiolo
>>MY STORE!

Try scenting the mice with frogs - that's what they eat in the wild. If that fails, try fish or assit-feeding.

Having said all that, you also need to look at temperatures and/or the health of the snake (parasites??) - a non-feeding Hydrodynastes if a fairly unusual critter.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
-----
WW Home

Another technique I have used many times is to place a hidebox in the tank, with a fuzzy inside. The snake (if all goes well) goes to hide and finds a small (safe) meal inside.
Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Have considered feeding the snake its natural food? I know that a snake that eats mice is perfered to one that eats frogs, but when a baby snake is its primary growing months, you don't want to have a feeding problem. Aside from stunting its growth you place its life at serious risk. From my experience it will be easier to switch your snake to mice when he is well fed and has a good apetite. Also, as suggested by others, fish are the prefered food substitute by many frog eating snakes. Letting the fish flop around in front of the snake, is the best method, godo luck!

I have a baby that has never eaten for me. I have tried live and thawed mice and rats of all appropritae sizes. I have tried scenting with chameleon, chick and lizard. He doesn't even appear to notice them. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. I have him in my pet store and MANY people have enquired about buying them BUT I cannot sell them until I have their eating problems solved. {Please e-mail me at vferra7777@cs.com or through this site, Thank you Vinny Ferraiolo

Hydrodynastes gigas feed on fish as hatchlings, and generally take small goldfish or guppies quite readily. I produce False Water Cobras every year, and start them by offering a few live small fish in their water container once a week. After a few weeks of feeding fish, you can increase their prey size and decrease their feeding intervals. After about 4-8 weeks, I begin switching them to rodents, by scenting live pinkies with fish. Once they begin taking rodents, their growth rates really begin to take off.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

~TE