Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Gonyosoma (Asian red tail green rat snake) shows no interest in fresh killed mice and strikes at it only in self-defense. Anyone who has this species have any ideas on how to get mine started.

Thanks in advance,
Dimitri

Assuming all the other variables, e.g. hide spots, pre-shedding, handling, have been eliminated, try giving it live prey. I'd use hoppers or rat pups to reduce the chances of prey-inflicted injury.

Once it starts eating, try leaving pre-killed prey in its hide spot and leave it alone. It may be too nervous to eat in front of you. Good luck.

Francis

Hi Dimitri,

I briefly read your e-mail and was just getting ready to reply to it but decided to stop by here first. I'll reply to your e-mail separately if I don't cover everything here.

All of my imported Gonyosoma are very difficult to "tease feed". I can get defensive strikes, I can even get constriction of the prey item, but with recent imports these prey items are simply left alone once they drop them. This includes specimens that constrict and kill live rodents.

It's only my more established imports that take rodents readily off of forceps.

My working hypothesis is that recent imports don't repsond well to tease feeding. I now quietly introduce a live neonate rat of the appropriate size in the evening and check for it the next morning. I do not use any live rodent that can afflict damage to a snake. Fortunately even large Gonyosoma can make a decent male of a 50 gram rat so there are always "safe" choices.

Eventually I switch to offering defrosted mice. The only specimens that I feed off of forceps are the ones that "get in my face" during feeding. With these specimens I offer a defrosted mouse on forceps so they have something to do while I introduce the other prey items.

I'm a faily experienced "tease feeder" given my venomous experience, but simply have given up on this technique for imported Gonyosoma. I may have to try it again if I produce any hatchlings.

Also, I have very few specimens that will use an external feeding container. This is a shame as I'd like to move towards display cages with pairs of trios. Separating specimens into feeding containers would be an easy and safe way for me to manage this. Given that I have specimens that eat immediately and others that don't eat until several hours after being offered food this will probably not work for me.

Males have generally given me more trouble that females. Even my "established" males are not as consistent of feeders as my females.

I do have one male just under 5' that will accept two adult mice per week. My other males are not as consistent.

I hope this helps.