Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a very small king that just won't get interested in any food items I have offered so far. I have tried pinkies, lizards, and crickets to no avail. It is a desert king, very small head. Any suggestions?

Crickets are worthless,forget that idea. I do have some questions though.

What is the temps like in the snakes enclosure?
What is the humidity level?
Does the snake have atleast two hides? One on the warm side one on the cool side?
Is it wild caught or captive bred?
Has it been to a vet to check for parisites?

The reason I ask is because king snakes are very aggressive eatters and most of the time the reason they don't eat are because of improper temps or some other health problems.

How long has it been since it last ate? I really never had any problems with any king snake not eatting. They will usually eat anything you offer. Maybe you could offer it a very small garter snake or other type of snake.

when i first got my baby desert king (last year) she would only eat in a deli cup for a couple of months.pink in,folded paper towel on top and then the snake.usually she ate within one hour.

First, check to see that he's in a suitable enclosure. If he has no hide spot, no humidity, no heat, etc., he's not going to do well no matter what else you do.

If you've struck out with lizards you're about out of options, but try splitting a pinky's head to expose the brain and see if that stimulates a bite reflex.

REgards,

I've had three different kinds of baby snakes be stubborn feeders. I use about one and a half inch of mouse tail, wet the tail with water and *gently* force feed in (about an inch of tail) , then gently put them down and let them finish on their own. Baby snakes will try to regurgitate the meal as long as your holding them because their upset. They usually com down when you put them down and finish the meal on their own. You might have to do this once a week for 4 to 10 weeks, whatever it takes, until they start taking pinks on their own. Also try braining small f/t pinks, take a straight pin and insert threw the nose cavity to the brain, then squeeze the head and you will get some fluid through the nose, smear it on the face, and then offer. This works real well, even try it first, if it don’t work, try it at a later date.
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rbichler

Some hatchlings can be picky for awhile; sounds like yours is.

Desert Kings, like some others, generally prefer lizards and snakes in the wild, although they take rodents, birds, eggs and bats, too.

For now: Lizards are the best bet, but not the chase & drama. Best to "thunk" them before putting into the vivarium. When the snake is hungry, it will eat. Keep trying!

Once it begins feeding, long-term, remember that they like variety, just like we do. There are sensible ways to manage risks. I personally never feed frozen, thawed prey. I let them hunt and remain being predators; not scavangers.

What is the point of letting a captive snake remain a "predator"? You aren't "sharpening" his/her hunting skills, you are just putting your snake at risk. In case you need a reminder of what can happen when you give your snakes live prey instead of f/t...

http://ball-pythons.net/careimages/ballchew2.jpg

The only think you are doing by giving it live prey is risking injury or even death to your snake, or at the very least a costly vet bill.
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0.1 MBK (Elysia) *arrives Thursday*

Feeding live pray DOES NOT cause THAT. Feeding a live animal to your snake AND THEN NEGLECT BY HUMANS caused THAT. THAT owner ought to be put up on animal abuse charges. Feeding live DOES NOT CAUSE THAT KIND OF DAMAGE.

Left unattended for at least overnight CAUSED THAT.

You are confused.

I feed live (5,000 times a year for about 10 years now) and never had an incident. I also never allow THAT OPPORTUNITY to arise either!

Can a rodent bite your snake while being "coiled"? Yes, but thumping your live mouse will prevent that. I have nothing against feeding f/t and have done it occassional out of need. But to slam live-feeding (and using that pic as an example) on your part is just plain ignorance.

Cheers.

Kerby...

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"Klaatu...Verata...Nicht--cough, cough, cough!"

I appreciate your words of logic and reason - so quickly forgotten by the Alarmists who sometimes constitute the prevailing mood.

Always a new chapter follows...

your point is well made kerby. but actually the "thunking" of live prey was referring to lizards.

And it would be FAR better to feed lizards frozen/thawed than live or "thunked" because reptile parasites & disease can far more easily be passed on to the snake than mammal parasites and disease, no?

td

** In case you need a reminder of what can happen when you give your snakes live prey instead of f/t... **

And the pic associated with that comment. I was not commenting about lizards or that particular post.

Kerby...

Do you realize that 105,000 Americans die every year from taking prescription drugs? Why on earth would you EVER take such a risk?!

40,000 Americans die every year from traffic accidents. Why do you turn the ignition key of your car and leave your safe home?!

For every instance you cite of a snake being harmed by prey, there are millions of instances where they were not. Very selective memory.

They are not little jewels there to amuse you; they are animal companions and we owe it to them to allow them to live as normally as possible.

(I hope that you were not drowned in a flood, or struck by a comet, while you read this!)