Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 1.1 e. african green mambas. These are my first mambas, however I've been keeping hots for quite a few years. My question is, how can I get them to eat? They are refusing to eat anything. I've tried live and prekilled rats and mice of all sizes(but not to big) and have had no luck. Any advice would be extremly helpful.

Envenomate,

I would try small birds...sparrows etc or frozen mice that have benn dipped in egg.

Scott

I'm assuming they are wild caught. If so, there are a number of factors contributing to their refusal of food:
1. Parasites
2. Stress
3. Disease

You might want to try worming them and giving them some time to acclimate...Dendroaspis should feed readily on mice.

Hard to diagnose on the basis of a post on the www, but, as a generic, you must eliminate all possible reasons for non-feeding as inferred by others here as well.
That is parasites, ill health, etc.
Ensure cage is best for snake, (appropriate heat gradient, clean water, good hide, etc).
Assuming snake not on death's door, allow time to settle in once all adverse factors eliminated.
After all above done, try various foods and methods.
If all fail, then force/assist feed.
Any/all first feeds should be relatively small and don't re-feed until food out of stomach. Repeat feeding process and gradually increase food size.
Uusually snakes new to captivity will self feed and those that don't (see above) usually will after the first or second force/assist feed.
Mambas are a large generalist species so you shouldn't have problems.
Happy herping.

I do not currently own any Mambas. However, I have owned quite a number of snakes in the past and have sometimes run into similar problems with eating.

I definately agree with everything that has been said. I just wanted to add that I have had a lot of success in getting my snakes to eat by covering up their cage with a blanket so that it is completely dark. For some reason, snakes seem to like it when it is completely dark and are not disturbed in any way. I have also had quite a bit more success feeding them at night as well.

I understand that it is fun to watch them feed, but I have been able to get my snakes to eat this way.

Hope this helps.

oh, by the way...I always feed my snakes live animals.

people who never kept them are giving you so much great advice...LOL.
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CB

"I'm a truckin bassmole, and proud of it"

Over all you got a bunch of good replys. You need to make sure you address all of the issues sited. You can get Chicks & day old quail from "Rodent Pro" depending on size of your snakes. EGM's from the wild are mostly bird feeders.

Good Luck

Al

>>I have 1.1 e. african green mambas. These are my first mambas, however I've been keeping hots for quite a few years. My question is, how can I get them to eat? They are refusing to eat anything. I've tried live and prekilled rats and mice of all sizes(but not to big) and have had no luck. Any advice would be extremly helpful.