I have read that wild caught ones are near impossible to feed, but i am willing to give him a try. He is nearly 4 feet in lenght. I was thing of a mouse, but would this be too big for him? What about a pinky? I'm gonna try and give him a big hide, and later on move him to a bigger cage (maybe 4x2x2). WOuld this be enough? Thanks for you help.
Reptile & Amphibian Forums
Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
What should i feed my wild caught Red Coachwhip?
xxcolbyxx
Aug 11, 2004 02:53 PM
Replies (4)
nickpurvis
Aug 12, 2004 12:28 AM
put him in a cage that is covered with a towel.most likely since he is wc he will not eat a mouse so try to go out where you got him and get a lizard to feed him.some good lizards to get are fence lizards and they are usually common.if you cant get any wild caught lizards buy a anole from your local pet shop and put it in the cage with the snake.alot of nervous snakes eat when they cannot see any motion outside of the cage.hope this helps
nick
snakesdjf
Aug 12, 2004 12:16 PM
it wouldnt hurt to try a mouse anyway. i have had many wc racers and e. coachwhips which grabbed a mouse pretty quick. try a grey or black mouse first. i have had ones that refused white mice for some reason, dave
kw53
Aug 12, 2004 05:03 PM
nothing more exotic than defrosted mice. I've kept WC Western coachwhips several times, and am currently holding three in quarantine prior to adding them to my collection--they all eat defrosted mice, and have since the first attempt.
Coachwhips are opportunistic feeders in the wild, and take carrion pretty regularly, so a d/f mouse is pretty much the same. I offer a bark hide, which the snakes stay under when someone is in the room (they come out if I sit still and wait a bit), and lay the mouse at the end of the bark, maybe just under the edge. In a short time, the snake usually sniffs it out and I see it getting dragged under the bark.
Hatchlings are a different story. They may need scented food, or actual prey like lizards, fish or frogs/toads. They are too adorable, though, and worth the effort.
Sighthunter
Aug 19, 2004 07:04 PM
I am sorry it took so long to reply but I got caught in the Hurricane in Florida. The most important thing is to let him-her or it settle down, again hide spot and apropriate heat. Since they are sight-hunters they (once settled) will key on movement, hatchlings are a different story. Fuzzy mice with eyes just open work well. Make sure eyes are open.
