Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK, as indicated in the post Expo thread,I got three baby kings(my first),a Thayeri,a Ruthven,and a Grayband at the Expo.Only the Grayband had not eaten yet according to the various sellers,I think. Each was set up into a 10 gal,papertowel substrate,basking lamp,a waterdish, and two hides,one warm and one cool,last Friday, after a couple of days in tupperware.

I've tried the following to feed them,in this order:
1 Pinkie tossed into each cage.
2 Took out for while,reintroduced scented with large tree frog.
3 Then,after 4 days wait,new pinkie.
4 Next day, same pinkie scented with lizard,in deli cup overnight with each baby.
5 Even tossed lizard tail I accidently knocked off catching them, in a cup with the mouse.

No Sale, no apparent interest.

Took out the pinkies today.

Anybody have any suggestions??
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

I don't know if it was a live pinky scented with lizard, but that usually works. This is really gross, but it has worked for me. Take a dead pinky, and cut a little slit in the top of its head, and squeeze a little stuff out. This is called braining which is recommended by all kinds of kingsnake breeders. It wouldn't hurt to also scent it. Is it possible that they are getting ready to shed? They won't eat if they are. I also place the pinky right in front of the hide they are in. That way they have to see it when they leave their hide. What kind of lizard are you scenting with? Kingsnaken

to get started on mice.

What I am saying is the three you chose are known to not take food that easy. They are problem feeders even after you get them started on mice.

I realize this does not help you or your situation but maybe you should have gotten a florida or california kingsnake or sinaloan/pueblan milksnake.

my experience has been scenting has been either they want lizard or snake scent. In your case a lizard of the fence swift family. Freeze the lizard and cut open along the belly. Stick a live pink and get the guts all over it. Place snake and pink in deli cup with paper towel overnight.

.... I believe the ruthveni you got from me had just shed in the cup the day before the show and I had not fed it. It's sibling has taken a f/t pink with no problem, but it did wait 'til overnight to feed. You may try that as well. Some ruthveni take a while and may accept a lizard scented pink. At any rate, if you do not get him feeding soon or are in any way dissatisfied, email me and I'll work it out with you.
Sometimes putting a pink inside a brown anole's mouth to get the saliva on it will work.
The "braining" of a pink is always worth a try.
I put the brianed pink and the snake in the smallest paper bag I can find overnight.(keep everything inside a secure tank too--no escapes) Works more often than not for me.
:Mark

Mark,I may have just misunderstood or asked about the other one and assumed the same held true for both.I have no problem with you at all, I'm just hoping to get her going.......
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

Lloyd,

You mentioned heat lamps. What is the temp, to your best knowledge, in the room where they are kept?? If it is around 78 at least, then the heat lamps may be too much heat, and I would try leaving them off for a week and seeing how they do with attempted feedings then.

I keep all my pits, graybands, kings, and milks at 78-80 with great success. Years ago when I had higher temps, my success with my collection wasn't as good.

Just a thought! Hope it helps!
That pine has eaten for ya, right?

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

I have a tempgun on order for better info,should be here early this week. But I keep my AC set to 77 but it is usually about 82 in that room due to Florida summer, until late night, and then it will hit the 77 sometime after midnight.

I'm trying to check the temps in another tank since I have a corn regurging and the vet suggested it.I'm using one of those cheap plastic digital strips until I get the gun. During the day the warm end is about 93-96 and the cool end about 82-4.Then both go to about 78 at night when the lite(50 watt narrow basking spot) goes out. Assuming this strip is accurate(and I'm guessing it reads hot)the other tanks are probably about the same.

BTW, both Pine babies are eating fine,they even keep getting extra treats with all the pinkies that the kings reject.
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

I have a tempgun on order for better info,should be here early this week. But I keep my AC set to 77 but it is usually about 82 in that room due to Florida summer, until late night, and then it will hit the 77 sometime after midnight.

I'm trying to check the temps in another tank since I have a corn regurging and the vet suggested it.I'm using one of those cheap plastic digital strips until I get the gun. During the day the warm end is about 93-96 and the cool end about 82-4.Then both go to about 78 at night when the lite(50 watt narrow basking spot) goes out. Assuming this strip is accurate(and I'm guessing it reads hot)the other tanks are probably about the same.

BTW, both Pine babies are eating fine,they even keep getting extra treats with all the pinkies that the kings reject.

Lloyd,

If your room that you keep the snakes in gets to 82 during the day and drops to 77 at night, that is perfect bro!!!!! In my opinion, you don't need any other heat source or more heat in any way. It really sounds like the heat may be too much. I have seen snakes regurge, especially pits, regurge with too much heat. I think that we think our snakes need the basking lights, etc, but while they are not all bad, the temps that they can reach can really have some bad affects, especially on North American colubrids.

Take out all that heat, and I bet you will have better luck.

Take care!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

I, too, have bought problem feeders at Daytona over the years.
I have always had luck by putting them back into the deli cup I got them in and leaving them overnight with f/t pinkies.
Now I have some beautiful Graybands and Variables (thayeri) and even a very tiny Prairie that managed to survive their initial reluctance to eat.
Good luck.
Karl

Tried a few things suggested.The pinkie in a paper bag worked for the Thayeri last night, I'll keep trying.

BTW,it's pretty easy here in Florida to get baby lizards or frogs,how long should I let them go until I give these a try, or is the chance of introducing parasites too high??
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.