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This is I believe my 6 Sharptail this year. All the others I have kept for a few weeks and released do to the fact that I could not get them to take there pray. I tried offering this one an earthworm with no luck and all of them I have offered slugs with no luck. One of them bit a slug one day but let it go. Can anyone give me a good suggestion on how to get them to eat or are they very picky eaters in captivity?
My reptile collection and research

Some information on the species.
Michael
Click Here

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www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Michael_Fedzen@hotmail.com

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately I have found about 6,000 Pages on this snake but it seems one person did a lot of research and then 5,999 people copied there hard work and pasted it to there website. In short they are all the same. Even the exact wording is used. I am well aware of the care for the species I can just never keep one long enough to do further research on it as I have yet to get one to take pray in captivity. I am extremely interested in the breeding habits of this species as on most if not all if the reports I have noticed a lack of information on this subject.
My reptile collection and research

Hi Jason,

I've had a sharp-tail since early July and it has since shed twice and doubled in size, so I'd say that it is doing well. I too could find next to nothing on captive husbandry.

I have my snake set up in a 2.5 gallon tank (the snake is pretty small). I've got about two inches of bed-a-beast on the bottom and a piece of pine bark covers about thwo thirds of the floor. I keep the area under the bark moist and this is where my snake usually hangs out. It has, however, constructed burrows throughout the moist bed-a-beast layer at the bottom of the tank. I keep my snake at room temp with no extra heat. About once a week I collect 20 or so small slugs (about the 3/4ths the diameter of my snake in girth) and fold up a leaf of romain lettuce and put this and the slugs under the bark slab. I've never seen my snake eat, but the slugs disappear and it is growing fast I have also tried small snails (various species), crickets, mealworms, earthworms, sow-bugs to no avail. Slugs are the only prey my snake seems to take. I use a small condiment cup as a water dish. I've never seen my snake drink from it or seen my snake above ground for that matter. I can tell it does come to the surface at night because it likes to defecate on top of its bark slab and I have also found its sheds hooked on the rough upper surface of the bark.

My sharp-tail is the long-tailed form and was collected up in Santa Cruz. From what I've read the long-tails are found in moister habitats than the short-tailed forms. So if you have short-tails you may want to try a larger enclose so that more of the substrate can dry out.

Keep us posted on your snake. I personally would love to have someone to trade info on this species with.

-Alice

Thanks for the info I will definitly give that a try. Curently mine is being housed in a 10G enclosure, the snake is about 6" long. I will be more than happy to share anything I find out about the snake.
My reptile collection and research

Ok today I went shopping it was like an early X-mass LOL I set the Sharptail up in a 3G all glass enclosure with 2" of Zoo-Med Eco Earth. I thought about the bark but opted for a small water bowl which can double as a hide underneath and a place to split the skin for shedding. I have collected 3 slugs and will offer them tonight and see what happens. If the water dish proves to not work I will go with the bark as you suggested. I will keep everyone up to date. Hopefully this individual will decide he wants to eat.
My reptile collection and research

Jason,

Out of curiosity, is yours a long-tailed or short-tailed sharptail and where did you collect it? I found some good pics of the differences between the two at www.californiaherps.com.

BTW it took mine a little over a week to start feeding.

Good luck!

-Alice

The only individual I currently have is I believe the Short tail variation. I don’t want to dig it up and disturb it so when it comes out tonight I will check to be sure but I believe it is the short tail. It was collected near Sopiogo creek in the Eldorado National Forest
My reptile collection and research