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My girl's black rat will not eat. It's only been something like a week since I caught it wild, and I know it may need to calm down for a while, but I started getting nervous about it starving, and so put a pinkie in the terrarium. I figured it might need to be alone for a while before it ate, but after the night was over, no luck, and I didn't feel OK about leaving it in there for more than a few days, so I got rid of it. However, I'd like to try to make sure I'm doing this right. Do I need to defrost the pinkies? I figured the heating lamp would take care of that for the most part, because it was already partly defrosted when I put it in there. Also, how long should I leave the pinkie in there if it doesn't get eaten right away? I left the first one in for something like two and a half days

Also, Draybar: what exactly is a Baird, and what is an Anery? Are they rat snakes or corn variations, or something like that? I'm still doing research on what kind of snake I want when I get used to feeding and taking care of my girl's black rat, and that gray/black pattern does it for me. I was considering a ghost corn or black albino corn, but your pics intrigued me, and I might reconsider.

>>My girl's black rat will not eat. It's only been something like a week since I caught it wild, and I know it may need to calm down for a while, but I started getting nervous about it starving, and so put a pinkie in the terrarium. I figured it might need to be alone for a while before it ate, but after the night was over, no luck, and I didn't feel OK about leaving it in there for more than a few days, so I got rid of it. However, I'd like to try to make sure I'm doing this right. Do I need to defrost the pinkies? I figured the heating lamp would take care of that for the most part, because it was already partly defrosted when I put it in there. Also, how long should I leave the pinkie in there if it doesn't get eaten right away? I left the first one in for something like two and a half days
>>
>>Also, Draybar: what exactly is a Baird, and what is an Anery? Are they rat snakes or corn variations, or something like that? I'm still doing research on what kind of snake I want when I get used to feeding and taking care of my girl's black rat, and that gray/black pattern does it for me. I was considering a ghost corn or black albino corn, but your pics intrigued me, and I might reconsider.

You need to completely defrost the pinkie before putting it with the snake. There are several different ways to do it. I have tried several and quikest and easiest I have found is simple. I run tap water as hot as it will get and fill a Tupperware dish about two or three inches deep and then just drop the frozen mice, pinkies, fuzzies or whatever in the hot water.
After about fifteen to twenty minutes I remove them, pat the water off with paper towels and feed them to my snakes.
With that being a newly acquired wild snake i would give it a few more days maybe even a week and then try again.
The next time make sure to defrost the pinkie completely and then place them both in a deli dish or small glad ware or tupperware dish and place that back in the viv. leave them alone for a few hours before checking. If it has eaten the pinkie, great, if not leave them over night.
If that doesn't work get back on here and we can work from there.

Baidis are Bairds rat snakes. Formerly elaphe bairdi now Pantherophis bairdi. beautiful rat snakes that go through quite a change as they grow.
I will attach a hatchling pic and an adult pic.
An anery is an Anerythristic corn snake. Sometimes refered to as a black albino. Anerythristics lack red.
Bairds rat snake baby, Rosie:

Rosie as an adult:

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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

your snake wont starve from a week without eating. my bairdi baby went for a month or a little more before i got him to eat a pinky. you may have to feed him live and then later get him switched over to f/t. if you leave a thawed pink in his cage for more than a full day it will turn black with decomposition and stink to high hell. i wouldnt leave it more than overnight b4 i tossed it. and dont refreeze. you may be saving a quarter now but if it makes your snake sick youll be paying a lot in vet bills later.

the pattern on the black rat will eventually dissapear as it grows and fully grown will be nearly solid black.

i put my frozen mice under the heat lamp on top of the screen, takes about 10-15 mins for them to defrost and heat up to around 90 degrees...about the normal body temp of a live mouse. your snake probably wont and its not healthy to feed a frozen mouse.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

students.uwf.edu/crt4/snakes.html

those are some pictures of mine...i have two baby bairdis like the one that jimmy showed, and then a licorice stick black rat, and a black rat snake. i'm getting my blue beauty on wednesday...however i wouldnt reccmoend that for a first snake.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

Battling ignorance one stupid person at a time.

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Neonate Black Rat (het for Lic Stk's) (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

Sometimes yesterday, when I was either at school or at work, it ate a pinkie. Thanks for the advice.