Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've offered and offered and offered, from slugs to worms to snails, what am i missing? the redbelly is about 5" in length and the thickness of about half a pencil. are there any tricks to get these guys to eat? i know with corn snakes there are many ways and tricks to get them to eat but rebellys are different.
And btw this lil one will not end up as snake food.
It is in the same conditions as my brown snakes were last year and they thrived.....what am i missing here?!?!?!?!
Demon

It's getting cold outside, it's about that time that snakes will be going into hibernation. My northern ringnecks are slowing down quite a bit, but I've had them on a heatpad for the past few days and they both ate a salamander 2 days ago. Give your little snake a few more days to adjust, and in the mean time, keep it's enclosure at around 80 degrees F and fairly moist. Offer it food on Friday. Good luck w/ it.
Michael
Michael's Place

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

Thanks herp helmz, i plan to keep this one as a pet like i do my corn snakes, i feel a little bad about takeing it out of the wild but i think it is offset by the habitat that we have around my place, it has most likely improved for these little guys from human habitation (lots of places to hide) anyway i will raise the heat to 80 (move it onto a heat pad with my corn i guess) THANKS!!!
Demon
P.S. if you feed some types of snails to redbelly and brown snakes they will pull the 'goo' out and leave a real cool shell

Most snake will strike when it's prey was on the move. I used to squeeze the slug slightly with my tongs before pick it up so the slug will wake up and start sliding along the tongs, then I hang the tongs in front my redbelly snake and it will strike once it saw the moving slug and my redbelly snake can usually take at least half a dozen 1/2" slugs every day. Put a wriggling earth worm in fornt of it will also do the trick. Hope this will help.

I have tried live slugs and live worms AND live snails, basicly i have tried the natural foods that this lil one should eat, but so far, nothing, it looks like it's interested then moves off, i don't get it and am starting to think i may have to let it go......and i was planning on makeing it a pernament pet too
Demon

Another suggestion....

I am assuming that once you put the prey in, you "hover" over the tank to see what happens... if so, if you happen to move just a little bit while doing this, the snake will look at you and not be focused with actual prey. Try to put some prey items in there and walk away, as fast you can but without causing much vibration. Come back like 5 minutes later..remember to keep track of how much food you put in to begin with, then you would know how much it ate if you can't find it.
Michael
Michael's Place

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

so far i have left it with some slugs and snails for about 24 hrs, i do come into my room from time to time (where the snake is) but at least today it had a good 8 hours minimum
i count the slugs it hasn't eaten by picking up the dried streaks
Demon

Your case is quite unusual. From my experience with all the Northern Redbelly snakes that I had, I can say they are ferocious feeder and I always hand feed them because I hate the slug leaves behind those slimy trail on my aquarium glass surface. Northern Redbellys are not shy and I enjoy watching them devour the slimy slugs cause I hate the slugs very much for they destroy my garden plants. Usually the snake will feed when it is hungry as long as you provide the right kind of food. May be your snake is protest something that you need to observe carefully and find out what it was.

There are a few things I am thinking of as to why this snake is not eating....

1) The slugs are too big for it
2) The slugs are too small to notice
3) The slugs aren't moving as much as they should
4) It is too cold in the enclosure
5) It is too warm in the enclosure
6) It's not moist enough in the enclosure

Maybe you should just let it go, or send it to me.
Michael
Michael's Place

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

tried small slugs tried medium tried big temps are warm on one end and cool on other, same pad and aquarium setup that the brown snakes last year had and liked
tried raising the humidity some to almost a dangerous level, as in where if it stayed that way too long the snake would have problems. i'm not sending it away to you herp helmz for a few reasons, 1. i'm in canada, you are not 2. you will most likely feed it to a ringneck 3. i want to try with it
i will let it go before things degrade too much i just hope this won't be the case
Demon

I was joking when I said send it to me....it would end up being ringneck food. You should let it go if it hasn't eaten yet.
Michael
Michael's Place

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

I knew you were jokeing.... the little guy (or girl) ate on friday, it was a rainy day here and i sprayed the tank before offering the food and it took it after the slug moved a bit, i was there watching because it showed interest right after i put the slug in and i didn't want my movement to disrupt the feeding response All is well that ends well
Demon
P.S. i'll post some pics once i get my camera fixed and the lil one is big enough for being visible