Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there:

The mud snake has been ordered! I decided to start my setup over again. This is more precise as to the fresh modifications that I have made:

Same tank

gravel layer on the bottom saturated with boiled Oolong tea and spring water, topped with thick layer of sand mixed with the tea/ water substance. The sand layer starts out really wet at the bottom, then damp, then moist. On top of this is some sphagnum moss soaked in the substance. On top of the moss I laid down flat rocks to help hold it down, and on top of that I placed a thick layer of swampy vegetation. In the way of food, this is a list of what I have available. At least one or more textbooks recorded this species feeding on the following:

minnows
silversides
rosy reds
nightcrawlers
crayfish
pieces of chopped eel

any other suggestions would be great! I really want this to be a rewarding experience. I have always dreamed of owning such a snake. Thanks!
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DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
Western hognose snake
fire salamander

Dave,

Can you buy or catch some sirens or amphiuma as food, or to rub on other food items? Having amphiuma around as food or to sent food should help. I tried mud snakes once but couldn't get them to eat minnows, etc.

I'm sure others haave more experience here.

Hi there:

Thanks for the advice. I do not believe in feeding herptiles to other herptiles. I do have a caecilian, and may try scenting prey items with it. I bet it is close enough. Plus, who knows? Their diets could vary individually.
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DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
Western hognose snake
fire salamander

Your unwillingness to feed herps to your snakes, besides being irrational, will not be helpful in keeping Farancia. These snakes are specially adapted to feed on large aquatic salamanders and they generally hold to this prey preference in captivity. Yes the odd individual will take fish or scented rodents but this is the exception, by far and away.

I hope the snakes do well for you, I really do. Based on my experiences however, I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment by refusing to consider amphibians as food.

That aside, I'd love for you to keep us updated on their progress as we could all learn from this!
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Pierson Hill

Herpetology and Herpetoculture

Hi there:

I understand that this may present some problems. However, as with caecilians, I believe that this will be an ivent-as- you- proceed situation, as far as getting things to go just right . I will experiment with a number of ideas, until I find one that my mud snake likes best. I have kept some snakes that refuse to feed in captivity, but with experimentation, trial and error, I got them to feed, and they actually seemed to enjoy the food and their life. They were active and healthy. I will try the same logic, and by that, maybe I will be able to master the care of Farancia.
You have all been very helpful. Thank you for the information. I will keep you updated on how this snake lives in my care. That is one of the greatest ways to learn- learning from others, and piecing together all of the facts like a jigsaw puzzle into something that we all call a care sheet.
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DAVE

Western green toad
green treefrogs
green Anole
brown Anole
Mediterranean gecko
Oriental fire-bellied toads
American bullfrog
South American caecilian (Dermophis occidentalis)
Spanish ribbed newt
rough-skinned newt
golden Axolotl
Eastern ribbon snakes
red-cheeked mud turtles
dwarf peacock day gecko
Dubia day gecko
Sonoran gopher snake
rough green snakes
giant African black millipedes
White's treefrog
Okeetee corn snake
Albino African clawed frog
Pygmy leaf chameleon
Kenyan sand boa
Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
African bullfrog
yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
Western hognose snake
fire salamander

You might be able to scent defrosted and washed pinkies directly from your newts or the water in their containers. However in the long run, they grow to develope a strong desire for other food items, and will eventually need the direct scent of a siren. But you never no what can happen........Good luck and you might want to think again about your conviction to remain stead fast about not feeding herps to herps. That is what evolution made them to be and you cannot change that under the circumstances in a home caging system. Rather, you should at the minimum get a big siren and freeze it and then have it standing by if your mud snake ever goes off feed so you do have a back up plan. Believe me, in the wild, the one siren is no sacrifice compared to the hundreds it would eat in the wild.

I wish I had seen your post earlier. Mud snakes do not eat what you listed. They eat sirens. You need to use spagnum moss and keep it wet all the time and the mud snake will hide in it and come to the surface at night to feed. You should buy a siren, freeze it and you can easily scent to pinkies. If the mud grows big and does not die from the odd diet, then it can be put on mulch with a hide box and water bowl.

I got one of these guys on Sept. 12th this year and haven't been able to have him feed yet. I've tried goldfish, shiners, bullheads, minnows, earthworms, rana tadpoles, green froglets, adult leopard frogs and pinky mice. I have amphiuma on hand that I have been using for scenting but are too big to feed. The snake actively hunts at night but refuses the feed I offer. In another two weeks od so I may have to tube feed.

I have concerns about thiaminase from minnow and fatty liver from rodents but I will worry about that once I have him feeding.

On the bright side he is blister free and aside from being rather slender he is healthy.

Good Luck,
Make sure to keep us updated.

Cam Hanna
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"I'm tired of being a wannabe bowler! I wanna be a bowler!!"
-- Homer Simpson

Hello
As a young boy growing up in IL. I could only dream about having such a rarity.

When I lived in Merritt Island FL. Some 20 years later, I caught a 18 inch mud snake.

Whooo, now should I keep it and see if I could do something with it....HECK yes!
If worse come to worse I release it where I found it.

I figured feeding it could be difficult, BUT I owned a pet store and had a lots of prey to offer, not to mention natural native prey items.

I started simple...goldfish, he showed some interest but did not bite. Judging by his actions I figured I'll go net some of the native fish from the area.

Now were talking he was pounding these fish like nothing!

If I can get these lil guys on fish, there should be no problems senting pinkies.

So this is why I bought 6 of them, I believe mud snakes can be established in captivity....IF your willing to put in the work. DAMN these are beautiful snakes!

I'll post some photos of my setup and lil guys tomorrow.
Mike