Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A couple of my friends work at Petco (I know, evil evil...but still, i want to try and help them keep their snakes alive) and they have a gray rat there that is refusing to eat. It has been almost 3 months since he arrived there, and no one is sure if he ate before that. (although he probably didn't :-/)

He is in a small, well ventilated rubbermaid contanior, kept in the 80's, with a water bowl and hide log.

So far as i know they have tried f/t pinks, live pinks, brained pinks, anoles, and f/t pinks scented with chicken broth.

What i am wondering is, is there any particular scenting method that works really well with rat snakes? Or is there any other food item, frog, certain kind of lizard...etc...that might intice him to eat?

He is otherwise very healthy and active, his muscle tone is good, eyes, mouth and vent all clear, breathing normally, his skin isn't wrinkled, and he is drinking well.
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1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

>>A couple of my friends work at Petco (I know, evil evil...but still, i want to try and help them keep their snakes alive) and they have a gray rat there that is refusing to eat. It has been almost 3 months since he arrived there, and no one is sure if he ate before that. (although he probably didn't :-/)
>>
>>He is in a small, well ventilated rubbermaid contanior, kept in the 80's, with a water bowl and hide log.
>>
>>So far as i know they have tried f/t pinks, live pinks, brained pinks, anoles, and f/t pinks scented with chicken broth.
>>
>>What i am wondering is, is there any particular scenting method that works really well with rat snakes? Or is there any other food item, frog, certain kind of lizard...etc...that might intice him to eat?
>>
>>He is otherwise very healthy and active, his muscle tone is good, eyes, mouth and vent all clear, breathing normally, his skin isn't wrinkled, and he is drinking well.
>>-----
>>1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
>>1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
>>1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
>>1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
>>1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
>>0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
>>1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
>>1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
>>0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
>>1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
>>1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
>>0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
>>1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
>>0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
>>1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
>>0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
>>2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
>>4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
>>0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

I would suggest removing the snake over night and putting him in a seperate smaller dark container with a pinkie (as newborn as possible), leaving them there for the whole night. This method has worked extremely well for any problem feeder`s that I have owned.
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Like I said; I`m Gonna Getcha Good!

Try a gecko scented live pinkie. Get a live pnkie and rinse it off. Dry it and put the live pinkie in a deli cup that has some substrate that came from a gecko cage. Leave the pinkie in for a couple hours or overnight and then put the pinkie in with the gray rat. This has worked for me for switching lizard eaters over to mice and for noneaters. Good luck.

Terry Parks

Awesome! Thank you for the response,both of you. I relayed your information to my friends and they are going to try it. I will keep you updated on the little guy.

One question though, does it matter what kind of Gecko?
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1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

saying its in a rubbermaid container i'd presume that it's away from the display area, which is where it needs to be. if it isnt, get it out of the display area and away, it's probably so stressed it cant even think straight right now!
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-Chris

The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -George Carlin

A fool doesn't learn. A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Which one are you?

My Website
Rat/Corn snake care sheet I wrote

Current snakes:
0.1 Licorice Stick Black Rat (Lola)
1.0 Black Rat (Frankie)
1.1 Texas Bairds (Jose and Rosa)
0.1 Blue Beauty (Brunhilde)

Thanks for adding that on Chris. I failed to mention that part of it.

Terry Parks

yeah, he is out back now. Away from the flow of traffic until they can get him to eat. I was considering taking him home with me and seeing if some dedication, TLC, and effort would pay off in him eating. Not to mention a quiter environment. But im not sure if this would be too stressfull on him right now? What do you think?
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1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

I put my emori rats in a deli cup with the pink.
they spend a few minutes trying to get out, and then realize "oooo food" and waste no time devouring it.
at first they were shy, and wouldn't eat if i was watching. now, they don't care.

try the secluded container idea...
sometimes though, the snake is just not meant to make it. i had a troubled snow corn that just didn't survive, and i tried it all.

yeah, i hate it when that happens. I read an article once (I cannot remember where) that mentioned some snakes just "fail to thrive" and even if they are tricked into eating their short lives are full of struggles...bad sheds...reguritation...illness etc..etc.

I raelly hope i can help this little guy pull through though, i dont want to give up on him!
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1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

I help my professor breed snakes.

We had a corn that we thought was doomed to die because it was a hatchling and it never ate. It had been about 6 weeks afters its birth and it was extremely weak. It was the "runt of the litter" if you will. We had a clutch of cali kings hatch 4 weeks after this corn hatched. We decided that this corn was doomed to die. We decided that we would put the corn in with one of the cali king hatchlings along with a pinkie. We left and went about our busy academic filled day.

During a break in my shcedule I wnet by the lab to check on the snakes with a friend. He asked me why there were 2 snakes in that particular container. I told him that the corn snake was doomed to die and so we're feeding it to the king. I told him that the corn has not fed.

I went to shw my friend another snake and he turned back and said "that corn is trying to eat that mouse." Sure enough he was trying to take that mouse. The king just watched that snake attempt in feeding. It turned out that neither snake took that pinkie.

The next day we attempted feeding that corn in his own container. He ate that mouse. He has since eaten 3 more times. He has not shown much growth, but he finally looks healthy.

My guess is sometimes competition might drive a troubled eater to eat. Anyone else ever have this happen to them?
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10 Leopard Geckos 3.7.0**
1 Gimpy Leo 0.1
2 Tokay Geckos 2.0.0*
2 Ball Pythons 2.0.0*
1 04 Nicaraguan Red Tail Boa 0.1.0
2 Black Kingsnake 1.0.1*
4 Baird's Rat Snake (Thanks Vadoni!) 2.2.0
***1.0 Loma Alta***1.2Hawkeye 04 stock***
2 Gray Ratsnakes 0.1.1
4 Dekay's Snake 0.1.3**
1 Bullsnake 1.0.0*
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum*
1.1 Green Tree Frogs (H. cinerea)*
1.0 Gray Tree Frog (H versicolor)*

0.0.1 Red Milk
1.0.0 Mexican Black/California King Hybrid
1 Leopard Gecko 1.0

*indicates possible breeders
**have bred

competition seems like a valid factor, but i'd like to think of it as "Corn snake pride"
that little guy wasn't going to stand up and let some king snake show him up.
no my friend, corns won't stand for that.
and THAT is why they are my favorite snake!