Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi I just recieved my first hot. It happens to be a young timber with 2 buttons. I have had snakes for about 18 years or so, mostly asian and american rat snakes. I keep him in the environment as I would a black rat snake. He is not feeding for me yet. I was told he ate frozen thawed. He wont eat them. When I wriggle them in front of him he hides his head in his coil.(I did warm the mouse up first). Can any one help me out.
P.S. sorry I am long winded.

Hi:

Well first off it's sleepy time(hibernation)for most timbers, so they may not want to feed. You may have to tease feed the snake or possibly "Brain" the pinky or fuzzy. Go to the link and read about these techniques.

I also just learned that neonate timbers are more likly to feed if they have some sibbling around to compete with.

Good luck

Al
Tease Feeding

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Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.

Hey it's ChopperGreg. Thanks for the info it was vrey informative. I was thinking of putting another timber with it. It is not easy for me to get Timbers. In fact I probally would not have gotten into hots but I was talking to someone who had one and was selling it. I allways thought they were cool. Now I love him. Do you think a small canebrake would be OK to put in if I could not get another timber? Because Hamburg is a couple of weeks away.
Thanks again

Yes, just try to keep them about the same size. Also, some groups (Canebrakes) have a more neurotoxic venom than "Normal"
which requires a faster medical response.

Al
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Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.

When I was at the same conference that Al attended in California, it was interesting to note how one of the researchers only had feeding success when he placed all of the baby timbers into the same enclosure. Having bred and raised quite a few baby timbers, I have never encountered this phenomenon or challenge; I house my baby timbers individually and they all feed well w/in a reasonable period of time. I can't imagine trying to keep a brood of baby timbers, much less any species, healthy in that type of environment as it would be difficult to determine whose feeding and whose not. Personally, I would double check the set up to make sure that the temps/humidity/light/security-hide areas/substrate/water are all at the proper levels. As Al mentioned, this snake could just be in a dormant phase and if so, you'll just have to wait it out and keep the animal as stress-free as possible until spring. You might even consider cooling the baby down to the upper 50's/low 60's for a few weeks and then crank the heat up and see if that wakes him up a bit (has worked for me). Some baby rattlers need to see a warmed prey item just barely wriggling in front of them (I will usually offer prey at dusk). Hope this helps a bit.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>Yes, just try to keep them about the same size. Also, some groups (Canebrakes) have a more neurotoxic venom than "Normal"
>>which requires a faster medical response.
>>
>>
>>Al
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>>Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL