Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is the first time we have bred our snakes and produced a clutch of 1.6, but I have no Idea how to get them to eat. Any help would be apreaciated. They have just shed and I don't know if its just instinct or dark ness or if I have to taunt them or make em mad. I don't want them not to like human contact. I don't even know what I should feed them. A hopper? A newborn live rat pup. two rats birthed yesterday so we have plenty of thoose.
Tanya

they will eat naturally. i feed all mine rats so eyeball their girth and use appropriat food. something just bigger than a new born pinky should work. i also offer food to all animals just after dusk - when they are active.

Thanks. I was afraid that i couldn't start them on rat pinks.
Tanya

I always try live rat pinks on my hatchlings first.

As long as they aren't runts it shouldn't be too big.

Although, some wont take a rat right away.

So I offer a live mouse hopper to get them started.

I will usually give hopper mice to these snakes for 2-3 meals to get a feeding pattern established; then I switch them to rat pinks-fuzzies.

TomChambers

Tom's right, they start off better with baby mice about 10 days old, rats pups don't move much and often times baby balls will not strike at them like they will a hopper mouse that is moving around, don't be surprised if they turn down the rat pups, you can try them but mice definetely work better to start off, also a hide box or plastic water bowl (the non tipping style small dog bowl crock that has a hollow chamber when flipped over)with a golfball sized notch cut out of the side of the dish with a good knife so the baby can hide inside works great both as a water bowl and a hide, saving space in the shoe box,this also lowers the stress on the animal and it will feed alot sooner this way, good luck with them ... Anthony McCain-McCain's Reptiles.