Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi ,
A friend of mine gave me a aruba, as he is not eating due to the loss of his toungue bitten by a mouse..
need some help to get him started as he is afraid of anything that is given to him ... any ideas???
I tried with dead and live mouse pinkies fuzzies..etc but he shows no interest in them.
I also tried to upset him and tried to make him angry in order to make him atleast give a bite to a mouse but nothing..
thanks in advance to all who might be able to help me out with this .
cheers
jambo

I think this snake is not going to make it because of it's loss The loss of this major sensory organ is a worse case senario for a snake. If you blinded the snake it could do just fine with it's remaining senses but Tongue loss I think will proove fatal. Which is a serious loss of rare & endangered species.

Everybody should take note and only feed pre-killed or F/T rodent to captive snakes.

Al
-----
Marriage changes passion;
Suddenly you're in bed with a relative.

Dean Ripa had(or maybe still has) a bushmaster which had its tongue cut out by local collectors. Locals believed that the tongue and spine in the tail were poisonous, and would often bring snakes to him that had both cut out or off. One such snake actually survived the ordeal and not only fed in captivity, but actually reproduced as well.

That's not to say that the condition of this rattlesnake won't improve, or that the snake won't decline in health, but the loss of tongue alone, doesn't mean it will die.

We need more details on the condition of the snake.

Matt

Hi,
Thats too bad, the only thing I can suggest is a feeding tube with a 'rodent shake" but my guess there is in the long run the stress would prove fatal anyway, not to mention your risk factor goes way up. maybe better to euthanize it than have it starve.

Don't give up hope yet! First, angering the reptile only stresses it out more. I wouldn't do that. It is important to let your reptile settle down into his new surroundings and let his stress levels subside. Try feeding FRESH DEAD pinkies/fuzzies scented with chicken broth or fresh chicken. If this doesn't work, try scenting the rodents with green tree frogs or anoles. If he still shuns the dead rodents, try scenting live fuzzies/pinkies with tree frogs and/or anoles. If this doesn't work, try fresh live or dead frogs/anoles. Keep multiple fresh water bowls available to him at all times during your feeding trials. The snake can survive a long time on water alone & this might be the key to his survival during this stress period he is enduring. If he will sucessfully drink water for you, I wouldn't worry as much about getting a meal into him "at all costs". The main goal is to let his stress level subside. Try feeding him at night when he is naturally active and there is no disturbance. Avoid as much contact/interaction with the snake during this stressful period. If he still refuses to feed and force feeding is the last resort, I wouldn't give the reptile much chance for survival.

Hi all,
Thanks to all ...
here are some info regarding the snake :
age 2004
not eating from 3+ months
housed in a 40gl terrarium
tried to feed it with live and dead anole
live and dead mice ,pinkies,fuzzies
has a big water bowl and the temp is around 23-25°c
I 'm aware of stressing him out trying to make him angry in order to give a bite but after all shots that one ..i had to try it out!
in the end 'll also try to force feed as he is really an awsome snake ..and will not like to loose it .
although I havent enough experience with rattlers as I keep elapids from last 15 years and when my friend asked me to give a shot and try to get him back to eat ..I accepted.
here you can see a pic of him ...still in good health.

cheers
Jambo

Hello Jambo, I was wondering how old the animal is and what kind of cage your keeping him in? Try this, put him in a 10 gallon aquarium with newspaper on the bottom. Put him in a very dim lit room where you can easily lift the lid to drop a mouse in and jack up the heat a lil bit as well. Make sure he is coiled, this is very important that he is coiled. Take a dead mouse and heat it up with a blow dryer. Drop the mouse right in front of the snakes head. It should be natural instinct for him to strike at the temp. change which is going to be the mouse. Hopefully he will strike and hang on, then eat. If he strikes and then lets go of the mouse, leave it in there for 10 minutes or so before you take it out. Try this a few times to see if it helps.

Hello again Jambo, keep in mind that it is the rainy season in the caribbean right now. Some animals may go 6 months before eating. That may also be a factor in him not eating. If at all possible try to get him in a 10 gallon aquaruim with a newspaper substrate. Keep us posted on how he is doing and what methods are working for you. Thanks again.

cheers jfish..
will keep posted .
thanks
Jambo