Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi all,

i recently took in two redbelly snakes that a closing serpentarium was giving away- i work at a nature center in ny and we only accept native species, and the origins of these snakes are unknown so they are not releasable and now are on exhibit.

i have been trying to find some info on their care needs and finding little- if anyone can share any info- what temps should i keep them at? best ways to go about feeding? what to feed? i have been offering small crickets, not sure they are eating them? i also offered redworms with long tongs and got one to take 2 worms and eat them last friday... but i am worried they arent eating enough. they are in a 10 gallon, have good hides, a naturalistic setup, a UVB light and small heat lamp to one side where there is a climbing branch with moss in it that they love to hide up in. they are quite active and often visible which is nice.

i am just concerned that they arent eating enough so any other tips on what to feed and how... should i just put food in a dish in the bottom of the tank? offer directly? one of them i noticed today his lower end looks like his skin is pinched lengthwise almost like a snake who has lost weight or dehydrated... so i am a bit worried. they do have a small water dish, and misted daily. adn this is the one who i know ate 2 worms last friday.

any tips are welcome, thanks!
erin

Offer them slugs. Redbelly snakes love slugs. Offering them crickets are a waste of time, I've never heard of any eating crickets, crickets can cause damage to a small snake, and even if the crickets were eaten they would not provide the nutrients the snakes need.

Slugs are the way to go. Offer them directly to them. Movement usually gets them to strike.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Updated 9/19 NEW PICS/INFO

thanks for the advice... can you order slugs from distrubutors? or do i have to find them outside... its getting cold out there to find outside for the winter? any places you might recommend that i can get slugs ordered??? thanks.

are feeding them red worms ok to do- they are quite small worms and easy for them to eat size-wise, and one of them did eat a couple.

thanks,
erin

I've never heard of a slug distributor. lol. If you want them I think you may need to find them on your own. Red worms are fine as long as they did not come from any manure piles.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
Updated 10/24 NEW PICS/INFO

Check the Carolina Biological website. I purchased slugs from them a few years ago when I kept a red belly snake. You'll find them under Life Science, Living Organisms, Animals, Mollusks section. They are a little expensive, though. You could also try feeding earthworms that you smear with "slug slime." My red belly learned to eat more earthworms that way and it saved me the trouble of buying or catching slugs.

http://www.wormman.com/ might have them or can get them but if not small earthworms like Helmz said are next best thing.
they wont touch mealworms though only soft body slugs,worms

thanks for the advice!
i found slugs hard to come by and expensive to order, plus you need permits apparently to have them shipped? which when i called, take atleast 6 weeks to process... so, i have found success with feeding the 2 redbellies small-sized european nightcrawlers- but also found that they prefer 1 cm - 1 inch size pieces. if they bite a whole worm and it wriggles, it seems to frighten them and they let go and give up on the idea of eating. but small cut pieces they go right for and suck down. i have them eating about 2-3 worm pieces once a week now. one has shed recently and both seem to be doing well. thanks for the advice. i will also look to enrich their diet this spring when i can find some small slugs again.

I have only been able to get mine to eat slugs. I have had him 2 years now, and it has only been in the last month that I was able to get him to eat the black slugs. Up until then it was brown slugs only. It was desperation that caused the switch, so many hurricanes have really diminished the slug population down here. I could only find the black ones, so one day I cut one in half length wise and he ate both halves instantly. Since then, no hesitation. Before he would just sniff and turn away. Now he eats right off the tip of my finger. No striking, just a little "sniffing", and then he slurps it right up. I do not know if a similar method would work with worms or not.

Our little Rusty was a rescue from a lawn crew in the middle of winter. Would love to find a mate for him/her, but haven't figured out the him / her part

Good luck.

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Jenea

1:3 Eastern Hognose
0:0:1 Florida Redbelly Snake
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse