Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am concerned for one of my babies. This snake is not from the breeder that I normally get snakes from. I got this one at the show in San Jose, in October, I believe. All this time I have only gotten her to eat two times. I have tried everything from frozen, live, cut open and I tried to force feed today. I got the pinkies head in my snakes moth, but she pushed it back out. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I have a couple pics. She is thin and not very active. I really like this snake and don't want to lose her. She is the black and really white(anery). I know its hard to tell from the pics, the size difference of the same age snakes that are eating, but the pics might help. Any one with suggestions would be greatly appreciated

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------Misty-------
5.12 Corn Snakes --- 1.0 Tokay Gecko
2.1 King Snakes --- 1.0 House Gecko
1.2 leopard Geckos --- 0.0.1 Golden Tegu
1.1 Bearded Dragon --- 0.0.1 Savanna Monitor
1.1 Green Iguana --- 0.1 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Crocodile Gecko --- 1.1 False Water Cobras
1.1 Jungle Corn --- 1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Kenya Sand Boa --- 0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.1 Emperor Scorpions --- 3.0 Ferrets
1.1 Congo African Grey (parrot)--- 0.1 dog
0.0.3 Prairie Ringneck Snakes --- 1.0 blue tongue skink
1.2 rats babies --- always changing # of mice(snake food)

I've heard some poeple have had success with dipping the pinkie in the juice from a can of water packed tuna fish. And others have gotten hatchlings to eat by dipping the pinkie in chicken broth.

It's worth a try. Good luck!

Leslie

My suggestion is that if you are concerned about the health of one of your snakes you should not have that snake in contact with your others...Not even for a quick picture shoot. Good luck. Duffy

If you want to force feed your snake. Take a frozen pinkie, take a razor blade and cut the head off. Thaw the pinkie head. When the head is thawed use the snout of the head to open the snake's mouth. Carefully push the pinkie head into the snake's throat. Now use a blunt object to push the head all the way into the snake's throat(I use the rear end of a small hobby paint brush). Once you can close the snake's mouth , gently work the pinkie head to the snake's stomach.

I only force feed baby snakes that refuse to eat. If the snake has eaten for you before then you have to decide if you want to start force feeding.

see my post for 12/28/05..YEAH...TUNA WATER

I brained a live pinkie and put it in the snake in a container. It ignored it for a few hours, so I took the tail off of a frozen adult mouse and force fed the snake. The guy I get my snakes say its easier than a pinkie head because you are less likely to brake the snake's jaw. The snake did not want anything to do with the tail, but I was able to get it all the way down. I then put the snake back in with the brained pinkie. I had to re-open the wound because the blood had dried. Right after I closed the lid I left the room to get greens for the rest of my animals. When I returned, the snake was already eating the pinkie. I hope he continues to eat on his own. Braining live pinkies is not pleasant! Thanks for the help.

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------Misty-------
5.12 Corn Snakes --- 1.0 Tokay Gecko
2.1 King Snakes --- 1.0 House Gecko
1.2 leopard Geckos --- 0.0.1 Golden Tegu
1.1 Bearded Dragon --- 0.0.1 Savanna Monitor
1.1 Green Iguana --- 0.1 Chinese Water Dragon
0.1 Crocodile Gecko --- 1.1 False Water Cobras
1.1 Jungle Corn --- 1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Kenya Sand Boa --- 0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula
1.1 Emperor Scorpions --- 3.0 Ferrets
1.1 Congo African Grey (parrot)--- 0.1 dog
0.0.3 Prairie Ringneck Snakes --- 1.0 blue tongue skink
always changing # of mice and rats(snake food)

There should never be an occasion where you "brain" a live animal.

The snakes are responding to the scent of the mouse's cerbral spinal fluid and there is no difference between CSF from a live or a dead animal if no decomposition has taken place.

Even for the sake of keeping alive a beloved snake, to puncture a living animal's skull is unconscionably cruel.

If you must, place the needle at the base of the animal's skull and poke upwards, making sure to scramble (pith) the mouse's brain to lessen its suffering.

I really did not want to "brain" the pinkie, but I have had numerous sources tell me it is better on live than dead. I'd rather not do it again, because I agree that any suffering to another living being is horrible. The pinkie actually did not make hardly a squeak. It was actually complaining more when I was just holding it. It died fast, as well. In this snake's case, I had tried a dead pinkie and it did not work. I will try the tuna water next time, so I will not have to repeat the live pinkie thing
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------Misty-------
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More pets than one room can hold. I listed them all but it looked ridiculous!!!
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