Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been keeping a Graham's Crayfish Snake for about 2 months. I was worried about getting it to eat. Well I did not have to worry long. It is eating every freshly molted crayfish I have offered it. It even bit my hand trying to get a crayfish that I was offering it. It has been eating 5 or 6 large crayfish a week. It is one of the best eating snakes I have. I have heard they do not do well long term in captivity. What types of problems have you have and how did you fix them?
Thanks
Mark Pyle

The only problems most have with those are blisters...
Nice pic.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 7/15

if blisters should occur, try offering water every few days rather than keeping a permanent water dish in enclosure-- keep the enclosure bone dry. after a shed or 2 blisters should go away-- it worked for some garters and waters i had... its a drag when snakes get blisters

That's really cool. Where do you get the freshly molted crayfish?

Post this one the watersnake forum. Some of those blister conditions with aquatic snakes can relate to water acidity and other aspects of water quality - not to the moisture that we have problems with in terrestrial snakes.

Billy
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Phillyherping

I'm really curious about this...how picky are they about how freshly molted the crayfish are? Can you just feed them regular crayfish? The reason I ask is because I kept a pair for about a month or so, and never got them to eat. I wound up releasing them, glad someone's had luck with them, they're a cool looking snake.
Kevin

They'll only go for the freshly molted ones...
And their sense of smell is good... They can tell.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 7/21

You are correct. It will only eat molted crayfish. I set up a large aquarium. I then cut up 1.5 and 2 inch pieces of pvc pipe about 4 inches long. I found a bait shop the sells crayfish and bought 5 dozen. I look for molted skins every day. I will either freeze them or feed alive. It will eat f/t. I hope to freeze enough to make it through the winter. I have heard they don't do well thought hibernation in captivity.
Mark

You could probably get the snake on pinkies.
If you have it eating f/t...
Offer it a pinky mouse with a molted crayfish shell over it...
And see if it will take that.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 7/21

I have scented ever many snakes to rodents. I have reservation about feeding rodents to this snake. Crayfish are very different than rodents. I have never read that rodents are part of their diet. I am worried about impaction. What normally comes out of this snake is red and about the diameter of a pencil. She could easily eat a mouse. I may try a smaller rodent. Has anyone ever tried this before?
Mark

I have a friend who fed pinky mice to a Queen Snake... which are basically the say as Crayfish snakes...
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 7/21

That is good to know. I have a feeling that I will be able to switch her quickly.
Mark

Thank you Mike I will keep a look out for this. So far so good.
Mark