Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found 2 Diadophis punctatus edwardsii hatchlings (4" long) that found their way inside and were swimming around in an inside swimming pool.

One of them ate a very small worm on day 2 of captivity but nothing since for either one!

I'm going to have to let them go soon if they don't eat.

Any suggestions?

Mick

Babies won't always take worms...
Salamanders will get an instant response if you can find some small enough for the babies to eat.

Some take worms.
Some don't.

Give them lots of privacy... Leave them alone for the most part, and when they're roaming, drop a worm near them...
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com
^ Updated 8/17

I really don't see being able to find salamanders small enough for these guys. They're only about 1/8" in daimeter.

Even if I do I won't be able to find them all winter long. I've caught garters, ribbons & red-bellied snakes all my life and I've never seen these before.

Just thought it would be really unique to try to keep them.

How long should I try to feed them before letting them go, I don't want to kill them?

I looked for the smallest salamander I could find and dropped it in the tank.

Wham! They both wrapped their jaws around it and clamped on. Of course they had it by the mid-section and weren't about to be able to ingest it. One of them let go and the other slowly worked it's jaws to the head and it took about 10 minutes for it to finish swallowing it!

The smaller one never regained interest. I think I should let him go.

Now how do I get salamanders this winter!?

Mick

You can freeze them, even larger ones, and use pieces. or use them for scenting partial pinkies. Also, some take fish. If he'll eat baby guppies (you want to freeze and thaw them first, because there is no way you're going to be able to get worm medication into that litle throat)then that's an option, plus if he won't move straight on to pinkies later it'll open up the option of scenting them with fish.
Let the other one go though. Feeding two snakes together is never a good idea. The one that lost actually got off lucky, compared to all the things that could have hapened, if the other one had come in from a different angle. Nothing attracts fate quite like repeatedly tempting it.
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