Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I have a Blacktail Rattlesnake that I caught in July. I have him set up in a rack system with flexwatt heat tape. He is on newspaper wth a hide box and a water bowl. There are a lot of ventilation holes in the boxes for good air flow. I've offered mice and rats both dead and alive with no success. Does anyone have any advice for getting Blacktails to feed in captivity?
Thanks,
Drew

Is he an adult or juvy? First of all, I would suggest a white hopper size mouse that is gonna be bouncing around in the cage a lot. This seems to get their attention better than an adult mouse that simply hides in the corner.

Also, I've found adult crotalids to be a little reluctant to feed right away when recently placed in captivity, whereas babies and juveniles seem to respond better for some reason. I've had adults refuse to eat, but then after a brumation, they come right out and begin feeding aggressively AND consistently from that point on.

My advice to you, if you've still had no luck, is begin cooling him and start the brumatation through the winter, and then try again in late early to mid March.

Good luck!

Micah

This is a good plan to implement with the local food offering.

In a word K-Rat! Try kangaroo rats or gerbils, lizards, or birds. They eat all of these in the wild, except gerbils witch is a substitution for k-rats. 1 of these has always worked for me. Just try all the native food sources in the area of capture. Then scent transfer/switch out, with what you want him to eat.