Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, I'm a milksnake guy and have fine success with the most obnoxious alterna or milks but may have met my match with conspicillata.
The breeding was a snap, lovely little hatchlings, but 3/4 of the hatch has avoided every form of mouse or rat introduced. The frozen lizard zoo was tapped also to no avail.
On the upside, one female took to pinks and is thriving and her sibs will swallow a pink when I park it in their mouths but they'll never grab a pink. They're all healthy and fine but we've been doing this now for a solid year....

Any advice for keeping these hatchlings happy? Any special rodent scent that triggers the feeding response?

Temps are in the upper 70s, good hides, adults are stout and active so I assume the basic husbandry is being met.
Any suggestions are appreciated and thanx in advance! Jeff
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Let there be triangulum and lo, the milkhead was born.

hatchlings conspicillata seems to eat after their first brumation.
I received my pair on january, they were eating a LOT, my male had his last meal 6 weeks ago, I will simply put in brumation and hopefully he will start eat again.

>>hatchlings conspicillata seems to eat after their first brumation.
>>I received my pair on january, they were eating a LOT, my male had his last meal 6 weeks ago, I will simply put in brumation and hopefully he will start eat again.

Think zonata. They like it cool and long brumations...

TC
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Conserving reptiles by helping to protect habitat...
www.ratsnakehaven.com
www.scenicsantaritas.org

Jeff,

Do you know the locality of the Aka Jimuguri that you have?
(Aka = Red....Jimuguri= Ground/Burrowing Snake)
This is the Japanese name for the snakes you own.

Those that originate from the north (Hokkaido) are smaller as adults and are often more difficult to get started on pink mice than are the larger Japanese Red Ratsnakes from the main island.
(However, the Hokkaido locale animals are much more attractive...often patternless. They look AWESOME!)

On Hokkaido, in the wild, their favorite prey item is a small vole or shrew-like mammal that the Japanese call "Sinks". I have seen these little rodents and the adults are usually smaller than your thumb. The nestling "Sinks" must be VERY SMALL.

A Japanese friend of mine (who consistently breeds this species) says that without access to "Sinks" you will have a very long process of assist feeding until they finally decide to feed voluntarily.

I would suggest offering nestling gerbils, or scenting the domestic pinky mice with White Footed Deer Mice...(Peromyscus species). You might also have luck with nestling African Soft Furred Rats. You should be able to find a ball python breeder who has them. The Europeans often call these African rodents "Many Nipple Mice" Although they do not occur in Japan, and are not related to either rats or mice...they are often the magic bullet when it comes to difficult feeders.

I hope this information will help you with your Euprepriophis conspicillata. These are rewarding captives, once you get them feeding and established. I hunt for this species every time my family and I visit Japan.
Please feel welcome to give me a call if you have any other questions. I would enjoy hearing from you.

Best wishes,
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-255-9255