Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 24" wild caught regal that is a great feeder on small snakes. She eats live or frozen thawed baby watersnakes, browns, black racers, etc. I have tried scenting pinky mice with snakes and even used skin from a road killed watersnake plastered on a pinky to no avail. It will take small f/t snakes with pink mice sewed to the tail with cotton thread so it has tasted pinky mice. Any advice on converting this species to mice would be appreciated.
-----
Brian Emanuel
NYOKA REPTILES
nyokareptiles@yahoo.com

I know of a regal that has been in captivity for almost 20 years now, and has been eating unscented mice for 19 of those years. The owner said the regal was about 24" when found, and he fed him DOR snakes that were still in good condition and frozen for weeks/months, once every 2 weeks. And the prey was always in the same spot (on the water bowl), the snake was cooled that winter and when spring came he put a couple pinky mice on the water bowl instead of a snake and the regal ate them. And has been eating f/t pinkies or fuzzies ever since.

In my experience it's not easy to get them on pinkies, much harder than switching over a northern or southern ringneck. I'd keep trying what you're trying, don't offer the snake food for a little while and make it hungry enough.

-----
www.kingpinreptiles.com

thanks Mike, I will try habituation her to a specific feeding spot.
-----
Brian Emanuel
NYOKA REPTILES
nyokareptiles@yahoo.com