bloodred hatchling question

[JCam99]

Hey guys
This is the first time I have ever owned a hatchling bloodred and I'm noticing several things that are just weird with this snake. I was wondering if maybe you all had answers. So, here's what's going on with her right now.
First, she has to be the most finicky feeder I have ever seen (besides local black king hatchlings). She only feeds for me occasionally (like maybe once every week and a half), and even then you can't so much as look at this snake or it will regurge! I never handle her, besides moving her when her cage is cleaned. she does defecate so that's good at least. Let's see I've had the snake for a little over a month now and for the first few weeks it NEVER left it's hot area (the area where the heat tape is located), just sat there coiled. I fed it in the cage at first but wasnt too thrilled with the feeding response so I started feeding her in a small deli cup...some improvement there. Still, I can't understand why she only eats every week and a half.
Shedding is another big issue. She went blue about a week after I got her, cleared up, and then never shed. So, I assumed the humidity was inadequate (even though there are other snakes on the same heat tape with the exact same conditions who shed just fine), and I did the soaking thing overnight. That made the skin come off, except the part over her head. It never budged. Still, she seemed okay and continued to eat somewhat. Now, she is attempting to shed again. So i guess I'm just trying to figure out what the crap is up wiht this snake? Growth is very minute, almost undistinguishable (not surprising for a snake that feeds so erratically). The snake appears healthy, maybe a bit thin for my tastes, but then again all hatchlings are pretty thin and delicate looking. Is it a bloodred thing for them to be so err....odd. Or is there something I'm missing about its care. I can't figure this one out.
Sorry this is so long. I just wanted to provide as detailed info as I could. Temps are mid 70's in the cage, with 84 at heated area of cage (takes up 1/3 of cage).
Thanks for any help. I'd post pics of the thing (it is a gorgeous hatchling!) but I try and leave it alone as much as possible, trying to let it relax. I have my big corns to handle when it strikes my fancy :)
Later
JCam99

[Taceas]

I am by no means an expert or have any long term experience with bloodreds. I currently have a trio of bloodreds, a pair of bloodreds het pewter and a female pewter, all 2003's.

But I have noticed peculiarities with them myself. I tend to baby them almost as you do yours, especially the smaller and more fragile ones. I don't look at them too much and dare not even breathe on them. They seem to be highly sensitive in my opinion. They're my most frequent regurgers and also seem slow growers for sure. The colors change more so than their size that I can tell.

But it seems once you get them past the 6 month old period they start doing a whole lot better. Mine were slow starters and I experienced a few regurges before I got down exactly what size of food item they do best on. I have an early 03 that is the same size as my yearlings, while my other later hatching bloods are still slowly coming along.

I still don't handle mine at all, for fear of giving them upset tummies. I don't want to have to play catch-up.

But I think everyone is under the assumption that bloodreds tend to have the highest tendency for prefering reptilian food, mainly anoles. Fortunately none of my bloods are in that camp. Mine eat quite eagerly on live pinks/fuzzies. Maybe you could try switching brands of mice, or f/t to live, or vice versa. My baby snakes are doing great after switching from f/t to live pinks. Still trying to figure out the difference.

Here's a comparison shot of my pair of bloods, remind you both are 03's:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Bloodred/Sorr/BloodredComparison112003.JPG

Hope that helps. Everything else sounds fine to me. Perhaps someone else can offer some suggestions or ideas.

[JCam99]

Hey
Well it's certainly nice to know that I'm not the only one who notices peculiarities with these things. Its a gorgeous snake don't get me wrong, and I like it a lot, but it's quite a bit of trouble. I'm used to baby snakes that eat like little pigs, never regurge, and grow very quickly and fast. Oh well...I've got the time right now to baby the thing until it gets in the yearling stage. Right now it takes pinkys frozen/thawed when it feels like it; my sinaloan that I purchased for my dad (yet i get the chore of raising it though it's his snake lol) on the other hand is now 4 months old, about 24" long, and taking hoppers with ease. My blood red's size is comparable to the small one in your photo.
I think it was you I was talking about Rodentpro with a while back. Anyways these pinkys came from Rodentpro and are about 5 months old...perhaps, just perhaps, it doesn't like them because they are old. that woudl explain a lot. As a test I put one in the sinaloan's cage tonight to see if he/she/it will take it as a snack. If it rejects (and this snake rejects nothing!) then that will tell me there is something wrong with the food item. We'll see how it goes. back to rodentpro, my adult snakes are now out of hibernation and eating like pigs on the jumbo mice...I should have the albinos breeding in another week or so and that will be fun.
Later, and if anyone else has some bloodred advice I would appreciate it.
JCam99

[Tim Madsen]

What you are experiencing is not normal for bloodreds. I have hatched out many of them and once I get them eating they eat as good if not better than some of my other morphs. I've never had a regurge problem with them. And by get started I'm talking maybe a week or two longer than other morphs. I remember Rich Z saying that his bloods are some of his best feeders once they get started. It would be a good idea to have fecal exams done. It's hard to tell but you could have a parasite problem or any number of other maladies. If your snake was started on lizard there's a better chance of parasites. IMO

[JCam99]

I am sure the snake wasn't started on lizards as feeders, so I don't think that is the problem. Still, it's something worth looking into. Perhaps it is parasite-related. I placed one of the pinkys in the milksnake's cage and it refused to eat it as well. So maybe it is the pinkys that are the issue. I think I'll get some new fresh pinkys and see if that makes a difference in its feeding. Then, if that isn't the issue, I'll get a fecal done on it. Its feces to my relatively untrained eye look fine, and the snake isn't too thin and is much more active now then when I first got it.

Thanks for the advice
Jcam99