why won't my snake strike

[shorty]

when feeding my friends snake his snake would nearly take the hand off of you to get the pinkie .but mine isn't really bothered you have to put to pinkie next to him and he'll eat it when ever he feels like it.Can you give me some help thanks :confused:

[CAV]

I wouldn't worry about it as long as it is eating.

[Alex Dew]

Dont Worrie about it. 2 of my corn snakes strike when feeding and the other 3 just eat the mouse once you have put it down next to them.

Alex

[Heather]

Mine has taken to just slowly approaching her prey and after flicking her tongue at it several times, she almost has her nose pressing on it before taking a hold. She actually used to strike, but her first feeding on a (dead) rat pink scared her (my fault as I jumped, not expecting the strike so soon, hitting the lid I was holding onto the tank top), and now she takes it slow :D

Like CAV said, as long as they're eating, no need to worry about the way in which they choose to do it.

[WAS1]

Try waggling the mouse using a pair of tongs near the snake making it think that its alive. My Jungle Corn now strikes and coils everytime I feed it. In fact if the mouse was alive, the speed and ferocity at which it hits it would probably kill it immediately.

[susyq]

i wouldnt worry about the snake not striking lol, it probably means it will be more amiable to being handled. none of mine strike they just eat when they are ready :)

[Genoside]

[B]It depends wether the mice you give it are alive or not, if it is tame, and its attitude really. Dont worry about it

[CAV]

It depends wether the mice you give it are alive or not, if it is tame, and its attitude really. Dont worry about it

This topic gets discussed frequently. Each snake is different. Some strike, some don't regardless of the prey's "status".

[Krenna]

Mine seems to strike at live prey, and just gulps down f/t. I would just be happy that its eating.

[krista2121]

I have a young corn named Pyro. (s)he is pretty shy and spends most of his/her time hiding under his lil cave and only to come out in the night. And i was thinking of a plan to make him/her want to come out of his/her hidaway. I feed him/her a peach fuzzy every 5 days as i have been told to do. So i was thinking if I leave the mouse on a little dish in his cage and when (s)he smells it (s)he will come out and look for it. So if i start doing that (s)he will learn to hunt when (s)hes hungry.
Has anyone tryied that? Or does anyone have any comment on wether or not thats smart to do? Also my last question is, do corn snakes have a very good sence of smell?Because i dont want to just leave a mouse there in the cage without him smelling it. :shrugs: :eatsmiley And im also sry if im a lil off topic. :-offtopic

[CAV]

Your snake should have no trouble finding the food. Your snake's tongue is used to "smell". Actually, the snake tastes the air when it flicks the tongue.

As far as leaving prey items on a plate:

1) Thawed or killed food: After about 24 hours, I guarantee that you will smell it even if your snake doesn't. ;)

2) Live food: Long story short, you run a risk by leaving live rodents in the container with your snake. Mice and rats can leave nasty scratches and bites, or even kill a snake.

My advise: Feed your snake on a schedule. If he/she is hungry then it will eat. Vary the food size and frequency of feeding as necessary to maintain your snakes natural, non-fat, athletic appearance.

[krista2121]

Hey thanks for that! I will post back next time i feed him. Thanks again for all the help.

[thiefman55]

my anery dosent strike at the thawed mice, only at the shadows of my fingers on the back of his viv