Baby Corn Snake not eating after 3 weeks

[Graveyardghoul]

i have just got a Corn snake from my cousin, and it has ate its first meal find without a problem... then once i got it, it has not eaten at all, i have tried teasing it, poking the hole in the head and even in the stomach... reheated the mice a few times to get it really warm, and have kept it in its little tupperware feeding box with just the mouse for a day an a half without interrupting it ... i have no idea what else to do

[jmichael]

I had about the same thing happen to mine. One thing I have found that helps is to get the mouse good and warm (not hot) and put it in the tupperware container with the snake. Then, seal the lid and cover it (small blanket or sheet). The theory is that it will not be looking for a way out and concentrate on the food. I'm sure there are other people on here with a more expert opinion, but this is what worked for me.

[AliCat37]

He's probably just settling in. You'll want to leave it alone for a week, only go in to givd it fresh water. After the week has passed put a hot f/t pinky in the cage (or tuppaware) and leave it over night.

[Destarte]

Have you tried Anole scenting? Or picking up a ASF pinky? I've never had an ASF refused. ;)

[Graveyardghoul]

i have got it right atfter it was fed from my cousin.. then i set it in his tank and didnt touch it for a week.. then i also tried covering it is.. and even left it in my dark room all day with the pinkie in the container by itself.. and still nothing..and i dont make the mouse too hot.. just as hot as the water gets...

also what is a ASF Pinkie or the Anole??

[Farmgirl]

An anole is a small lizzard. Sometimes scenting with this helps because wild type corns would eat small lizzards in the wild.

ASF= african soft furred rats, they are kind of a cross (size wise) between a mouse and a rat, and I have been told numerous times that when you have a picky eater, ASF's are never refused. However the flip-side of that is, they tend to be VERY difficult to switch to normal rats or mice from ASF's

[AliCat37]

If you can scent a regular mouse pinkie with ASF that would be the best bet. My problem eater started on that and has eaten unscented pinkies no issues since. I also never had a problem feeding my corns ASFs and then switching back to regular mice, but I never offered them ASF more than once before going back to mice.
I've never tried anole scenting. I put some skin from my frillie on the same pinkie I scented with ASF for my problem eater- so who knows if it was the lizard smell or ASF smell, but it worked.

[Graveyardghoul]

okay.. so.. uummm i dont want to sound stupid or anything but where can i get something like that.. i live in the desert were there are like only 3 pet stores around here with not so much to choose from

[jonnyw]

I got my problem eater to eat by scenting with tuna and heating the pinky quite alot ( not hot tho) and then just slowly weaned him off the tuna, he hadnt eaten for 7 weeks but couldnt resist the smell of tuna lol :)

[Destarte]

Reptile shows should have ASFs. And depending on where you live, you should be able to catch a lizard in the wild. lol

[Janome]

I am wondering if your new baby is going into a shed cycle? Some snakes won't eat during that time.

[Graveyardghoul]

hhhmmm the tuna is a new one i havent heard of but i shall try it...

and no there are actually very few lizards here... we have more snakes, coyotes and tarantulas here HAHA

[AliCat37]

Petsmart and Petco usually sell anoles. They're cheap too.

[Graveyardghoul]

uummm no it isnt in its shed cycle at all... its eyes are normal and skin is normal too.. plus my sister has one and they were born the same time and hers isnt in its shed cycle and it is eating just fine.. it is just mine that isnt eating

[Susan]

Try a live pinky, a F/T pinky that has been washed with Ivory bar soap (unscented), a pinky from a completely different rodent producer, and make sure you use very small pinkies to start with (they can be intimidated by pinky size). I also hate to say this, but I have had quite a few hatchlings over the years eat their first meals and then never eat again. I don't know why it happens, but it does.

[Graveyardghoul]

well i did try the tuna and nothing happened.. havent found any of the Anoles here but i am still looking elsewhere to find some live pinkys..

also i checked my sisters snake and it just got done shedding.. so maybe it is in its shedding cycle.. but for 3 weeks is a little weird.. it will be 4 weeks on Monday

[Sandra0704]

I live in the High Desert in California too. There are several small mom & pop pet stores around. I know of at least 4 just in Apple Valley alone. I would start calling places and asking. Also I believe there is a reptile show in Vegas towards the end of October. You could also look online. Let me know how it goes I have had problems feeding my new baby corn snake.

[reddragon087]

I've had the same problem with one of mine, I've tried everything there is to try and he just refuses to eat, he was a rescue and I'm kind of wondering what he was like before hand. Some just refuse to eat for some odd reason.

[Graveyardghoul]

well mine was fine before.. it came from my cousins corn snakes... they were actually a accident since they didnt know that one was a boy and the other was a girl and one trip they were in the same tank and 12 eggs were laid... but the mother and father were always fine.. the other babies are eating fine..my sister got one from the same family as well ad that one is eating just fine with the same food i try to feed mine... so i really dont know...

although i was just wondering how long can baby snakes go without food... because monday will be a month already and i was wondering when i should start to consider force feeding :/

[reddragon087]

They can generally last several weeks but its never really a good thing that they refuse to eat...if you are going to try and force feed I would start soon seeing as how it hasn't touched a meal in a month.

[Graveyardghoul]

yea so i figured... well im going to look around tomorrow for some live food.. if that doesnt work within 2 days i will have to resort to that :/

[AliCat37]

If it's a hatchling that you're trying to force feed, a really, really easy way to do it is to force feed adult mouse tails. I had a stubborn eater and I force fed him cut up pinkies, which was a nasty mess, and when I used an ASF tail he was interested, I force fed him that, then he next week I started to force feed him a regular mouse tail and he started swallowing! After that he began eating on his own with some lizard/ASF scenting the first go around.

[Destarte]

I wonder what it is about the ASFs... We can't really smell them, but the snakes love them. Weird. I can't wait to start my small colony of ASFs.

[Graveyardghoul]

hhmm well that saved me a mess since i was going to force feed the pinkie... i will try the tail then if i have to force feed it then... :)

[KingCrimson<3]

1st, ASFs are illegal in California, so it is very unlikely that you will find them.

Other than that, when a snake starts eating and is fine for a time and then begins refusing husbandry is almost always to blame. You said that the snake ate for your cousin, but then you got him and he has not eaten since. From this you know that the snake knows how to eat, so you have to ask yourself what is different and fix it before you go force feeding and such. What are your husbandry practices? What kind/how big is the viv? What are the temperatures? Hot side, cool side, measured with what? How is the humidity? Does the snake have a lot of places to hide or is it out in the open?

Let's figure that stuff out and get the snake eating on it's own again. Force feeding is really stressful for the animal and should only be done as a last resort for animals that are either ill or have never taken a meal on their own.

[Graveyardghoul]

everything i have is the same as my cousin had it... i asked her everything and set it to the same way she had it... the only difference was that they were kept in smaller containers since they were babies and they didnt want a separate tank for everyone of them and especially when she was going to give them away.. but i still have that container as their feeding container.. they ate in that before so they are use to eating in there :/ other than that i have learned everything from my cousin.. so nothing really different from her

[reddragon087]

has it ever had regurge with your cousin? sometimes when they regurge it is extremely hard to get them to eat again.

[Graveyardghoul]

nope... it ate fine with her.. first time it ate was not a problem..

[KingCrimson<3]

Just because everything is the same doesn't make it right necessarily. I do want to help, and I might be able to if you answer some of my questions. I would try feeding a VERY HOT f/t pinky in the viv. Just put it down right out side the snake's hide and close everything up and turn off the light. Moving it to feed it might be stressing it out.

[Graveyardghoul]

Well I really don't understand what you are asking... It's my first snake so I don't understand most of the lingo here haha

And yea I have done that plenty if times and even kept it there for 2 days and nothing happened :/

[Susan]

I know it's not been long enough for you to try feeding again (minimum of 4 days between offerings), but please try my suggestions. I would try the washed pinky first. That also gives you more time to locate live pinkies.

[Graveyardghoul]

okay just an update for everyone... i have tryed everything you all have said.. no live pickies up here and i have been everywhere... and is going on 5 weeks of not eating now... time to force feed now?? any suggestions on how to do so and what to feed it to make it easier??