Won't eat!

[loveleigh4ever]

I have had my two beautiful baby corn snakes (Jack and Apollo) for about 3 months now and I haven't gotten them to eat anything at all. Apollo just shed about 2 weeks ago and I've tried everything to get them to eat, even force feeding at one point, but they just don't seem hungry. They don't seem to be losing any weight or anything, but I'm just worried that they may be sick or something. Any tips to help me get them to eat? I've heard they can go 6 or more months without eating and still be healthy, but I wouldn't feel comfortable letting them go that long since they're both still babies. Please help?? I would really appreciate it!

[newbie319]

I had gotten alot of tips from members on here when I got my baby and couldn't get her to eat. Boiling water and pouring it over the already thawed mouse that way the mouse is nice and hot. Also if that don't work (which it didn't for me) try warming it and dipping it in some tuna fish juice. I had to dip it and then slightly rinse it off just right, and she took it every time. Sometimes it meant numerous trips to the kitchen to get just the right amount of scent on the mouse, my baby corn was very picky..lol
Maybe try those, and I'm sure more members will post with other options to try :)
Good luck with your little one

[loveleigh4ever]

Thank you! I'll have to try that! My two seem to be just as picky as yours lol.

[newbie319]

Also, I probably should have added, make sure your temps are right. Too hot or too cold and they won't eat. Someone also suggested to me, to get a small containers and put the mouse in it, in the lid cut a decent size hole big enough to get the snake to go in, and place it over a heat mat. After it's warmed up then remove from the heat mat and place your snake inside. I never had tried that personally but I hear that also works! It enhances the scent of the mouse and gets the snake into feeding mode :)
Have you tried leaving the mouse in overnight with them? That also works, I've had to leave fish in for my ribbon snake overnight to get him to eat ;)

[Teatime]

Here's the episode that BHB Reptiles did on problem feeders: http://youtu.be/o_FQOgyFrn4

The corn snake part starts at about 4:30.

[AliCat37]

Going to ask the obvious.. are they in the same cage? If they are, separate them NOW.
Give them a week, then offer them food. Snakes are solitary, living together will stress them.

[loveleigh4ever]

I did try leaving the mouse in overnight but they seem to do anything to avoid the mouse. I always check the temp of the mouse before I put it in to make sure that it's thawed correctly as well. I've also tried sticking a needle in the nose to make it bleed a little, which is something that a friend of mine who owns a king snake told me to do but that didn't work either.

[newbie319]

I'm sorry, You're tank's temps! I should have been more specific.

[loveleigh4ever]

Oh haha well i know the tank's temp is right on because i have two thermometers in there, one on the cold side and one on the warm side.

[Pugsley]

Are you feeding them in the tank? If so, get a small deli, clear is best, container, punch some small holes in it, put the pinkie in there, then the corn (this can be tricky usually they don't want to go in.) Put the lid on, but the whole thing under a bed pillow and no peeking for an hour or two.

Nanci wrote about this one and it worked for me last night for one that hadn't eaten in over a month. I did drop the thawed pinky into boiling water before putting it into the deli container. Finally, I'd hate to lose that Tessera.

[gsdbecca]

Oh haha well i know the tank's temp is right on because i have two thermometers in there, one on the cold side and one on the warm side.

So, the snakes are in the same viv? That's your problem.

[Mark Dwight]

Here’s what I do for non-feeders. I bring chicken broth to a boil and pour it over a frozen pinky. Let it set for a minute or two until the pinky “cooks." The pinky will turn whitish. I then take a needle and “brain” the pinky. I stick the needle in the head of the pinky and swirl its brain matter around (in know, gross.) You want some of the brain fluid to be exposed onto the head of the pinky. I then place this still hot and brained pinky in a VERY small deli cup/feeding container. You want the feeding container to be very small so the snake doesn’t crawl away from and avoid the pinky. Then place the snake in the cup and put the lid on...of course make sure there are air holes in the lid. Then place the deli cup in a completely dark and quiet area over night. This has almost always worked for me...in the morning the pinky is gone 90% of the time. For the ones this doesn’t work for I go to stage 2.http://s19.postimage.org/65t0dr9nn/pinky_feed.jpg
The cups need to be very small

[loveleigh4ever]

I will have to try that, thank you. Oh and BTW my Jack looks almost exactly like the one in your picture :) very pretty! I had him about a month before i got Apollo and i got Apollo from a friend. They had the same problem with him that i had with Jack. Neither of them would eat even before i got them and i asked an expert and they said its fine to put them in a tank together since the tank is so large and they're only babies. Apollo is an Amelanistic Albino and Jack is an Abbots Okeetee (i think thats how you spell it). I got Jack to eat right after i put Apollo in the tank with him but its been about 3 months since then.

[susang]

I think you should do some research on co-habbing snakes.
The thermometers are they digital or the stick on kind?
Stress is one the major reasons snakes won't eat temps that are off, not enough hiding space, co-habbing can all be forms of stress, too much handling.

[loveleigh4ever]

I know that there's plenty of places for them to hide, and the thermometers are crystal thermometers (the kind you use in a fish tank). They work really well and are really accurate, at least in my experience. I will do some research on co-habitation, but i haven't had a problem with the two together so far. They don't interfere with each other as far as i know. The tank is 55 gallons so i know they have plenty of room as well.

[AliCat37]

You haven't had a problem with the two so far?? Are you kidding? They are not eating! I'd say that is a problem. Separate them ASAP. It doesn't matter what size the tank is, you are forcing two solitary animals to live together. Also, the crystal thermometers are horribly inaccurate, you need to get a digital one.

[thewiz4]

x2. Separate them and they will probably start feeding again soon!!

[Mark Dwight]

I agree with everyone else here. The presence of another snake is threatening to a hatchling. It causes stress.