I Need Help, Please Provide It!

[Snake Dave]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum.

I recently acquired a 6 month old Amelanistic Corn snake from my local reptile specialist store. They breed their own stock and so I was assured of its quality and health. He (I assume he's a he because of his tail shape) had been feeding regularly since he hatched and so I thought he'd be a ready feeder and I wouldn't have any problems.

So, I brought him home from the store (this was a 15-minute car journey) and put him into his new home (a standard size reptile tank for a 6 month juvenile). He stayed with me for a week, but unfortunately I had to go away for a week, so he was taken back to the store (to be looked after by the owners). During his first week I was advised against feeding him as a change of environment can cause them to not take what you give them, so I refrained from doing so. Then, when I arrived back at the store after the week had passed the woman told me that he hadn't eaten again, this was due to him shedding.

After this I took him home for what I felt to be the last time, but before I left the woman told me to wait for 2 days until I try and feed him (to allow for the completion of his shedding cycle), so this is what I did. So today I placed a pinkie in that I had warmed up on his heat mat, and left him. I came back three hours later, to find it hadn't been eaten. So I took it out, drew some blood on the mouse, waited for another hour and then found that it still hadn't been eaten.

What do I do? I feel that since this is my first snake, I would have been better off with an adult. Do you think I should attempt to return the snake and in part-exchange purchase an adult? They may be angry with me but I feel that if I'm not totally confident and happy with starting with a juvenile then it's not really my fault.

Also, the snake has been staying in my room, my room houses my computer which sometimes I use after dark, so obviously I put a light on. Does this affect the snake physcologically? As it may confuse it's body-clock, so should I move him to a room which isn't entered or used often?

Please provide any advice that you can, thanks a lot.

[Liselle]

My snakes have never cared about me using my computer at the weirdest hours, so I'm quite sure it's not your fault.

I would try warming the pinkie really warm in water that's as hot as comes out of your tap (don't boil it though... :rolleyes: ) and moving/shaking it a little in front of your snake in the feeding box (which shouldn't be too big so that he will have no chance of not stumbling upon the pinkie) so he surely sees it. If he seems to think that a moving mouse looks more scary than delicious, I would just leave the warm pinkie in the box with him, cover it with a piece of cloth to provide some cosy darkness and leave him there overnight. I've heard of several people getting their babies to eat this way. Do remember to place the box in a nice, warm place!

Also it might be a good idea to check that his viv is warm enough. Even mild coolness can make snakes stop eating.

There are lots of other things to try too, if he still won't eat, but as I haven't needed any tricks so far, I'll leave the other stuff for more experienced people to explain. :) Good luck!

[Snake Dave]

Okay thank you for that advice. I still feel that I would be better going for an adult, but I also feel bad because I made a commitment and I would feel like I would be abandoning him.

[Topazfyre]

I think that it'd be a good experience if you tried to keep up this little one, but that's just my opinion. In the mean time, should the overnight feeding not work, you should try again in the next five days (keeping to the schedule like he had eaten). You should also try scenting with an anole skin and tuna water to see if that helps. YOu can also try washing with ivory soap to remove the smell. Anyways, it is really important that you give it time between attempts. It may seem hard because he hasn't eaten in a while, but it has a way better success rate if you do. Hope this helps.

[Snake Dave]

Thank you so much for your advice, but thankfully, I don't need to employ any of these methods, he has eaten!

I was downstairs watching television, and when I came back up the pinkie was gone and he was on the warm side in the corner of his tank digesting his meal. :D

[JustineNYC]

The heat mat should be between 80 and 85 degrees and the pinkie should be between 101 and 103 degrees.......theres your problem, the pinky was cold.

[Snake Dave]

Yes I knew it should have been a certain temperature, and the pinkie was warm when I first placed it in there, but he was uninterested. But he has eaten it now, and that has put all my anxiety and worry to bed, I'll bear your advice in mind next time Justine, should I warm the pinkie in warm water first and then place it on the warm side of his tank?

[Nanci]

Many people feed the snake in a separate container, like a Tupperware or Gladware bowl with a snap on lid with holes in it. This prevents ingestion of substrate and gives you a chance to spot clean the viv and change the water, as well as confines the snake with the prey in a small area so the snake can't leave and forget he was supposed to be eating.

The pinky should be heated in hot water to a temp of 101-103F. This is hot, not warm. I'd feed the snake in the evening, in a small container, covered with a towel or t-shirt, in a darkened room, and not peek for an hour. If the mouse is not gone, check again in another hour or two. You can make the pink more easily digestible/attractive smelling to the snake by cutting four small slits in the back of the pink with a small scissors, if you want to.

Nanci

[Snake Dave]

Well there's no danger of him ingesting the substrate as it's kitchen towel, I was advised to use that as he is a juvenile. I'll make sure I warm the mouse using hot water next time, but I have already put slits in before to draw blood and increase the scent. I also feed in the evening.

But I think I'll continue to feed him in his own tank.

[Plissken]

Well there's no danger of him ingesting the substrate as it's kitchen towel, I was advised to use that as he is a juvenile. I'll make sure I warm the mouse using hot water next time, but I have already put slits in before to draw blood and increase the scent. I also feed in the evening.

But I think I'll continue to feed him in his own tank.

I'm glad your snake has eaten!

I just felt the need to point out that though there that have been cases, a couple on this forum, of corns snagging and swallowing paper towel during feeding. The risk is probably minimal, but I just wanted to make sure you were aware of it. ;)

Here's a read:

http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40200&highlight=eaten+paper

[Snake Dave]

Okay thank you for that, but again, with any substrate there's bound to be problems, and I can't have him just slithering on the plastic base of the tank lol. Also, if he does manage to eat some, then it wouldn't be as bad as him eating wood chippings.

[Snake Dave]

I just read that thread, wow, nasty story, my heart goes out to him. But I just wanted to say that the pinkie is laid down on a single large piece of kitchen towel that spans his entire tank, and is flat, so it would be quite hard to find anything to latch on to. I also make sure that the pinkie is dry before placing it in, so paper doesn't stick to it.

[Corny Noob]

Well I think the point everyone is trying to make is that you should probally get in the habit of feeding in a seperate container, that way you never have to worry about the substrate ingestion issue.

[MerlinsPop]

Well I think the point everyone is trying to make is that you should probally get in the habit of feeding in a seperate container, that way you never have to worry about the substrate ingestion issue.
Other good reasons to use a seperate feeding container:

- Even though corns are docile creatures, you don't want him to associate your hand reaching into his enclosure with a meal. One day, he might be more than a little peckish, see your hand coming, and <CHOMP> ... and it won't be his fault, either. :rolleyes:
- If he becomes a ready and willing feeder, you'll be able to watch him eat, see the lump move down and then gently move him back into his enclosure in 15 to 20 minutes. (I'm looking forward to that stage myself!)
- Gee... what to do during that 15 - 20 minutes? Ooo Ooo... I know. GREAT time to tidy up his enclosure. Pick up poop, wipe it down, take out his water dish and give it a scrubbing (I know you rince it out well every time you change his water, but you know you don't really give it a good scrubbing out). Clean off any other hides, fake trees, or anything else you have in his room. Time well spent for both you and him.

Good luck!

B

[Snake Dave]

Okay next time I feed him I'll do it in a seperate container, thanks guys. One question though, should I just leave the base as plastic and not put any paper towels down?

[Liselle]

Mine don't seem to mind eating in a bare plastic tub. I do put a kitchen roll tube in the box with the smaller ones after they've eaten and wait until they go hide in the tube. Then it's really handy to lift the whole tube into their viv without any fuss or mistaking my hand for food. The bigger ones I just pick up by hand, since they seem to be a little better at telling what's food and what's not. :P

[Corny Noob]

Yeah you just want to leave the feeding tub plain bottom.
Cause well they could ingest the papertowel too, so it defeats the purpose of moving them :grin01:

[Snake Dave]

Right okay thanks everyone, I've only fed him once in his tank, so hpefully he won't make that association just yet lol.

[Thoth]

Oooh...I put paper towel down on the bottom of the Kritter Keeper that I use to feed Eve. Otherwise, she kinda just slides around because her belly scales can't get traction on the bottom of the tank. I didn't know about the paper towel ingestion danger. Boo!