Tadpoles?

[JillFoster]

Could I feed tadpoles or minnows to a baby snake that won't eat? If not is there any thing else that would be smaller than a pinkie that I could try. I have tried cutting pinkies in pieces, but still no luck. Thanks.

[kcaven]

I know the guy at the reptile pet store had mentioned to me that one of their hatchlings was being fed meal worms? Im not sure if this is ok or not..maybe someother more experienced members can answer that. Oh, and he also mentioned putting him in a small paperbag so its a small enclosure and dark. Hope this helps!

[Coty]

Were the pinkies too big? Some users here have mentioned that they sometime will rub a pinkie on a fuzzy or larger mouse so that it will have more of a scent that the snake will find appealing. I think some corn snakes (bloodreds iirc) are picky and prefer lizards to mice. I had someone recommend little feeder fish to me once, but I would not do that as I know from experience that these fish (in pet stores) are not always cared for that well, and you can often find a lot of dead fish in the tank with live ones.

Don't quote me on this, but I was under the impression that some frogs were toxic so I would be wary of tadpoles.

If there are any more details about the snake that you could provide (age, where you got it, any health issues, how long you have had it) it may help the more experienced members to give you some insight.

[JillFoster]

[QUOTE=If there are any more details about the snake that you could provide (age, where you got it, any health issues, how long you have had it) it may help the more experienced members to give you some insight.[/QUOTE]

It is a baby that my daughter found while on a walk with her grandfather (North Central PA). I'm not even sure of it's identification, I have been told both a black rat snake or a eastern milksnake. As you can see in the photo, it has developed a couple of spots that I'm not real sure what they are. I was told that maybe they were a bubble in the shed, but I'm not convinced yet. I tried soaking him in some water to release it if it was just shed, but that didn't work. We've had it for about 5 days. I'm at a loss as to what to do. My son has a ghost corn and when my duaghter found this she wants to keep him as hers (she has become very attached). I don't have a problem, but I don't want to end up hurting the poor thing either. Thanks for any help.

[JillFoster]

You mentioned lizards, what about salamanders. I am in PA, so I was trying to think of things it might have been eating in the wild. Thanks

[FunkyRes]

Seriously try lizards.
In my experience including corns - baby snakes that refuse to eat pinks will often pound a baby lizard lightening fast. I'm sure it's not always the case, but frequently I suspect feeding issues are because we are not offering what they want to eat.

It's probably not the size of the pinkie that is the issue, it just wants something else - and that something else is likely lizard. My experience (with corns and kings) - the neonates that take lizards will switch to rodents just fine after a few feedings.

There should be some wild skinks in PA that are hatching about now, if you don't mind WC. Otherwise, try to find someone with some hatchling anoles or sceloporus.

Scenting may work - I haven't had much luck with it. I have however once had luck with washing a pinky in mild soap, rinsing well, and then soaking it in tuna water. I only needed to do that twice before the corn took them plain.

-=-

As far as identifying - look at the anal plate. If it is divided, it is a rat snake. If it is single, it is probably some variant of milk snake, and N.A. milk snakes are notorious for wanting lizards as neonates.

I'm guessing it is a milk - but I'm not familiar with neonates of either species. Looks milk to me though.

Good luck!

[bitsy]

The skin condition and the fact that it won't eat, don't bode well to me.

I'd be inclined to put it back where it was found and buy your lass a captive-bred Corn of her own.

As a wild-caught animal, your latest addition could be carrying all manner of parasites and diseases that you won't find out about until it's too late. Your daughter will be gutted if it dies - a nice hardy captive-bred Corn would make a much better pet.

[JillFoster]

It's anal plate is divided. Thank you. That helps. I was leaning more towards a rat snake as black rat snakes are VERY common in that area, but we do also have milk snakes and I don't know very much about what they look like as babies.

As far as the skinks, where would I go about looking for them? Thanks.

[durtis]

It is a baby that my daughter found while on a walk with her grandfather (North Central PA). I'm not even sure of it's identification, I have been told both a black rat snake or a eastern milksnake. As you can see in the photo, it has developed a couple of spots that I'm not real sure what they are. I was told that maybe they were a bubble in the shed, but I'm not convinced yet. I tried soaking him in some water to release it if it was just shed, but that didn't work. We've had it for about 5 days. I'm at a loss as to what to do. My son has a ghost corn and when my duaghter found this she wants to keep him as hers (she has become very attached). I don't have a problem, but I don't want to end up hurting the poor thing either. Thanks for any help.

thats a juvenile eastern milk snake
i have one of my own
but shes full grown

[Coty]

For future reference:

1. Any new snake brought into the home should be checked by a vet.

2. Make sure you are allowed by state law to capture wild snakes.

3. Any new snake should be kept in a 'quarantine tank,' optimally in a different room from other snakes. This is due to parasites, mites, etc. that could effect your other pets.

You may know this stuff, but I thought I would throw it out just in case.

[FunkyRes]

For future reference:

1. Any new snake brought into the home should be checked by a vet.

While it's not a bad idea, I don't agree with it as a necessity.
Unless a snake is showing some symptom, it is not necessary to have a vet check it out.

Vets are way to happy to medicate baby snakes that have parasites when often, they will grow and develop just fine to a larger size without treatment - and the larger the size, the safer it is to give them treatment.

Unless a baby snake is showing a symptom, taking it to the vet could result in treatment that could cause issues, treatment that could have waited until the snake was a larger size when it is safer to pump antibiotics etc. into them.

Just my personal opinion.

Of course any snake showing symptoms should be seen, and any wild snake probably should be treated for parasites whether or not a fecal float shows them - but if you can wait until the snake hits juvenile size (probably 100g for corn/rat, ~70g for a milk) it is safer for the snake.

Your other points I absolutely agree with.

[Coty]

If I were to buy a new snake I would only decide against a vet exam if I knew that there had been one recently. I by all means defer to the judgement of more experienced owners.

In the specific case of a WC snake that I intended on keeping, I would by all means have it checked.

[bitsy]

All new snakes coming into my home are quarantined away from current residents for a couple of months. Gives time for any health/parasite issues to become apparent and be dealt with. I think this is especially important if bringing wild-caught in. You don't want to accidentally carry bugs and nasties over to healthy animals.

Mine only see a vet if there's something wrong or if I suspect something is wrong - which is not necessarily the same thing!

[Rich in KY]

Your best bet will probably be to try finding a pet store that carries anoles.

Trying to catch a lizard in the wild that will be small enough for what you need may be difficult. And you also have to wory about the lizard possibly having parasites.

Good luck

[terry fielder]

hi it sounds like you have only tryed frozen pinkys id give live a go

[diamondlil]

Could you get a dead anole, stick it in the freezer and use it for scenting washed pinks?
The 'bubble' area could be scale rot, perhaps.
Could you not explain to your daughter that the snake she found would be happier in the wild, and get her a hatchling corn instead?