How long can hatchlings go between meals?

[Caryl]

I have two hatchlings who arrived at my house via FedEx last Tuesday from Susan. They've both eaten F/T twice before being shipped to me. The most recent meal was 08/13. I've left them alone except for water changes, and all appeared normal when I put them in deli cups to feed last night.

The male (Wizard) rattled a bit when I closed his lid, but didn't seem too distressed. The female (Charm) Charm ate promptly, but Wizard didn't. I left him and his intended meal in the cup for about 2 hours, checking on him about 3 times. At one point early on he'd taken the mouse in his mouth, but dropped it when I walked into the room. As far as I know, he didn't try again.

I'm not worried, but was wondering how long babies can wait between meals. He ate before, looks healthy, and I'm sure he'll eat again. My current plan is to try him again Wednesday. The question is more rhetorical, I guess. I'm sure down the road this will come up again, so I'm asking while it's on my mind.

[SnakeCreations]

I have found that some new babies absolutely refuse to eat while being watched, or if theres anything moving around nearby. A few tips, remove the baby and put it in a brown paper bag (make sure it can't get out!!!) to eat. Leave for a few hours then check. Put the baby in a small container with air holes and leave overnight. Your wee one just sounds like he's a little stressed and needs less stimulation.

Good luck!

Tonya

[Caryl]

Yeah, that's what I plan on doing. As I said, I'm not worried; just wondering.

[Nanci]

This is how I handle that situation: reheat the mouse to super hot, cover the container with a dishtowel, set a timer for one hour, stay completely away so the snake can't hear or feel me. Calli pulled that on me just last night.

[Caryl]

I'm going to try the reheat next time if he doesn't eat right off. I'm also staying out of the room and out of the adjacent hall for at least 1 hour - no peeking. My question really is how long can a baby go between meals?

[Nanci]

Robbies Cornfield has one that is still alive at 50 days...

[Silt]

I have two little buggers in one clutch that are just refusing to eat anything: f/t, washed, brained, overnight, live, etc. I believe it's day 61 since they've hatched and they're still active as ever (including biting me!!).

So no worries! Since Wizard's eaten in the past, he'll eat sometime soon. He just needs that period of time to adjust to his new environment after that stressful ordeal of being shipped!

Congrats on the new corns and I wish you the best of luck with them. :)

Lisa

[Caryl]

Good gracious! I had no idea that I'd have so long to not worry about Wizard! I'm happy to hear it. Thanks for your input, everyone. Good luck to you, Lisa.

[richard1986]

hi um this prob the wrong section to b posting this and if so i apalogise um my baby corn escaped bout 3 months ago n found her 2 days ago in my bk garden in the rain i dried her off and put her bk in her viv she ate on sunday but she has changed majorly she seems to like bein handled more know she isnt so aggitated to get away from u ony thing worrying me is she hides under her rock on the warm end of the viv now shud i turn the light off of a night time as she has a heat mat on all the time ne help would be much appreiated thanx

[Nanci]

Yeah, she doesn't need the light at night, or ever.

[richard1986]

Yeah, she doesn't need the light at night, or ever.

ok thank you it jus the reptile shop i got her from said she had to have it on at day time but didnt specify about nite time and the temp at cool end is in the 70's and the warm end in the 80's as she told me thats the temp they meant to b at but she neva goes to the cool side so i dunno if it the heat causing it or not

[Caryl]

After eating most of them find a place on the warm side and settle in to digest their meal. The temperature gradient makes it possible for the snake to find the temperature it needs/wants for whatever reason. If you have a heat mat (UTH) then your should remove the heat light. You may get things too warm at worst, or dry out the air too much by using both heat sources.
Congratulations on finding your wandering snake!

[richard1986]

ok ill do that n yea i was shocked to find her in my bk yard by the door as if to say can i come in lol

[Caryl]

I'll bet! That's a nice kind of shock, though!

[richard1986]

yea was gd all my m8s said she was a homming snake lol had a taste of freedom n obviously she didnt like it lol n came home

[kshannon]

Robbies Cornfield has one that is still alive at 50 days...

This is good to know because I have the same problem, can i leave it overnight in a paper bag?

[Caryl]

If the pinky's live, you can leave it overnight. I'd personally hesitate to leave a f/t one out overnight.

[Nanci]

Make sure the paper bag is in the snake's viv! I would not hesitate to leave a FT overnight.

[kshannon]

yes, i was planning on leaving it locked up safely in his viv, he would make a good cat snack he is so small. I just hope I can get him to eat, i have tried a just a head, and a f/t pinkie. I may have to pick up some tuna if this doesn't work. I wish i could find live in my area, just to get the first meal into his little belly!

[Nanci]

I bet you'd have better luck with lizard scenting. Or just try plain old Ivory soap washing! Braining is nice, too. And I always slit everything.

[Caryl]

Nanci, I have a question. Wizard turned up his little nose again at last night's offering. After an hour of no bothering him, no peeking, he and the f/t pinky were as far apart in the deli cup as possible. I did the hot dip and brained the pinky. I did actually leave it all night. This morning I still had a skinny hatchling, but the pink's abdoment was ruptured. There was goo (I assume from the abdominal cavity) all over its rear half. Does that mean he started to eat and changed his mind, or maybe just squished the mouse? I'm still not seriously worried, but I'm not happy either. :(

[Caryl]

curses - "ABDOMEN" not "abdoment."

[Nanci]

It probably just fell apart. They aren't too strong after thawing. That's too bad. What does Susan say?

[Caryl]

I don't know yet. I pm'd her today, but she's apparently busy and hasn't yet had a chance to respond. (I'm gonna be busy tomorrow with preparations for Gustav.) Hopefully the little bugger will settle down and eat next offering. Thanks.

[Susan]

I've responded to Caryl via PM, but since this is the first time I read this thread, will also respond here.

Since he was in the process of eating when you startled him, causing him to drop the pinky (you failed to mention this in your PM), he may have been put off pinkies for a little while. I've learned over the years to ignore hatchlings after I give them their meals, putting them back on the shelf in their deli cups and not checking them until the next morning, that is until I know they are established feeders, which is after they've eaten about 5-8 meals in a row. Every hatchling that has spit out a pinky once it started to eat it has refused several meals afterwards until it's just too hungry to refuse another and/or is offered something so tempting it can't refuse it.

Don't worry yet, but offer him the most appealing meal you can think of (my choice right now would be a live pinky on the small side) in a few days and then completely leave him alone with it over-night again. And if you offer a live pinky, if he hasn't eaten it by morning and the pinky is still alive and kicking, continue to leave him with it until he either eats it or it dies. The paper bag trick is also a good option, especially with a live pinky.

[Caryl]

Hi Susan! Yes, you've certainly replied via PM and it's much appreciated. I'd posted this thread before bothering you. It was begun as a general query about stubborn hatchlings, not a specific request for help with Wizard.

Sorry I didn't mention in my 1st PM that I'd walked into the room and startled him. In retrospect I wish I'd included that. It didn't occur to me that my checking on him before morning might put him off for any length of time. I guess my "newbie" is showing. I'm sorry.

Again, thank you for your help here and via PM. It is much appreciated. (My smileys aren't functioning, but I'd post one here if I could. :-) )

[Susan]

I noticed my smilies weren't working either, plus my ability to edit posts properly. I found that when I used Internet Explorer instead of the newest version of Mozilla Firefox, things were back to normal on the editing part. I'll have to check on the smilies thing.

I'm on IE now and :cheers:, everything works as it should. Are you using the new updated Firefox?

[Caryl]

Hurrah - Gustav has moved on. I'm on IE, still no smilies, but I think my computer has issues. Blah.

On the feeding front, now that the winds aren't howling, I may try Wizard again this evening. There are lots of anoles and tree frogs about; if he doesn't like the pinky he may be interested in pinky-rubbed-with-lizard. He still seems perfectly healthy and I'm sure he'll eat again. This is a tad frustrating, but not terrible. Charm (the female) shed and was fed Sunday.)

Gotta go pick up limbs. No real damage here, thank God, but messes to clean up.

[Caryl]

At long last, my stubborn little Wizard ate his first meal here tonight. This was day 33 since he last ate. That was at Susan's, before I bought him. I don't mind admitting I was frustrated. I'd tried slitting, halving, scenting, and teasing, brown paper bags, deli cups, and in-viv-on-newspaper. Susan offered some tips on a more in-his-face style of tease feeding, and it worked! I've got my fingers and toes crossed, hoping that now that this bridge is crossed, there will be smooth sailing in the digesting department!

Patience isn't easy for me; I'm so glad he finally ate! :eatpointe

[diamondlil]

:cheers: Great news! Glad Wizard's eating for you!

[jpccusa]

I'm glad Wizard ate for you. This can be a valuable lesson for newbies like me... ABSOLUTELY NO PEEKING for the first 5 - 8 meals.

Mine had 1 meal down... 4-7 more to go before that eating picture! :)

[Caryl]

Wizard took his second meal for me last night with no hesitation. I was holding him in one hand and the pinky in the other, just in case, but he took it immediately. Apparently now that he's decided to eat, he's going to keep it up.

[Nanci]

Aw, he just wanted you to hand feed him! Who would have known! I'm so happy to hear this!

[Caryl]

I'm happy to handfeed! :D It sure beats putting a pinky in a deli cup or a brown paper bag, putting a reluctant baby snake with it, then throwing the pinky away the next morning!

Who says I spoil my snakes?