BABY corn snake hasn't eaten one meal yet and is 3 months old - GREEN poo

Hi Guys - I'm new here so please be patient.

Our female adult corn laid 11 eggs unexpectantly back in October 2012. 9 out of 11 eggs went full term but only 4 hatched. We learnt that we was apparently meant to slit them all open as soon as the first one hatched, so 5 of them drowned as they couldn't get out

Anyways, now we have 2 healthy baby corns and did have 2 non-eating corns until Coco died the other night after only eating 1 meal since birth. (all were born around 1st and 2nd January 2013)

Rosie, our baby snow corn will be 3 months old in a weeks time and has NEVER eaten anything since coming out from the egg. We have tried most things except from scenting the pinkie. we try to feed her every week or so but sometimes leaving longer periods for her to not get distressed. She has a water bowl and a toilet tube for a hide plus kitchen roll for bedding which is changed every day as she soaks it with the water from her bowl!

I'm getting really worried about her as her poo started to turn greeny a few weeks ago and this morning there was a mark on her bedding (no picture) which looked very green, a horrible bright dark green colour. Im guessing she has nothing else to poo out now so instead shes passing acids or some sort of bile.

My boyfriend wants to euthanise her by putting her in the freezer, I read here before about your mixed views on this. Our other snake Coco was practically dead and so we put him in the freezer just to put him out his misery although we couldnt see any heartbeat or movement so might have already died before this point but Rosie seemed quite lively this morning but not as active as usual. Also when I picked her up last night her body seems "squishy" and was almost making a "spongy" sound. I know she wont make it because she isnt eating but at 3 months old I dont think she is going to eat at all now. She appears to have black spots inside her body which at first I thought were just organs as also appeared in one of our healthy snakes (who is now bigger so you cant see it)

I know I've blabbed on quite a lot but this was our first clutch and as it stands we will probably not breed again as we feel like we have brought these snakes into the world and them dying on us just isn't a nice feeling.

I would appreciate any advice or thoughts on what we should do next?

Firstly, it's not normal to slit Corn eggs. The fact that many died in the egg means that they were never destined to make it. As a result, you've "rescued" some which might have some developmental problems and I'm not surprised that some are non-eaters. I think you just had either a problem clutch or maybe the incubation conditions were slightly wrong. I'm so sorry you've had such a rocky experience. It's really heartbreaking when hatchlings seem so determined to die.

Freezing is viewed as inhumane by the British Vetrinary Association, as a study concluded that the snake remains conscious during the process. If you need to go that way then a vet can help. If you can't afford a vet, then a strong blow to the head which immediately destroys the brain, will cause instant death. I'm afraid it sounds very like your little one is reaching the end of its fight.

Could you maybe explain in a bit more detail what you have tried feeding wise so we can maybe suggest a few other things?

Thanks for both of your replies. Maybe the incubation temps were a bit high. We was using a lucky reptile viv with temps of 26, 28 and 30 degrees. We had it on 30 for the whole time which I guess was too high but after realising we didn't want to lower it in case it caused further issues. Coco - the one who died the other day had a spinal defect (two lumps on his back which grew further apart in time) but all the others "looked" fine but I understand they could have problems which are naked to the eye.

I dont think we could bring ourselves to destroying the snake's brain with a hammer or something - the thought makes me very upset. I too, think she is on her last legs. I shall call a vet and get a quote to have her put down as I feel really mean letting her die on her own.

We have tried feeding half a pinky (exposing brain and guts etc), leaving it for a few hours but no more as worried it would go off very quickly. Inside her hide allowing privacy and inside the tub on its own with nothing else inside. Hot and cold (and warm) also tried feeding tails of pinkys and tails of fluffs (which we feed our adult corn snakes). She doesnt even sniff any of them, its almost like she cant open her mouth. I have never seen her open her mouth -or drink anything. she just runs away from it and shuns it off. I have heard about force feeding but scared we would break her neck. The nearest herp vet is over 20 miles away so not like we can pop down the road with her either.

Sorry - typo there. I meant Lucky Reptile Incubator - not viv

All i can suggest further is tease feeding, i have never had to scent before... Wait a few days will the snake has calmed down then I usually find the smallest pinky (we prekill ours by gassing them) brain it by squishing the head till juices come out of the nose and then hold it in front of the snake, usually a few tongue flicks and i get a strike, if not i move the pinky back and forth from the snake till i get a strike... I have also never had to force feed so cant advise on that... good luck though hope you come right!

You say you have never seen it drink etc I usually look out for a tongue flick... In this case I take it out of its box and walk around to different rooms this would usually entice them to give a flick or two as they "smell" the air.

Thanks Gekosin - I will try giving her a walk around later on, cant say I have ever seen a tongue flick but maybe I wasn't looking for that all this time as its so normal of a snake to do it. She has never struck at anything before. Even when accidentally I dropped the mouse on her back, she just slithered away. We buy our mice from the pet store and the smallest pinkys are even a little too big for our other baby corns so we slice them in half which i would assume gives out enough juices anyway. Everytime we feed her I always sit there for 5 or 10 mins waving it around and I just get nothing. Thanks for your advice - I will try again tonight but unfortunately I think shes come too far to attempt feeding now

Can you PM me, I'm in Kent and I may be able to help.

Originally Posted by diamondlil

Can you PM me, I'm in Kent and I may be able to help.

Have PM'd you, thank you

have you tried putting the snake in a tub with air holes put the snake & pinkie in the tub with a heat mat over the pinkie as one of mine only eats with the pinkie over the heat