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Baby corn snake not eating?
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Old 07-27-2010, 01:52 AM   #1
BNR34RB26DETT
Unhappy Baby corn snake not eating?

so i have a foot long baby snake. i got her almost 2 weeks ago and ive been trying to feed her pinky F/T mouse since end of week one.
i just tried feeding her again and she was not interested at all.
is this normal?
i know im supposed to feed her once a week but its been two weeks. how often should i try feeding her?
i take her out of the tank and try feeding her in a different tank.
thanks
 
Old 07-28-2010, 01:16 AM   #2
BNR34RB26DETT
TTT..........
 
Old 07-28-2010, 01:34 AM   #3
nwheather
Are you putting her in a small deli cup (like the ones breeders ship the babies in) or just an open tank?
Also, try putting a pillowcase over the delicup, & feed at night, when they're more prone to eat.
You can dip the head of the thawed pinky into *very* hot water, or in chicken broth, or if all else fails, you can "scent" the pinky with lizard scent (from a lizard shed, or tail), I've heard frog scent sometimes works too.
I had a hatchling go almost 2 months of not eating at all, before he decided to eat his first pinky. I have a hatchling now that was the first to start eating, but went on a hunger strike, a couple weeks ago, & I finally had to hold her in one hand, the pinky in the other, & put the pinky in front of her. She turned away twice, but then looked at it, sniffed it & then decided to eat it. She wrapped her tail around my thuumb, so I had to sit there, holding her, until the pinky was out of sight.
They can be stubborn, but even in my young/new experience, they tend to become piggies.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 02:35 AM   #4
Katie612
How often are you trying to feed? Don't try too often. If she doesn't eat, wait at least a few days before you try again.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 05:26 AM   #5
Susan
There are multiple offering to try: brained F/T, scented with tuna, lizard and chicken, live pinky, wash the pinky with non-scented soap, baby anole, tease feeding, trying pinkies from another source/breeder as I've had some that didn't like what I produce myself but like RodentPro, taking hatchling out for a drive in the car - crazy as it sounds, it works, and some I've probably forgotten. Eventually, however, if it refuses to accept any of these after going through the list twice, the hatchling was probably just not meant to survive.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 08:45 AM   #6
tspuckler
Quick ideas:

1) Do not disturb/handle the snake until it is on a regular feeding schedule (has eaten 5 or 6 times)

2) House baby snakes in small containers - like the size of a shoebox or smaller.

3) Do not subject snake to bright lights.

4) Make sure the snake has hide areas.

5) Feed the baby corn in the evening - do not watch it eat. Put the food into the cage and leave it alone until the following morning.

6) Make sure your reptile is being maintained at the proper temperatures - with a temperature gradient.

7) Ask the breeder/store what the snake was eating. Some corns take frozen/thawed, while other like live food.

8) Your snake could be going through a shed cycle, if this is the case, it will be less likely to eat.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 02:00 PM   #7
BNR34RB26DETT
Quote:
Originally Posted by nwheather View Post
Are you putting her in a small deli cup (like the ones breeders ship the babies in) or just an open tank?
Also, try putting a pillowcase over the delicup, & feed at night, when they're more prone to eat.
You can dip the head of the thawed pinky into *very* hot water, or in chicken broth, or if all else fails, you can "scent" the pinky with lizard scent (from a lizard shed, or tail), I've heard frog scent sometimes works too.
I had a hatchling go almost 2 months of not eating at all, before he decided to eat his first pinky. I have a hatchling now that was the first to start eating, but went on a hunger strike, a couple weeks ago, & I finally had to hold her in one hand, the pinky in the other, & put the pinky in front of her. She turned away twice, but then looked at it, sniffed it & then decided to eat it. She wrapped her tail around my thuumb, so I had to sit there, holding her, until the pinky was out of sight.
They can be stubborn, but even in my young/new experience, they tend to become piggies.

hmmm
so i guess 2 weeks is not bad at all.
i usually put her in one of those 5 gallon buckets you can get from LOWES and try feeding pinky mouse in her. but she doesnt seem to be interested. is it better to put her in a smaller casings?


Quote:
Originally Posted by Katie612 View Post
How often are you trying to feed? Don't try too often. If she doesn't eat, wait at least a few days before you try again.
i try about once every two days. yea i will start trying every three to four days from now

Quote:
Originally Posted by Susan View Post
There are multiple offering to try: brained F/T, scented with tuna, lizard and chicken, live pinky, wash the pinky with non-scented soap, baby anole, tease feeding, trying pinkies from another source/breeder as I've had some that didn't like what I produce myself but like RodentPro, taking hatchling out for a drive in the car - crazy as it sounds, it works, and some I've probably forgotten. Eventually, however, if it refuses to accept any of these after going through the list twice, the hatchling was probably just not meant to survive.

lol i had no idea there were so many idfferent things you could feeed a corn snake.


Quote:
Originally Posted by tspuckler View Post
Quick ideas:

1) Do not disturb/handle the snake until it is on a regular feeding schedule (has eaten 5 or 6 times)

2) House baby snakes in small containers - like the size of a shoebox or smaller.

3) Do not subject snake to bright lights.

4) Make sure the snake has hide areas.

5) Feed the baby corn in the evening - do not watch it eat. Put the food into the cage and leave it alone until the following morning.

6) Make sure your reptile is being maintained at the proper temperatures - with a temperature gradient.

7) Ask the breeder/store what the snake was eating. Some corns take frozen/thawed, while other like live food.

8) Your snake could be going through a shed cycle, if this is the case, it will be less likely to eat.

thanks for all your comments. i guess i will leave her alone for a while and feed her every four days and see if she takes the mouse.
is feeding her in a bucked a ok place?
 
Old 07-28-2010, 02:25 PM   #8
tspuckler
Why are you feeding it in a bucket? That's a very bad idea. Snakes to not like open spaces and you're likely terrifying the baby corn. Either feed the snake in its enclosure or feed it in an 8 oz. deli cup.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 03:13 PM   #9
BNR34RB26DETT
Quote:
Originally Posted by tspuckler View Post
Why are you feeding it in a bucket? That's a very bad idea. Snakes to not like open spaces and you're likely terrifying the baby corn. Either feed the snake in its enclosure or feed it in an 8 oz. deli cup.
thanks for the comment. i will do that.
 
Old 07-28-2010, 03:47 PM   #10
cmalchow
This is a problem that I have been having with a few of my hatchlings. They have homes but since I have not been able to get them to eat at all or some have only eaten once I am not letting them go to their new homes just yet.

I am assuming that this is a pet that you bought from a breeder so I am assuming that you have it in at least a 10 gal tank or something similar and in that case I would not recommend feeding in the enclosure if you have bedding in there. It is a possibility that they ingest the bedding and that can cause an impaction in their intestines. However, if you have paper towels in there then you can give it a shot I would not recommend to continue to do it but if it works then do it until the baby is eating good and then you can try to change feeding area.

I do use buckets or tubs to feed my bigger snakes my hatchlings because their is so many I use the little tupperware tubs that lunch meat comes in I think that it is from hillshire (lol) but this way I don't spend any extra money and it is tiny so they really have nothing to look at other than the food.

I have never had any luck with braining. I know most have so give it a try. I always feed all my snakes at night, with the babies they go into a dark quiet room for a few hours and then I check on them, if they still haven't eaten then I leave them over night. If they still haven't eaten then I will give them 4 or 5 days then try again with lizard scent or chicken broth. I just rub a lizard, that has become a pet for this purpose, all over the pinky. I just keep repeating those steps until hopefully they have eaten. I have four hatchling total that have not eaten. Two of them being twins (so they are already tiny) and they are no worse for the wear and we are on week #3.

I would contact the breeder if possible to find out when the last time the baby ate and what it ate. That might help you.

As far as this driving in a car to encourage eating. I want to know more about that. Do you have the pinky in the feeding tub while driving or do you give it to them right after you are done? I think I might want to try that.
 
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