hey there i had two snakes and one wouldn't feed. my friend insisted on taking one because i was going to give one away because of living conditions at the moment. so before i gave him away i tried the aging that i attached a piece of hair on to the tail and twitch it a little then that didn't work and then i put slits in it, that didn't, then.. then i washed work so my friend picked it up before i could feed him . so what other simple method can i use other than scenting?
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archangel wont eat
- Thread starter idontknow
- Start date
Tula_Montage
It's Jager time!
- Double check that your temperature and humidity cycles are correct and your snake has a few places to hide in the cage.
- What season is it outdoors? It's pretty common for adult males (and sometimes females) to go off feed during the winter months, as that is also the breeding season.
- If your snake is shying away from the food item, chances are it's stressed about something.
- Are you handling/disturbing the snake? If so how often? Try leaving the snake alone for a week or so and then offer food.
- Is there another snake in the tank? Some snakes find co-habitation EXTREMELY stressful.
- Is the cage in a room that gets a lot of foot traffic and noise? Try moving it to a more quite room.
- Is it within a few days of, or during a shed cycle? Some snakes won't eat during this period.
- Are you offering live? Try offering dead, or if you are offering dead, try offering live.
- How large of a meal are you offering? Even though they might be able to swallow a large meal, some snakes prefer smaller ones.
- Are you offering different types of rodents?..Mice? Rats? Gerbils?
- What color of rodents are you offering? Some snakes don't recognize white lab mice and rats as food items. Try and get some with some color on them.
- What is the temperature of the dead rodent? Sometimes a fresh kill is the right temperature, and a thawed rodent isn't.
- When you offer food, how are you doing it? Are you disturbing the snake first? a lot of times, if you use tongs and dangle a rodent in front of the snake or, just in front of the hole in the hide box, they will take it.
- What time of day are you offering food? Remember that most snakes are nocturnal and may not want to eat if it's light out.
- Are the lights on in the room when you offer food? Some snake like it dark when they eat.
- How far away from the snake is the rodent? Somewhere around 2-6 inches from the snakes face is about right.
- Try putting the snake in a brown (opaque) paper bag over night with a DEAD rodent. Make sure you put the bag back into the tank! Sometimes they get out of the bag.
- Talk to a local petshop and see if they will provide you with some soiled rodent bedding. Or use your own to scent prey items.
- Try scenting a dead rat or mouse by rubbing it against a dead gerbil or vice versa.
- It isn't very pleasant, but try splitting or cutting the dead rodent's skull so that some brain matter and blood come out...
- Try scenting live food items... ie pinks covered in rat scent.
- Chopping up prey items sometimes encourages the snake to "take a bite"... Nothing more pungent than blood and guts!
- What season is it outdoors? It's pretty common for adult males (and sometimes females) to go off feed during the winter months, as that is also the breeding season.
- If your snake is shying away from the food item, chances are it's stressed about something.
- Are you handling/disturbing the snake? If so how often? Try leaving the snake alone for a week or so and then offer food.
- Is there another snake in the tank? Some snakes find co-habitation EXTREMELY stressful.
- Is the cage in a room that gets a lot of foot traffic and noise? Try moving it to a more quite room.
- Is it within a few days of, or during a shed cycle? Some snakes won't eat during this period.
- Are you offering live? Try offering dead, or if you are offering dead, try offering live.
- How large of a meal are you offering? Even though they might be able to swallow a large meal, some snakes prefer smaller ones.
- Are you offering different types of rodents?..Mice? Rats? Gerbils?
- What color of rodents are you offering? Some snakes don't recognize white lab mice and rats as food items. Try and get some with some color on them.
- What is the temperature of the dead rodent? Sometimes a fresh kill is the right temperature, and a thawed rodent isn't.
- When you offer food, how are you doing it? Are you disturbing the snake first? a lot of times, if you use tongs and dangle a rodent in front of the snake or, just in front of the hole in the hide box, they will take it.
- What time of day are you offering food? Remember that most snakes are nocturnal and may not want to eat if it's light out.
- Are the lights on in the room when you offer food? Some snake like it dark when they eat.
- How far away from the snake is the rodent? Somewhere around 2-6 inches from the snakes face is about right.
- Try putting the snake in a brown (opaque) paper bag over night with a DEAD rodent. Make sure you put the bag back into the tank! Sometimes they get out of the bag.
- Talk to a local petshop and see if they will provide you with some soiled rodent bedding. Or use your own to scent prey items.
- Try scenting a dead rat or mouse by rubbing it against a dead gerbil or vice versa.
- It isn't very pleasant, but try splitting or cutting the dead rodent's skull so that some brain matter and blood come out...
- Try scenting live food items... ie pinks covered in rat scent.
- Chopping up prey items sometimes encourages the snake to "take a bite"... Nothing more pungent than blood and guts!
Roy Munson
New member
Why bother? We already have a "Health Issues/Feeding Problems FAQ" that is almost completely ignored. If the original poster of this thread had read it, there'd be no need for this thread.Cuddles said:
Roy Munson
New member
I dunno. I had kept corns for over 20 years before I found this forum. I had the basics down, and then some. I wouldn't have appreciated being limited to the FAQs until I made a special request to post in the main forums. There's nothing we can do on this site that will prevent people from being lazy and force them to do a little research on their own. :shrugs:Cuddles said:
ok i tried everything his brother eats too well but he wont. i tried leaving the mouse in the contain 2 times, i cut it the second time, i tried on a hotter day when temps were a 85 F and humidity was higher 60-70%(cant recall exact), placed it right in front of the hide, place it in my hand,i used the smallest pinkies i could find, i got some gecko shedding and mice hair to day scented two different pinkies with 2 different scents, teased it prior to the scenting he just wont eat i don't know what to do.... help what else can i do? if i t comes down to force feeding him how do i get the jaws open? im going to give 1 more week the try force feeding. he hasn't eaten since he was born. he's about 1 month and a week to a half.
antsterr
Always mostly awesome
To force feed:
Take a dead pinky, let it sit for a few horse and rigger mortis will make it stiffen up, this helps. Cut off it's front legs. Make sure it's a little wet and slippery.
Take the snake in one hand holding just behind it's head and open up it's mouth with a tooth pick or your finger nail. Now the tricky part, keep it's mouth open and put the pinky in (you'll be wishing you had 3 hands for this). Or you can stick something in it's mouth to keep it open, I use a BBQ skewer to open it's mouth and then put it side ways like a horses bit so they can't close their mouth. Once the pinky is in see if he'll start taking it or if he tries to spit it out, if he spits go on to step 2. If he holds still or takes it, set him down, cover him up and see if he'll go all the way.
Next, stuff the pinky in gently as far in as you can. Then using your thumb in the hand holding it's head push his bottom jaw over the mouse, keep working the mouse in by pushing (this is why you cut it's front legs off, they get in the way otherwise) and working it's jaw with your tumb. Once it's most of the way in, stop. Hold still and see if the snake starts taking it in. If he doesn't spit it out set him down. Give it a few minutes, if he tries to spit it out pick him back up and push it the rest of the way in and down his throat, about 1/4 of the ways with something like a skewer.
That's my tried method of forced feeding. Do this twice a week and hope the snake clues in and starts eating on it's own Also, Anoles seem to be the magic scent when it comes to baby corns. Gecko skin is a good try but you might still try Anole skin or saliva as well.
Take a dead pinky, let it sit for a few horse and rigger mortis will make it stiffen up, this helps. Cut off it's front legs. Make sure it's a little wet and slippery.
Take the snake in one hand holding just behind it's head and open up it's mouth with a tooth pick or your finger nail. Now the tricky part, keep it's mouth open and put the pinky in (you'll be wishing you had 3 hands for this). Or you can stick something in it's mouth to keep it open, I use a BBQ skewer to open it's mouth and then put it side ways like a horses bit so they can't close their mouth. Once the pinky is in see if he'll start taking it or if he tries to spit it out, if he spits go on to step 2. If he holds still or takes it, set him down, cover him up and see if he'll go all the way.
Next, stuff the pinky in gently as far in as you can. Then using your thumb in the hand holding it's head push his bottom jaw over the mouse, keep working the mouse in by pushing (this is why you cut it's front legs off, they get in the way otherwise) and working it's jaw with your tumb. Once it's most of the way in, stop. Hold still and see if the snake starts taking it in. If he doesn't spit it out set him down. Give it a few minutes, if he tries to spit it out pick him back up and push it the rest of the way in and down his throat, about 1/4 of the ways with something like a skewer.
That's my tried method of forced feeding. Do this twice a week and hope the snake clues in and starts eating on it's own Also, Anoles seem to be the magic scent when it comes to baby corns. Gecko skin is a good try but you might still try Anole skin or saliva as well.
susang
New member
I'm not sure I understand everything you've said: but the temp of the viv should not be the temp of the day read the "Health Issues/Feeding Problems FAQ" as Dean said. The conditions in the viv are not a guessing game, if you feel you can't read up on proper care of this little treasure in you charge, give it to someone who will take time to read up and care and provide proper conditons. I'm not sure why you think hair will help :shrugs: . Don't co-hab your snakes. Don't feed in viv unless the snake is on paper. Bad feeders actually do better eating in a small space like a deli cup (make sure it has air holes). Try a live pinky mouse.idontknow said:
I will re-state this if you don't have the time to provide proper conditons and care and read and do research on care and feeding, give this snake to someone who will. This forum is very educational, yes it can be difficult to find some answers on your own, but really things you are asking are all hear for you, without starting a thread to find the answer
susan
ixcounterfeitxi
No, YOU'RE a towel!!
Archangel is a stupid name.
Goth kids.
"Heres my two snakes, 'Eternal Spawn of Darkness' and 'Archangel: Destroyer of Worlds!!!"
(This is a joke, chill.)
Goth kids.
"Heres my two snakes, 'Eternal Spawn of Darkness' and 'Archangel: Destroyer of Worlds!!!"
(This is a joke, chill.)
susang said:I'm not sure I understand everything you've said: but the temp of the viv should not be the temp of the day read the "Health Issues/Feeding Problems FAQ" as Dean said. The conditions in the viv are not a guessing game, if you feel you can't read up on proper care of this little treasure in you charge, give it to someone who will take time to read up and care and provide proper conditons. I'm not sure why you think hair will help :shrugs: . Don't co-hab your snakes. Don't feed in viv unless the snake is on paper. Bad feeders actually do better eating in a small space like a deli cup (make sure it has air holes). Try a live pinky mouse.
I will re-state this if you don't have the time to provide proper conditions and care and read and do research on care and feeding, give this snake to someone who will. This forum is very educational, yes it can be difficult to find some answers on your own, but really things you are asking are all hear for you, without starting a thread to find the answer
the week was hot so it was either 80-85F i can read the temp perfectly...ok? its not cohabiting i tried the deli cup thing for a day...! i keep it were its dark and warm, "air holes", im really not that dumb its not the first time i had a snake.... i know many of you had a snake that wouldn't eat no matter what. he's about 1 month and a week or 2. about 8-10 inches.
susang
New member
:shrugs: I guess I don't understand why you would need to scent a mouse with mouse? I don't think you are dumb just as some pointed out not willing to do your own research? OK so the temp outside was 80-85 what was the temp in the viv? Maybe I missed it but what about water? When most people ask for help they are pretty specific about what they have done, food wise, temp wise... You say you can read temp but where on your front porch or in the viv?idontknow said:
diamondlil
Mice! They taste so nice!
I know this sounds really odd, but some snakes are put off by too strong a smell of mouse! My former non-feeder would always just poop on mice and coil up away from them until I washed them with unscented liquid soap, I found washed live pinks were the perfect thing for her until she grew out of it :shrugs: