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Baby snake help

L

lilbug82

New member
my son bought himself a corn snake about a month ago. It has not eaten since we have got it. When I try to feed it, it turns away and goes to the other side of the container. I am looking for advice on this, I have talked to people here that have snakes and have been told a baby can go up to 3 months with out eating.
Also any advice on getting it to eat. It seems healthy and is very active. I am trying frozen pinkys.
 

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Just to be clear how are you defrosting them? Are you braining them? Washing them? Feeding in a deli cup?
 
I put the mouse in a ziplock bag and put the bag in hot tap water, I tried braining one and the snake took off even faster when it smelled the head, I was told I didnt need to wash them and I feed it in a feeding container I got at the pet store.
 
Have you tried leaving the food item in overnight? If not, try this it usually works well for us with picky eaters.
 
Try this. Thaw the mouse. Wash it in dish soap. Brain it. Put it and snake in the smallest container you can and leave them alone for some quiet time in the dark. Just to be clear do not 'offer' the pink to the snake. You want to unsettle him as little as possible. Just slip him in with it. Make sure you are not trying too often. Also I would stop all uneccassary handling between attempts. Let him rest and calm. If his cage/tank/tub is large downsize or offer more hides (toilet paper rolls work).
 
If a defrosted pinkie dries out in a couple of hours, then the chances are the temperature is a bit too high. You can normally leave them in with the Corn overnight and they'll still be whole.

If you can take the temperature on the floor of the tank on the warm side with a digital thermometer, it should be around 85 degrees. That'll feel lukewarm to you. Not very hot at all. If the temps are too high or too low, it can interfere with their digestion and put them off eating. Sometimes getting the temp right can be a quick fix for a non-feeder.
 
doesn't washing it change the smell of the mouse? I only try feeding it every monday, that was the schedule at the pet store. Usually when i give it water or clean the cage it just comes to me and gets on my hand. Its a very friendly snake.
 
bitsy said:
If a defrosted pinkie dries out in a couple of hours, then the chances are the temperature is a bit too high. You can normally leave them in with the Corn overnight and they'll still be whole.

If you can take the temperature on the floor of the tank on the warm side with a digital thermometer, it should be around 85 degrees. That'll feel lukewarm to you. Not very hot at all. If the temps are too high or too low, it can interfere with their digestion and put them off eating. Sometimes getting the temp right can be a quick fix for a non-feeder.
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Summer where I live is usually 31C (87F) on average, it gets hotter so keeping the cage cooler then that is a little hard. Could that be why the snake isn't wanting to eat?
 
Yep, thats the ideal. Seems wierd that it comes to your hand and you mentioned its very active.
 
Ryan_J said:
Yep, thats the ideal. Seems wierd that it comes to your hand and you mentioned its very active.
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yeah it comes to me and gets on my hand, its active in the evening moves around a bit during the day usually goes in its water i think to cool down
 
Try to thaw it out in just hot water. Not with the plastic bag around it. Don't dry it off either, just put the hot pinky in a small container and plop the snake in there too, leave them alone in the dark over night.
 
Man I wouldnt want to eat in 87 degrees either jk. Do you have anywhere you can put him that can shave the temp a few degrees? Closet/ Basement (if its warm enough).
 
Summer where I live is usually 31C (87F) on average, it gets hotter so keeping the cage cooler then that is a little hard. Could that be why the snake isn't wanting to eat?
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It certainly takes away the ability to thermoregulate, which is important for a cold-blooded animal. 87 is getting towards their safe maximum of 90 and ideally, one side of the tank needs to be in the low to mid-70s.

It could well be why he isn't eating.
 
Im not sure what to do about that then, it is hot and dry here. I have a chameleon to and I have to shower her once a day at least to keep her humidity up.
 
Can you rig up a fan and point it at one end of the tank? Maybe create a makeshift cooler by half filling an empty plastic bottle with water and standing it the freezer without the lid. When frozen, you can put the lid on, wrap it in an old towel and put it at the cool end of the tank.
 
I was dethawin him in just hot water with no bag but I was told that it can take away the smell of the mouse. No one feels like eating in this heat. No where in my house is cooler, it goes down about 10 degrees at night but I have tried feeding it in the middle of the night and it still takes off when it smells the mouse.
 
I never want to feed my snake a live mouse, but if he dosent eat soon, well i guess thats the only thing you could do :(
 
Try putting the pinky in with the snake just before you go to bed and leave them together overnight. Even if it dries out after a while, the absolute quiet and dark might help the snake feel safer. They'd be vulnerable to predators while eating in the wild, so feeling like the "big pink blobby monster" (<-you!) is watching, could be putting him off.

I think you're a way from trying live yet.

If it's the temperature that's putting the snake off eating, then live won't make a difference.
 
I was told live pinkies wouldnt really make a difference anyways cause they don't move. Also no where in my town sells live pinkies.
I will try feeding over night and see how that goes.
 
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