I'm just wondering if anyone has tried offering a cricket to their corn? I'd imagine they would sometimes eat these in the wild, but could it be potentially dangerous to give to a corn? I'd imagine the worst that could happen is the snake might ingest some substrate, so in that case I would offer her a cricket in her feeding tank if I were to try it out anyway. I'm sure there isnt much nutritional value in them, but I am having a terrible time trying to get my 2 year old female to eat. She's been off her mice for 3 months now, and I recently offered her a f/t baby rat and left it in her tank overnight, and she still did not eat. I'm getting worried as she's gotten a lot skinnier, and there arent any herp vets in the town that I live or even close to where I live, so I figured if I can get her to eat a cricket or 2 then I wont be so worried that she'll starve to death. Any suggestions?
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crickets ok to give a corn?
- Thread starter Missie
- Start date
thank you so much for the prompt replies. I will definately not give her any crickets, thank god for all you guys out there. I knew I came to the right place for advice.
in regards to her living conditions, i dont believe there is a problem there but here's a little info as follows:
she is housed in a 40 gallon tank which she has been in about 5 months now. Prior to this large tank she was in only a 20 gallon. At first she was a bit intimidated by the larger tank, but she got used to it, and I could tell she enjoyed the extra space. Her tank is lined with papertowel on the bottom, and I use aspen shavings as substrate. Temps are perfect, 75 on cool side, and just about 85 on the warm side. I am also using UTH. I also feed her in her old 20 gallon, which has become her feeding tank. I buy her frozen adult mice from a pet store in Calgary, AB. and she is offered a f/t mouse every 7-10 days. When I ran out of mice last, I decided to buy some frozen mice from the new pet store that opened in town here (i decided to just buy 5 as it was a new place and i wasnt sure if they'd be different than the ones I usually buy or what). When it came time to feed, she refused. She smelled the mouse and backed off. A week later, I left a mouse on some paper towel in her tank overnight, once again she did not eat. All 5 of the mice I bought she did not eat. I thought maybe it was the mice, like maybe the new petstore had thawed/re-freezed the mice too much. who knows. so I went to Calgary (where I originally buy the mice) and bought a whole bunch of adult mice and 2 hoppers. I left a f/t hopper in her tank, thinking she might need a smaller meal after being off food for so long, and she did not eat that either. Since then, Ive offered her another hopper, and I even made a slit in its head to draw more of a scent, but again, she did not eat. She is becoming quite dark in color, and quite skinny. The only time she has gone off food in the past is during the entire shed process. She has never been an eater then, and she is definatley not about to shed either. She is not very active since she's been off food, and is generally hiding under the substrate. When she is active and well, I almost always see her cute little head poking out. PLease any advice will help, I dont want to lose her!
in regards to her living conditions, i dont believe there is a problem there but here's a little info as follows:
she is housed in a 40 gallon tank which she has been in about 5 months now. Prior to this large tank she was in only a 20 gallon. At first she was a bit intimidated by the larger tank, but she got used to it, and I could tell she enjoyed the extra space. Her tank is lined with papertowel on the bottom, and I use aspen shavings as substrate. Temps are perfect, 75 on cool side, and just about 85 on the warm side. I am also using UTH. I also feed her in her old 20 gallon, which has become her feeding tank. I buy her frozen adult mice from a pet store in Calgary, AB. and she is offered a f/t mouse every 7-10 days. When I ran out of mice last, I decided to buy some frozen mice from the new pet store that opened in town here (i decided to just buy 5 as it was a new place and i wasnt sure if they'd be different than the ones I usually buy or what). When it came time to feed, she refused. She smelled the mouse and backed off. A week later, I left a mouse on some paper towel in her tank overnight, once again she did not eat. All 5 of the mice I bought she did not eat. I thought maybe it was the mice, like maybe the new petstore had thawed/re-freezed the mice too much. who knows. so I went to Calgary (where I originally buy the mice) and bought a whole bunch of adult mice and 2 hoppers. I left a f/t hopper in her tank, thinking she might need a smaller meal after being off food for so long, and she did not eat that either. Since then, Ive offered her another hopper, and I even made a slit in its head to draw more of a scent, but again, she did not eat. She is becoming quite dark in color, and quite skinny. The only time she has gone off food in the past is during the entire shed process. She has never been an eater then, and she is definatley not about to shed either. She is not very active since she's been off food, and is generally hiding under the substrate. When she is active and well, I almost always see her cute little head poking out. PLease any advice will help, I dont want to lose her!
CAV
Dazed and Cornfused
How big is the snake?
Sounds like the enclosure change 5 months ago may be at some level related to the reduced feeding response of the last three months. If the animal was stressed by the change, the results may not be immediately manifested.
Also, if the numbers you've listed are indeed accurate, the first suggestion I'd make is to reduce the temperatures. Anything above 82-83 is too warm IMO. High temps can also arrest the feeding response.
Sounds like the enclosure change 5 months ago may be at some level related to the reduced feeding response of the last three months. If the animal was stressed by the change, the results may not be immediately manifested.
Also, if the numbers you've listed are indeed accurate, the first suggestion I'd make is to reduce the temperatures. Anything above 82-83 is too warm IMO. High temps can also arrest the feeding response.
Chris Steele
New member
I didn't think you were supposed to, but noticed a week or so ago that my local petstore is feeding their hatchling corns and kings ONLY krickets...
Out of curiosity, why is it so bad?
Should I suggest that they don't anymore?
Out of curiosity, why is it so bad?
Should I suggest that they don't anymore?
CAV
Dazed and Cornfused
Rather a simplistic explaination but......
When lizards and other insectivores eat crickets they grind them up with bony plates, similar to our teeth. They also have digestive tracts that digest, or at least soften the hard external pieces of the insects.
Snakes on the other hand swallow their prey whole. Those same hard parts may not get fully digested and can cause internal issues as they pass thru the snake's digestive system.
When lizards and other insectivores eat crickets they grind them up with bony plates, similar to our teeth. They also have digestive tracts that digest, or at least soften the hard external pieces of the insects.
Snakes on the other hand swallow their prey whole. Those same hard parts may not get fully digested and can cause internal issues as they pass thru the snake's digestive system.
CAV
Dazed and Cornfused
Anoles are small green lizards. They are native to the southern U.S. I catch them off my balcony, but that is a long way from you. 
If you snake was eating mice before, the anoles aren't the answer. You need to find out what variable changed and caused your snake to stop eating.
If you snake was eating mice before, the anoles aren't the answer. You need to find out what variable changed and caused your snake to stop eating.
Attachments
its hard to say how much weight she has lost as Ive never had her weighed to begin with. Although you can tell she has lost some of the roundness to her. I'm still changing her water daily, hoping she is at least drinking water. I believe she is as she does not seem dehydrated. Ive read a post on here that to tell if your snake is dehydrated, to lightly pinch the skin, and if it somewhat sticks together the snake may be dehydrated.
should i try force feeding? or just continue offering a mouse every week?about a month after she would not eat, we got a kitten. could this in any way be intimidating her? the kitten has yet to see the snake, but is it possible my snake is aware of the kitten's being there? could this in any way be affecting her? I'm hoping not as she was not eating before we got the cat, but thought i'd mention it. what do you suggest i do CAV?
should i try force feeding? or just continue offering a mouse every week?about a month after she would not eat, we got a kitten. could this in any way be intimidating her? the kitten has yet to see the snake, but is it possible my snake is aware of the kitten's being there? could this in any way be affecting her? I'm hoping not as she was not eating before we got the cat, but thought i'd mention it. what do you suggest i do CAV?
CAV
Dazed and Cornfused
Force feeding is an unpleasant experience for both of you. I wouldn't recommend except as a last resort. Since the snake wasn't eating before the arrival of the cat, I say that probably isn't the cause.
Was the 40 gallon a new tank or had it previously been used to house something else? Did you change food suppliers or water sources? Was the snake on paper substrate before? Did the temps change?
It still keep coming back the environmental piece IMO.
Was the 40 gallon a new tank or had it previously been used to house something else? Did you change food suppliers or water sources? Was the snake on paper substrate before? Did the temps change?
It still keep coming back the environmental piece IMO.
unfortunatley everything was kept the same after we changed her tank. same water, same substrate. the only thing that changed is i added more hides and a few silk plants. she seemed to really enjoy the larger tank. she was always cruising around and seemed to love the extra space. hopefully she will eat soon, I will continue to offer her a mouse every 7-10 days and will report anything new as it comes along. thanks for your advice so far cav, i really appreciate it
just hours after i posted my last post, i got nova to eat!!!!!!!! pannicked... i went to the local petstore in search of finding some anoles i could buy to offer her. they did not have any so i purchased 2 baby live mice. i didnt want to offer her a live adult because of the sharp lil claws on them, so i put nova in her feeding tank with the mice, and she constricted them one at a time, and ate them both! i am so relieved and can now rest as she at least has some nutrients in her. now i just have to hope that she will eat f/t again in the future as ive heard once you feed live, its hard getting the corn back on frozen.
thanks again to all for your support and advice!
thanks again to all for your support and advice!
TandJ
Ole' Stoic Viper...
I should not bother to reply, but I was thinking the feeding response would be greatly enhanced with live.. Most stubborn feeders will take live. I am not sure what the cost of Anoles are in Canada, but I will bet they are quite a bit more expensive than what we can get them for here in the US of A.. I thought I seen common Green Iquana's for $50 CDN which I find in California for $12.99 to $15.99.. Ouch
Regards...
Regards...
ya theres no way i can afford to give Nova an anole every 10 days lol. i did check out anpther petstore which... you are correct.. they were selling them individually for $49.99 - ouch! everything seems to be more expensive in canada. i really hope i can get her back on f/t mice, the live ones i bought were babies, as i heard the adults can often fight back and harm your snake. if it comes to it that i need to buy live adults, should i kill them prior to feeding?
Joejr14
Grand Bubble Burster
Missie said:
There is simply no way that one anole would even quench a hunger pang in any adult snake.
As far as the mice, I'm not so sure about it being an issue to go from live to f/t and back again. I haven't had any problems with mine.
If she does refuse to eat frozen thawed, you can either prekill those mice, or get live rat pups (which are essentially the same as adult mice).
Btw, I'd be more concerned with the teeth than the claws.
TBurkeIII
TBurkeIII
a good method i use with my larger animals that eat collosal rats is i stun the rat...not exactly the most humane and friendly method in some peoples opinion but it saves my snakes from getting chewed on while constricting them.
i also use this method when i dont have frozen stuff. (i have more trouble getting f/z when i need um. LOL
i just knock the rat out a little bit. use your imagination on how to do it. that way i know the snake isn't going to get hurt during the feeding process.
Good Luck!
i also use this method when i dont have frozen stuff. (i have more trouble getting f/z when i need um. LOL
i just knock the rat out a little bit. use your imagination on how to do it. that way i know the snake isn't going to get hurt during the feeding process.
Good Luck!