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Skye

Skye

New member
Hi Guys,

long time no write - sorry - I haven't deserted you all.

Anyway, this isn't strictly a corn question but I still need help. I have just obtained a group of colubrids that have only eaten live in the past. I have no possibility of offering them live. How can I get them to eat f/t with the least trouble and stress to them or me?

Thanks in advance,
 
Offer up f/t and see who takes it and who doesn't. I've personally only come across a very few colubrids that won't take f/t especially as adults/subadults. If there are any that refuse, try prekilling live and offering with a tongs and move them around. Make sure the f/t meals are a bit warmer as well.

Those are just some ideas off the top of my head.

D80
 
I remember someone here suggesting offering a live one, then as it is finishing up sticking a f/t one by it to eat next so it gets used to the already dead ones. Don't know if that would be at all practical for you, but whatever you try good luck!
 
Thanks for the replies so far. Out of 7 snakes, 6 refused f/t. My plan is now this: in a week offer warmed f/t. The week after offer freshly killed. I am not able to offer live and so I can't try the trick mentioned above unfortunately. Any other ideas welcome, and I'll keep you posted. The ages range from hatchling to sub-adult.
 
I agree with D80.

I have a few corns that were only fed live when I got them. I did not offer any food for 2 weeks, then offered a f/t mouse (of appropriate size) in a feeding tub over night. One ate before I even put the tub back on the shelf (well, started to eat). Two others had eaten during the night. But the last one refused to have anything to do with it.

The one that refused was left another week before I defrosted a mouse, got it pretty warm, but not hot. (mice stink BAD when cooked :rolleyes: :puke01: ). I placed her in a tub and "wiggled" the mouse on long forceps. (kitchen tongs will work too). She was not overly interested until I tapped her body with the mouse which she smacked. Since then she has not refused f/t (I am probably just lucky). When "tease feeding" like this do NOT tap the snake on the head as this will often make them shy away and you have wasted your time and mouse, plus adding to the snakes stress.

I probably made this sound allot harder than it is, all I can suggest is give it a go, it worked for me. Good luck. :wavey:
 
I just remembered another trick, place the f/t mouse in a plastic bag of used mouse bedding from a pet store. Sometimes the added mousy aroma will trigger the feeding responce.

If you still have trouble let me know, I enjoy the challenge.
 
Skye said:
Thanks for the replies so far. Out of 7 snakes, 6 refused f/t. My plan is now this: in a week offer warmed f/t. The week after offer freshly killed. I am not able to offer live and so I can't try the trick mentioned above unfortunately. Any other ideas welcome, and I'll keep you posted. The ages range from hatchling to sub-adult.
Click to expand...

Thats sounds like a good plan to me. One of the WC i have refuses to eat F/T unless its warmed. When i thaw them out. I extra heat hers under hot tap water. Then i drop it in the feeding container with her. It will even get a strike and coil response out of her.
 
I go from f/t, to dangling f/t, then warming f/t, then warm and dangling f/t. So far I haven't had any problems (except with stubborn hatchlings) and even the ball python we got (which are notoriously picky) that was eating live mice readily switched to f/t rats for me. Good luck and keep us posted!

~Katie
 
That rescued Burmese I had, had only eaten live. She ate the f/t rat after I dangled it and wiggled it in front of her. You have to make certain that the mouse is really warm. Live prey is 100-101 degrees body temp, so if you're only thawing to luke warm, it might not entice them. I know the chondros tend to strike at food where you've warmed the nose with a light bulb. I also would make sure that I heated them in a plastic bag so that the fur is not wet. That was the only thing that bothered the Burmese I think, was the wet fur.
 
MegF. said:
That rescued Burmese I had, had only eaten live. She ate the f/t rat after I dangled it and wiggled it in front of her. You have to make certain that the mouse is really warm. Live prey is 100-101 degrees body temp, so if you're only thawing to luke warm, it might not entice them. I know the chondros tend to strike at food where you've warmed the nose with a light bulb. I also would make sure that I heated them in a plastic bag so that the fur is not wet. That was the only thing that bothered the Burmese I think, was the wet fur.
Click to expand...

that would make sense
 
I'm not saying that won't work with corns, but pythons have heat sensory pits. That is why this works well with them.

Q
 
That is true Quigs, but I still find that my corns take a very warm mouse with much more gusto than one that has cooled a bit.
 
just a quick update for anyone interested

all 7 have now eaten pre-warmed, wiggled frozen/thawed with no regurgs.

I love it when a plan works. Thanks everybody,
 
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