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Miracle Snake from 2008

CrousesCorns

CrousesCorns

New member
Well after reading the stubborn feeder thread and Susan's post I thought I would post about one of my own. Stubborn feeder thread can be viewed here http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98595

Her name is Cleo and she is a 2008 Ghost Motley I purchased at the show in Raleigh from a very reputable breeder. She was beautiful and still is and I was told she had 3 or 4 meals and was good to go. My wife fell in love with her and actually picked her out. Her is her picture http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=102681&d=1238685381 The picture is a little old and she has grown some, but not much.

Well after I got her home and settled in it was feeding time and I couldn't get her to take anything. Well a few feedings went by and she was still not eating. I bought a pinky pump and used it for several feedings since she refused everything. She was growing some, but very slowly. As she grew I still tried various methods to get her to eat, but still it was either pinky pump or force feedings.

I wanted to share this story when this thread came out about small snakes http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98301&highlight=tori but I didn't get around to it.

Well this past Monday 4/19/2010 it was feeding day and I just happened to want to weigh everyone as well. I purchased several snakes at the same time I did Cleo. They are in the 170's to 200's range. Well Cleo the little snake that keeps refusing food weighs 28 grams and keep in mind she is a 2008. I purchased a gold dust het motley in a fall last year and she was a problem feeder too. I caught some Eastern Fence lizards here at work since that are so abundant and I use them to scent with (the gold dust loves lizard scented). So I got to thinking I have never tried lizard scenting with Cleo it might be what she needs.

Well I placed Cleo in her bin as always then I placed one f/t small fuzzy in one corner, then scented another one with the fence lizards and placed it in the other corner. I went on with weighing and feeding leaving her in there for 10 minutes +/- and checked back on her. When I looked in there the scented was gone to my surprise and she had a lump in her belly. She has kept it down all week too. I am kicking myself for not trying lizard scenting earlier.

She is the "Miracle snake from 2008" that wouldn't give up on me and I wouldn't give up on her. I am hoping she will continue to eat and grow up to have a much better life than the first 2 years have been.

The reason I posted this is to show how you can try several methods with no success and you should try every one of the methods before giving up. Thanks for reading!
 
Cool story! Exactly how are you scenting with the lizards? (Or do I want to know...) We have those here- I could find one if I tried. I have brown and green anoles and skinks in my yard- the fence lizards are out in the woods.
 
Wow!! What a great story. I'm really glad to see she is turning the corner for you. Sometimes it really pays not to give up.
 
I euthanize them and keep them like mice in the freezer. Thaw the appropriate size mouse and then wipe it on the frozen lizard.

The are most common here in July-October on the trees, fences, and buildings. I try to catch the small ones in late summer to early fall. That way I have plenty from the winter and spring months. We also have some skinks here, but they are a lot more fragile than the lizards.

DYK: Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus


Description: 4-7.25 in. (10-18.4 cm) The eastern fence lizard is either gray or brown with rough scales and a dark line running along the rear surface of the thigh. Females are usually gray and patterned on their back with a series of dark, wavy lines. Their belly is generally whitish with scattered black flecks; they have small amounts of pale blue on the sides of the belly and throat. Males are usually brown and marked on the underside. During the summer males also have greenish-blue and black coloration on the sides of the belly and on the throat. The young are patterned like the female but are usually darker and duller.

Feeding/Diet: Fence lizards mainly eat spiders and various species of insects.

Habitat/Range: Fence lizards can be found throughout North Carolina except for the Outer Banks. They are most common along forest edges and often inhabit rotting logs or stumps. As its name suggests, this species is also commonly seen on fence railings.
Reproduction: Fence lizards mate in the spring and 3 to 16 eggs are laid in late spring or early summer. The young hatch in summer and fall.

Miscellaneous: When surprised, these lizards will dash for a nearby tree, climb a short distance, and then hide on the opposite side of the trunk from the intruder. Fence lizards are active all year in warm weather and males are territorial.

Thanks for your comments!
 
So a person could, theoretically, rub a pink on a living lizard and be okay? I've heard, referring to toad/anole scenting, that you could put the pink in a deli cup with toads/anoles and the scent would transfer well, too. I myself probably couldn't kill a lizard, but I could keep one prisoner if I had to! I wish I had Mediterranean geckos in my yard. I know they occur locally, but in town, like on campus. Places with bright lights at night. I've also heard people tell of slicing off segments of skin and using that, stuck to the pink. But if I ever have to lizard scent, I'd prefer not to kill anything to do so.
 
Nanci said:
So a person could, theoretically, rub a pink on a living lizard and be okay? I've heard, referring to toad/anole scenting, that you could put the pink in a deli cup with toads/anoles and the scent would transfer well, too. I myself probably couldn't kill a lizard, but I could keep one prisoner if I had to! I wish I had Mediterranean geckos in my yard. I know they occur locally, but in town, like on campus. Places with bright lights at night. I've also heard people tell of slicing off segments of skin and using that, stuck to the pink. But if I ever have to lizard scent, I'd prefer not to kill anything to do so.
Click to expand...

I've brought thawed feeders to a pet store near my old house and scented them on the lizards there. The owner thought it was a hoot. :)
 
I wonder if Australian snakes like bearded dragon-scented pinks. Wouldn't that be handy!!
 
I would think you could scent your pinks with a bearded dragon and your problem corns may eat them... You should try it....lol
 
Im with Nanci! My only problem would be that my bearded dragon recently found out he lives F/T mice. Wonder what kind of lizard I can catch here in Louisiana to try this with my stubborn feeder.
 
I've used live for scenting & it works fine, but it is MUCH easier to hold on to a dead lizard! I got a DOA Anole from the local specialty shop & just keep it in a little plastic tub in the freezer.

Using my beardie didn't work for me.
 
Stormy said:
By the way, what is a pinky pump?
Click to expand...
It is a device used for force feeding and you put pinkies in the tub and it squishes them out through a small tub but they are more stressful then just force feeding a entire pink so they are pretty much useless
 
Scenting

One way is to get lizards that loose there tails when you hold them by there tail,they do grow back.Although it may not be the best thing for the lizard, at least it dont die. Keep in mind that if you have fussy feeder cornsnakes ones that want Lizards or ones that tail rattle alot, may not be the best idea to use them as breeders.Some Morphs such as Sunkisseds which most tend to fear humans more then others can be worked with.If its a case of a tail rattler,I found that putting a small piece of cardboard taped to the outside of the cage so they can hide behind helps.Still keep its cage in a area thats high traffic,but has that wall where it can hide after awhile like 20 or so feedings most will mellow out and learn there is no reason for them to fear you and that cardboard can be removed.When I first started working with Sunkisseds this is something I have tried and it worked.I never put hides in there cages,because then the chances of that animal getting used to you is very slim.
 
I've had excellent success with lizard scenting. It's not the first trick I try, but it has ALWAYS worked. You can do it with live lizards by rubbing your f/t mouse on the lizard. It helps to have the mouse damp when you do that. I use the local (invasive) Mediterranean/house geckos, but it appears that any lizard is a welcome scent.
 
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