whats the best way to encourage a reluctant corn snake hatchling to eat?

Question

I have 2 hatchlings from my 1st clutch of the year that still refuse to eat. Its been 38 days since they hatched and ive tried braining the pinkies, leaving them in a small container with the pinkie for hours. still no luck. I'm useing thawed frozen pinkies, i am going to try live pinkies hoping they are more appetizing. ANY IDEAS??? HELP PLEASE

Answer 1

I have tried several tricks that usually work.
Try a live newborn pinky & place it in a small deli cup with some paper towel. Leave the snake in the deli cup overnight with the pinky.
If that didn't work, try again after braining the pinkie.
If that didn't work, wait a few days. Try again with a fresh live pinky. Rub a Sceloperus lizard on the pinky to get the lizard scent on it. Leave the snake in the deli cup overnight with the scented pinky.
If that didn't work, brain the pinky & scent with the lizard.
It that doesn't work, cool down the snake to about 50F if possible. Make sure it has plenty of water to drink. After the month cool down, start over with a live pinky in a deli cup.
These steps usualy work for me. Unfortunately sometimes nothing seems to work.
Good luck!

EDIT: always wait till the next morning before checking to see if the snake has eaten. You may be stressing the baby snake out by checking on it too often!

Answer 2

What I suggest is keeping the lights in the room turned off. Then, while you can just see, put in the pinkie, and leave!!!! Don't come back for at least an hour, and when you do, don't turn the lights on, use a flashlight to check. Corn snakes are crepuscular (night hunters) and will be more active at night. Throughout the entire process you should never turn the lights on. I had to try this with one of my corn snakes. About mid-day before you try, take the hatchlings and just barely put their head in fresh water. I had a snake that wouldn't eat because he couldn't find the water, and they don't eat unless they are well hydrated. If they start drinking, let them finish, then put them back in the container, leave the room, and turn off the lights and leave them off until the next day at least. Turning the lights off at mid-day will remind you to try feeding them at night without the lights on. I also suggest not handling the pinkies, but instead using needle nose pliers or tongs to put them in, ensuring they lose little smell from you touching them. If you have tried every possible method, you may just have to accept the fact that mother nature didn't have it in the cards for them to live. Good luck.

Answer 3

I looked at your Q b/c I have a corn snake too; however, no babies.

I was going to suggest live pinkies. If that doesn't work and you don't find an answer here, call your local Reptile store (pet store that has lots of reptiles - NOT PETCO or PETSMART though) and ask them. They should be able to help you.

Good luck - I hope the live pinkies work!

btw.... what the heck is "braining" the pinkies.... uh, forget it, i don't think I really want to know.

Answer 4

One thing you might try is rubbing the pinkies with a small lizard to give them a lizard scent. Many newborns feed almost exclusively on small lizards . If you don't have access to a lizard, you can use a product called Lizard Maker by T-Rex (available in good exotics pet shops). This is a liquid that you place a drop of on the pinkie's head & the scent may induce your stubborn baby to eat. It's worked for me several times in the past. Good luck.

Answer 5

Sigh, neonates can be hard feeders sometimes.

Force feeding is not a fun task, but may need to be done.

For some species raising the temperature a few more degrees may help entice them to eat.

Live pinky's sometimes works, but in other cases may scare the neonates when they move which may stop them from eating also.

If the local breeders or pet shops don't have any ideas, talking to a vet may be a better plan.

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

I do not encourage anyone to force feed a snake unless you know what you are doing if this is done wrong you can kill your snake. Elaphe guttata are a very docile snake so if anything is there to stress them they will not eat. i would recommend trying the bag method. this has been very sucessful in the years of my breeding. Simply put the snake in a bag with the dead (never alive) pinkie and then put it in a dark place. After 24 hours see if he has ate it. If not then you probly going to have to do the force feed thing. And please if you go to a pet shop make sure they are familiar with this practice because if they are not then you may wind up with a dead snake.

Answer 7

it incredibly is an ok approach of feeding (2 products on the comparable time). whilst i ought to feed a snake that takes small rats, yet of of rats, i visit feed 2 grownup mice concurrently. additionally no remember if it relatively is only too plenty for the snake, the snake won't eat the two, different than with TX rat snakes, i've got seen them eat until eventually they regurgitate. the capability feeding approach recommended via some is composed of feeding a greater feed each few days, a coarse assessment could be capability lifting, great quantities, low volume, short relax, this might get the snake becoming speedy. all of it comes all the way down to private determination. My snakes that are too small for rats, I feed 2 mice. If i ought to circulate away my snakes on my own for a on a similar time as, i ought to feed them two times their customary volume, in the event that they're going to take it. you will only ought to test and circulate with works real for you.

Answer 8

i use f/t rodents with all my snakes and with all my reluctant eaters we thaw out the meal then rub a little garlic on it then using tongs or hemostats wiggle it around the snakes head then leave it in there for a half hour or so my corns when they were young did not like us watching them

Answer 9

you might need to have them force fed.. dont do it yourself.. take them to your local reptile shop and talk to the guys there.. they should be able to help you out.