Fenderplayer108
MC Reptiles
due to alot of questions on feeding methods and stubborn snakes, I decided to write a guide to feeding problem feeders.
Feel free to tell me any suggestions, and mods if you would like to sticky this feel free. Thanks and I Hope it will be useful.
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Feeding Problems: Corn Snakes and other Hatchling Snakes.
The concern of feeding problems of snakes has seemed to become a lot more immanent. Here are some suggestions to feeding, and alternatively can be less stressful on the snake then force feeding. Don’t panic, small snakes can go a while without eating. It’s all dependent on the nutrients the snake derived from the egg.
Methods to feeding stubborn snakes:
Scenario: Help! My hatchling snake will not eat F/T (Frozen Thawed) I have tried numerous times and he/she still will not eat it. What other methods can I use?
Answer: There are many other methods to getting a stubborn snake to start eating, so do not panic. Here is a list of what we like to try, in this order, (order is based on success rate)
1: If your hatchling snake will not eat an F/T mouse, first make sure your snakes temperatures are at proper levels. Check care sheets to find out the specific temps for your snake. If the temp’s and humidity levels are in proper levels, skip to the next step.
2: You have tried F/T so what are your next options? We like to try a live pinky mouse for any hatchlings first meal. The fresh scent of the mouse will usually get a snake going. Although if the snake does eat, it is suggested you attempt to switch to F/T after a few meals.
3: Tease Feeding: This method will sometimes work as well. Tease feeding is simply dangling an F/T mouse with a pair of tongs, and acting as if the mouse is alive. Most of the time curiosity will get to the snake and it will strike. You can also bump the snake in the middle of its body with the mouse, and if you are lucky the snake will strike at the mouse and hopefully hold on.
4: Braining: This is another method that has worked great along with the others, you can brain a pinky by simply slicing a hole in the head of the F/T pinky to expose some of the brain or juices. The smell will sometimes get the snake feeding.
5: If the live mouse doesn’t work, we will leave the snake in with the pinky overnight, in a dark tub, in a quiet place of the room. Sometimes snakes feel more comfortable eating in privacy, but they will eventually get over that. This step can be applied to any of the rest of the steps.
6: Ivory Soap, the success rate is fair with this. You should buy Un-Scented ivory soap at the local store, and wash the pinky. This will sometimes work because a mother mouse will sometimes urinate on there offspring to keep away the threat of a predator, and the smell can sometimes be a turn off to a snake.
7: Scenting with Anole: Get an anole at the pet-store; they can be cheap to mildly expensive. You can leave a pinky mouse in with an anole for a few hours, or you can just simply rub an anole onto the pinky to transfer the scent. This will sometimes get picky eaters the push they need.
8: Scenting with another Lizard: Same method as above, just without an anole. We have scented pinkies with bearded dragon’s before, and the method works just as good.
9: Chicken Broth: As wild as it may sound, its may be the nudge your snake needs to get a feeding going. Chicken broth is very cheap and might work for you. Make it up and let the pinky sit in the chicken broth for a few minutes.
10: Anole shed: Maybe you have tried all the above or you are jumping to this suggestion. Take an anole shed and wrap it around the head of the pinky. The shed will not harm the snake and the snake may be attracted thinking that it is anole.
11: Pinky Cut Length-wise: Yet another method, you can offer a split pinky; (F/T of course) simply split the pinky in half by its length and offer to the snake. I wouldn’t suggest leaving this overnight, since it may rot.
Force Feeding Section:
If you have tried ALL of those methods to no-avail and the snake’s health is in danger, then the last resort would be force feeding. Keep in mind, that force feeding is VERY stressful on snakes, and if not done properly can cause harm to the animal. Note, if you do not have experience force feeding, or feel uncomfortable, please have someone who has experience do it for you.
1: Tails: You can start your snake on Mice Tails. Simply cut the tail off an F/T Adult mouse. Take the thickest end of the tail and gently slide it into the snakes mouth, gently slide it about 2/3’s of the way down and set the snake down to let it finish. If this is working for you, feed him/her tails every 4 days, and after about 3-4 tails, try the meal methods again.
2: Legs: Another alternative to feeding tails is to cut a thigh and leg off of a hopper mouse. Feed it to the snake the same way as a tail, but go feet first, and do it very gently. Keep this routine for a week or two, and then try other methods.
3: Pinky: Although Highly discouraged, you can force feed a pinky. You should force feed primarily the same way as the rest of the things, but even more gently. Force feeding a pinky could cause harm or injury to the snake. It’s also extremely stressful on the feeder, and the snake.
If you are not a fan of force feeding things like above, they do make a paste you can feed to your snakes. It’s called “Jump-Start” and its great source of getting a snake to stay alive, but it cannot be a full nutrition. You simply inject a little bit of the paste into the snakes mouth with a syringe, and then wash it down with water.
© 2006 Ryan McCullough
Feel free to tell me any suggestions, and mods if you would like to sticky this feel free. Thanks and I Hope it will be useful.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Feeding Problems: Corn Snakes and other Hatchling Snakes.
The concern of feeding problems of snakes has seemed to become a lot more immanent. Here are some suggestions to feeding, and alternatively can be less stressful on the snake then force feeding. Don’t panic, small snakes can go a while without eating. It’s all dependent on the nutrients the snake derived from the egg.
Methods to feeding stubborn snakes:
Scenario: Help! My hatchling snake will not eat F/T (Frozen Thawed) I have tried numerous times and he/she still will not eat it. What other methods can I use?
Answer: There are many other methods to getting a stubborn snake to start eating, so do not panic. Here is a list of what we like to try, in this order, (order is based on success rate)
1: If your hatchling snake will not eat an F/T mouse, first make sure your snakes temperatures are at proper levels. Check care sheets to find out the specific temps for your snake. If the temp’s and humidity levels are in proper levels, skip to the next step.
2: You have tried F/T so what are your next options? We like to try a live pinky mouse for any hatchlings first meal. The fresh scent of the mouse will usually get a snake going. Although if the snake does eat, it is suggested you attempt to switch to F/T after a few meals.
3: Tease Feeding: This method will sometimes work as well. Tease feeding is simply dangling an F/T mouse with a pair of tongs, and acting as if the mouse is alive. Most of the time curiosity will get to the snake and it will strike. You can also bump the snake in the middle of its body with the mouse, and if you are lucky the snake will strike at the mouse and hopefully hold on.
4: Braining: This is another method that has worked great along with the others, you can brain a pinky by simply slicing a hole in the head of the F/T pinky to expose some of the brain or juices. The smell will sometimes get the snake feeding.
5: If the live mouse doesn’t work, we will leave the snake in with the pinky overnight, in a dark tub, in a quiet place of the room. Sometimes snakes feel more comfortable eating in privacy, but they will eventually get over that. This step can be applied to any of the rest of the steps.
6: Ivory Soap, the success rate is fair with this. You should buy Un-Scented ivory soap at the local store, and wash the pinky. This will sometimes work because a mother mouse will sometimes urinate on there offspring to keep away the threat of a predator, and the smell can sometimes be a turn off to a snake.
7: Scenting with Anole: Get an anole at the pet-store; they can be cheap to mildly expensive. You can leave a pinky mouse in with an anole for a few hours, or you can just simply rub an anole onto the pinky to transfer the scent. This will sometimes get picky eaters the push they need.
8: Scenting with another Lizard: Same method as above, just without an anole. We have scented pinkies with bearded dragon’s before, and the method works just as good.
9: Chicken Broth: As wild as it may sound, its may be the nudge your snake needs to get a feeding going. Chicken broth is very cheap and might work for you. Make it up and let the pinky sit in the chicken broth for a few minutes.
10: Anole shed: Maybe you have tried all the above or you are jumping to this suggestion. Take an anole shed and wrap it around the head of the pinky. The shed will not harm the snake and the snake may be attracted thinking that it is anole.
11: Pinky Cut Length-wise: Yet another method, you can offer a split pinky; (F/T of course) simply split the pinky in half by its length and offer to the snake. I wouldn’t suggest leaving this overnight, since it may rot.
Force Feeding Section:
If you have tried ALL of those methods to no-avail and the snake’s health is in danger, then the last resort would be force feeding. Keep in mind, that force feeding is VERY stressful on snakes, and if not done properly can cause harm to the animal. Note, if you do not have experience force feeding, or feel uncomfortable, please have someone who has experience do it for you.
1: Tails: You can start your snake on Mice Tails. Simply cut the tail off an F/T Adult mouse. Take the thickest end of the tail and gently slide it into the snakes mouth, gently slide it about 2/3’s of the way down and set the snake down to let it finish. If this is working for you, feed him/her tails every 4 days, and after about 3-4 tails, try the meal methods again.
2: Legs: Another alternative to feeding tails is to cut a thigh and leg off of a hopper mouse. Feed it to the snake the same way as a tail, but go feet first, and do it very gently. Keep this routine for a week or two, and then try other methods.
3: Pinky: Although Highly discouraged, you can force feed a pinky. You should force feed primarily the same way as the rest of the things, but even more gently. Force feeding a pinky could cause harm or injury to the snake. It’s also extremely stressful on the feeder, and the snake.
If you are not a fan of force feeding things like above, they do make a paste you can feed to your snakes. It’s called “Jump-Start” and its great source of getting a snake to stay alive, but it cannot be a full nutrition. You simply inject a little bit of the paste into the snakes mouth with a syringe, and then wash it down with water.
© 2006 Ryan McCullough
