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First time feeding

C

Cornflake514

New member
...I know this is for feeding problems, but I don't really know where else to post it.

I got my snake last week and I need to feed him for the first time today, I'm waiting for his meal to thaw out, hopefully he won't be a brat, and will eat frozen. lol :)
Anyway's, I read that you should feed then in a separate tank, which I have, but I also hear that you aren't supposed to handle then after they eat. Is there anything special I need to do? Like wait 20 mins till after he's completely gotten it in his mouth, and then gently move him back to his regular tank? Or something like that?
Any other feeding tips will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Oh and another question, when I got him I noticed that it looks like he has some sheading that didn't completly come off, mostly on his upper back... Is this going to be a big problem for his next shed? I'm working on keeping his tank at a good temp and humidity, hopefully this will help.
Thanks :)
 
While they're still working it down to their stomachs, I've noticed, they're more likely to not tongue-flick and explore the container as much. Once it's in their stomach, they usually start trying to get out of the container/tongue-flicking as normal. When they reach that stage, I usually put the container into their tank and open it up. If they don't leave it immediately, just close the container and let them get out on their own time. Turn the heat up until it's around 85-88 on the warm side, this stimulates digestion, and leave them alone for 2-3 days.
 
Well I was thinking to do that too, but the second tank doesn't really fit into his cage... It's not huge, but awkwardly shaped... I'll try and see if i have something different to feed him in.
 
It's okay to handle him minimally to get him from the feeding bin to his viv. Just make sure your pink is nice and HOT and it shouldn't be a problem. You say the container won't fit in your viv, though. It should be fairly small- think margerine-cup sized. This keeps the baby from wandering off and forgetting about the meal.

After he's digested for let's say 72 hours, because you are going to stress him, then you can deal with removing the stuck shed. Search for the thread Bad/Incomplete Shed What To Do and follow the instructions, which are basically put a rough washcloth in a small container, fill with enough room temp water to cover the washcloth, put the snake in and let him slither around for about 20 minutes. Check to see if the retained shed is loose. You can usually roll it off with your fingers. If you see retained shed on the tail tip, forget about feeding and get that ealt with first, because the tail tip can die if circulation is cut off.
 
Wait until they've completely finished swallowing - the lump will be about one-third to a half the way down their body and they'll start moving around more.

At this point, it's perfectly safe to gently lift them out of the feeding container and transfer them immediately back to their normal tank. Then leave them alone until the lump disappears (usually 2-3 days). The "no handling after feeding" guideline refers to periods of extended handling or exercise.

The temp at the warm end of the tank should always be in the mid-high 80s, not just when they're digesting.

You need to try and get that shed remnant off if you can. It could encourage fungal growth or other skin problems and might give a problem with the next shed. Search the forum for "humid hide".

Good luck!
 
Thanks, well I just got done feeding him, he ate it with no problems, which I was a bit worried about. The shed is really only in the middle of his back, not the tail. I've heard about moist hide boxes, so I guess I'll make one. I have a couple of hides for him, but I don't think they would be good for making it moist.

I ended up just feeding him in something smaller, and didn't move it till it was about half way down his body, it was just a guess that I should wait that long. I've never seen one eat before so I was pretty much guessing.
Thanks for the help guys, I'm going to look up some sheading advice on here, and then work on that in a couple of days when he's digested.
 
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