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nervous eater?

E

elliotulysses

New member
The corn I have is very good; very tame, pleasant, and over-all wonderful. However, I have not gotten him to eat yet
The petstore told me exactly what they were feeding him and on what day, so I gave that a shot only to result in one wasted fuzzy mouse. I decided to try a pinky, but the store only had live ones. They were relatively cheap and I decided I'd keep an eye on him, even though I have heard that pinkies don't bite. He still is showing the same reaction as he did to the other mouse I tried(he tries to run away, or sits verrryy far from it).
Could it be that he isn't *quite* used to his new home and not very hungry? The temperature gradient is fine, I give him fresh water, and do everything I can husbandry wise. Is there anything I can do? :confused:
I do feed him in a separate container, but it is a *very* basic container. It absolutely empty. I did read that heat can play a role in feeding-response, but should I heat the feeding enclosure? It is just a little plastic tub, so I probably could do one of the mini UTHs
 
Yes, heat can be VERY important. What is your thermostat set at on the warm side? The temp should be taken from inside the tank with a probe thermometer or infrared temp gun, under the substrate on the top of the glass in the middle of the UTH. The UTH should cover 1/3 of one end underneath the viv.

Also, how long have you had him? Corns usually take about a week after coming home to settle in, relax and get to know his surroundings before you handle him or try to feed. Heating the feeding enclosure isn't necessary since he is only in it for a few minutes, but he will most likely retreat to the hide on the warm side for a few days for digestion.
 
I second the "how long have you had him?" question. I would suggest feeding in a very small container, one that he can't escape from the pinky like a deli cup. Place him in the cup with a hot pinky. (you can dip the pinky in boiling hot water just for a second or two before placing it in the container. Place the cup somewhere dark or cover with a towel and no peeking for half an hour at least. All of this is with a frozen thawed pinky
 
smigon said:
Yes, heat can be VERY important. What is your thermostat set at on the warm side? The temp should be taken from inside the tank with a probe thermometer or infrared temp gun, under the substrate on the top of the glass in the middle of the UTH. The UTH should cover 1/3 of one end underneath the viv.

Also, how long have you had him? Corns usually take about a week after coming home to settle in, relax and get to know his surroundings before you handle him or try to feed. Heating the feeding enclosure isn't necessary since he is only in it for a few minutes, but he will most likely retreat to the hide on the warm side for a few days for digestion.
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The warm side is set at 85, while the cool is room temp(ranging from 72 to a bit higher). I have had him for nearly two weeks so he is sort of new. Perhaps give him a bit longer?
 
I don't think you tried to feed him too quickly. Are there others around when you feed your snake?
 
The Cat said:
I don't think you tried to feed him too quickly. Are there others around when you feed your snake?
Click to expand...

The first time I tried the cats interrupted. Since then I take to moving them to another room so they don't disturb anything. Other than being picky, he's really great and has no signs of any kind of illness. Could perhaps his location be a part of this? He's on a rack with some tarantulas and scorpions. Could they be throwing off his scent or making him nervous?
 
Definitely feed him somewhere there are no interruptions. I feed in the viv, put the hot mouse on a deli lid and put it in the viv. While I am doing this I have the snake wrapped all over my head, neck and arms, I spot clean and clean the waterbowls, check each snake over and weigh them. I keep thorough records of my kids to, so that helps know when they are blue, in shed, if they don't eat, etc.

Good luck!
 
I would start him in his enclosure. Once he's feeding reliably, try feeding him in a separate bin. I have 3 or 4 corns that would die of starvation if I didn't feed in their vivs. High strung ones are not going to fill their mouths, and thus nullify their only defense if they are uncomfortable.
 
Good news! He ate!
I fed him before I saw these responses, but he did really well in a darker, smaller feeding box. I decided to give it a try when my otherwise very gentle snake started to get a little testy with me and start to rattle his tail. Turns out he's a grump when it's time for food ;)
 
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