Worried new corn snake owner **1st post**

Re: WORRIED -------> FRUSTRATED

There is no need to force feed. In fact, doing so is going to cause more harm than good. I say this because the snake ate for the petstore---so you are doing something wrong.

Snakes just don't decide they dislike mice, and then stop eating. Something is either not correct with it's setup, or with the way you're attempting to feed it.

Where are you getting your mice from? That same pet store? When you're heating the pinky up--you're doing so in a bag. Is that what the pet store did? Have you tried heating it directly in water? Are you making sure that the pinky is very warm to the touch? Remember that mice are warm blooded---and snakes know this. Many hatchlings won't eat cold pinkies.

You said that you are removing the snake from it's viv to another container to feed. I can almost guarantee you that the pet store did NOT do that. Try thawing the pinky out and placing it on a paper plate and putting that into the viv.

Also, there are MANY more tricks available BEFORE you go force feeding the snake. There is NO reason to be force feeding a hatchling that has not eaten in 3 weeks. They can go 3 months without eating---and probably commonly do in the wild---some even go into brumation before having a single meal, so just relax.

You want to try a soap washed pinky, tuna dipped, chicken broth dipped, lizard scented and live BEFORE you even think of force feeding the snake.

 

RE: Re: WORRIED -------> FRUSTRATED

Calascorn, thank you for your suggestions. I prepare my pinkies exactly the same way the store had been feeding it; by placing the mouse in a bag and putting the bag in warm water. I have also tried the soap and water method and that didn't work. I brought my corn to the store so they can try and feed him. They attempted to place the pinky in his mouth to begin the process of eating with no luck. They told me they didn't want to fully force him yet, which I agreed and left. It's nice to know corns can go 3 months without eating...hopefully it won't take that much longer before my corn eats.

I definately agree that there is something wrong with my setup which is why he is not eating. I find myself becoming obsessed with checking the temperature of my viv. I was thinking the only other possible cause of his feeding problem could be noise/vibrations. Because my corn is in my bedroo, I often have the television on when I'm home, also my house has hardwood floors which produces vibrations when you walk on it. I searched this is and found that corns are generally tolerable with this since it is not too loud.

Either way, I'll keep everyone posted with my dilema, and thank everyone for contributing suugestions, comments, and strategies.

 

I just put my frozen pinkie in a small cup of warm water until it is thawed (I feel it for any cold spots), then just before I feed I dip him in VERY hot water for maybe 15 seconds. I use tongs to pick it up, then gently tap it near the snake. Mine grab it almost immediately. You might try taking the pinkie out of the bag and dipping it directly in hot water (pat dry briefly). My hatchlings are great eaters, but some can be quite stubborn. Good luck!

 

i too am having the same problem. my hatchling last fed on first of september but since day one has tried every which way possible to escape his viv.all attempts to feed result in him going over under or around the pinky.he pays no attention to the pinky at all. he seems a content snake and allways pops his head out of his home at our tea time and spends about 2 hours going back and forth on the glass and climbing up a vine

 

No worries,
this is completly normal. Although it is a bit weird that your snake didnt eat after the first week. But it isnt something to flip out about and go and force feed your corn. There are plenty more options before going to that extent.
I do know how you feel though, it took my very first cs a month before it grew used to its home and began accepting pinkies.

 

When I first got Ender, he already hadn't eaten for 3 weeks. He had shed prior to shipment, which was part of that. Then, after he was all set up, he still didn't eat for another 3 weeks. Granted, he was already 2 years old, but still, he needed to scope out his new habitat before settling in. This was much to my chagrin, as I had purchased a live mouse to feed him. I had to keep that mouse in the garage. Then, a few months later, in January, he refused to eat for 6 weeks again! Turns out, it was snaky mating season and he was looking for a non-existent girlfriend! That time, I had to keep the lousy mouse inside. Stinky little buggers...and Ender refuses to eat F/T.

I only use a UTH with no external lights - save for the ambient lighting during the day. I use aspen substrate, with one hide on the warm side and one hide on the other side, huge water bowl in the center. My UTH takes up about 1/3 of the bottom of the tank. And I hardly ever see him. He chills on the cool side most of the time in his cave. And burrows...a lot.

 

Please do keep us updated! I'd like to know when your corn finally decides to eat.

 

thanks everyone for you support. Im going to try again tonight, i'm doing the tupperware method in which I put the snake and pinky in a tupperware container overnight or until the snake has eaten. If this attempt fails, for the best interest of my snake i'm going to allow the reptile shop to take care of him for several days and see if they can possibly get him to eat.

I have one quick question, do snakes get stressed if I rearrange the viv. I purchased a new hide cave and will be replacing the half log. Will this cause my corn to have to readapt to the environments?

 

You need to overcome this obstacle with your snake. Are you going to keep bringing it back to the reptile store if you cannot get it to eat?

The snake is going to get stressed about being moved back to the reptile store, away from what it has become accustomed to the past few weeks.

Before you bring the snake back to the store, you need to try a few things. That would start with feeding the snake INSIDE it's viv. If the snake is stressed out to begin with, removing it from it's viv to attempt to feed in a tupperware isn't doing any good. If that doesn't work, and if you've tried the other tricks (scented, soap washed, etc), then you need to try live.

 

UPDATE: I used the tupperware method last night and my little guy ATE. He finally took his first meal with me, it took him only about 30seconds after I had left him in the tupperware before he was smelling his food and finally devoured it. I would like to thank everyone for their advice, concern and support. This definately has been a stressful 4 weeks for both my corn and myself. I will try and maintain a feeding regiment of 5 days becuase I want my little guy to grow up nice and strong.

 

Congrats buddy! It's always such a relief when they do finally eat. I worry after a week and a half! I usually put my little girl in a deli cup or rubbermaid, but today I just held her in my hand while she swallowed the pinkie whole, from behind while it was alive!! It was actually kind of funny to se this little pinkie head disappear down her mouth, squeaking all the while(i did feel kind of guilty, but hey, we all gotta eat, right?) It was also funny because she downed the pinkie backwards faster than I'd ever seen her do it forwards!

 

Wait....you fed your snake while it was in your hand???

 

That's ok, the lesson will be learnt when he gets bit and wonders why

Really though, it is a bad habit to get into, and it's asking to get tagged if I ever saw it, you reek of mouse scent and in the feeding frenzy there's nothing to say the snake won't haul off and not let go next time.