milksnake not eating!!!!!!!!

[farmboy]

I caught a baby eastern milk snake about 2-3 weeks ago in my yard and he hasn't eaten anything. About 4 days after I caught him I tried to give him pinkie mice, I left it in my 20 gallon aquarium for 30-45 minutes and I could tell he tried biting the pinkie mice but not much. He's about 12" big and has shed it's skin about a week ago still nothing. So I put the snake in a tuberware container with the pinkie mice and left him over night to see what would happened still nothing. It is a VERY DOSILE SNAKE it never tried to bite me ONCE it just wraps it self around my fingers. It would kill me to have to let him or her go. Should I try crickets that are smaller cause the pinkie mice looks to big for him? My mom said "I could keep a snake if I take care of it my self" and this is a crap sandwich without bread if it cant eat, so what should I do?

Robert

[formica]

stop moving him about and handling him, leave him to settle into whatever enclosure he will be living in, theres no need to put him in another box to feed, its just stressing him more

give him another 5 days without any interference at all, dont pick him up or try to feed him - then try a pinkie, in his enclosure, not in a diffrent box, if he doesnt eat it, give it another few days and try again, and still dont handle him - get a few meals into him before you think about handling him again

....tbh I'd just let him go free and get a captive bred one myself, he's probably very stressed right now, and wild caught snakes really need someone with a little more experience imo

[farmboy]

Thank you so much for answering.
I will try to remain patient.
Although he doesnt seem to be stressed from my info hes a very relaxed snake.
I will take your advice, see if it works.
Thanks

[mygabriella]

My friend had one that I gave him. He feeds it grasshoppers, and it ate a garter snake... he didnt realize that he couldnt put them together. Ive seen them with frogs in their mouths. They also eat wild bird eggs. Maybe try something other than a mouse, it might not have been feeding on mice????

[mygabriella]

They dont usually bite, they just do their peeing thing and spray you with nasty stinky pee junk haha... like my informational terms? haha

[farmboy]

Should i start that grasshopper thing NOW? Instead of pinkie mice till IT gets older?Or do that for main feedings?

Robert

[milk man]

Are you feeding him live or frozen pinkies? How are you heating the cage?

They are opportunistic feeders but insects aren't their normal diet. They don't have enough nutrition to help them grow. Milk snakes can eat pinkies right after hatching so I don't think its to big for him.

You could always let it go and get a captive bred one.

[farmboy]

There frozen pinkies.I put them in a bag out to thaw then when it's almost thawed I put in a cup of hot hotter.Im not heat

[farmboy]

Ing the cage but I was getting heating pads for the winter. should I get them now?

[milk man]

First get a under tank heater for one side of the cage. Snakes must have heat to digest. They need a hot spot between 85 and 90*F. They don't like to eat if they don't have that option. It could cause them to regurgitate their meal. After you get the heating taken care of try live pinkies.

Do a Google search for a care sheet. Google is a very useful tool in any hobby.

[Lankyrob]

You can easily get a well feeding milksnake from a breeder for not a lot of money, release this one, get a viv set up and running well then get yourself a captive bred one.

[mygabriella]

Should i start that grasshopper thing NOW? Instead of pinkie mice till IT gets older?Or do that for main feedings?

Robert


yeah, try a grasshopper now. see if he likes it. Try mice later on.

[Starbuck]

Make sure you are gettinf your grasshopper from an area where no herbicides or pesticides are used......
I agree with everyone who has said release it.

[farmboy]

I put in 2 cricketts and i grasshopper and it looks interested.ill see in 20 min.

[farmboy]

Nothing but ill wait a day,by the looks of it it looks interested

[farmboy]

If the thawed pinkie starts to smell should i still keep it in the cage???????

Robert

[mygabriella]

If the thawed pinkie starts to smell should i still keep it in the cage???????

Robert
If the pinky has been there for a day, throw it out

[farmboy]

Does anyone think that "LUCKY" has never eaten??????

[farmboy]

OK i got a 50-60 gallon terrarium under tank heater, will it work on a 20 gallon terrarium??????????? Its 2/3 the size in length of the terrarium is that still ok??

Robert

[Lankyrob]

Pretty certain that a UTH should only cover a third of the enclosure but not used them myself.......

[Mikoh4792]

OK i got a 50-60 gallon terrarium under tank heater, will it work on a 20 gallon terrarium??????????? Its 2/3 the size in length of the terrarium is that still ok??

Robert

It's too big. 18" inch heat pad in a 30" enclosure won't allow for a cool enough cool side.

[farmboy]

Thank you, i order a smaller one. Anything else i should need or get thats essential?????

[Mikoh4792]

Thank you, i order a smaller one. Anything else i should need or get thats essential?????

Just leave it be. It's a new snake and the most important thing right now besides heating/humidty/food and water is leaving it alone for a few weeks. It's not going to settle down in one day.



EDIT: forgot to ask, do you have a thermostat? You need one to control the heating source.

[farmboy]

I put 2 crickets and 1 grasshopper in the cage about a week ago. Yesterday i could not find the grasshopper. Today i was looking and i found the wings and a leg of the grasshopper. So im wondering did the snake eat the grasshopper or did the crickets eat the grasshoppers ?????????????? P.s the snake has got'n bigger by maybe 1-2 inches

[mygabriella]

I put 2 crickets and 1 grasshopper in the cage about a week ago. Yesterday i could not find the grasshopper. Today i was looking and i found the wings and a leg of the grasshopper. So im wondering did the snake eat the grasshopper or did the crickets eat the grasshoppers ?????????????? P.s the snake has got'n bigger by maybe 1-2 inches

I sent u a message but the crickets ate it. The snake will swallow the whole thing. The snake can't grow without shedding. Has it shed?

[farmboy]

It has shed and got 2 inches BIGGER!!!!!!

[KORBIN5895]

Is this thread a joke?

[Lankyrob]

It has shed and got 2 inches BIGGER!!!!!!

Are you measuring the shed or the snake?

[marvelfreak]

Is this thread a joke?
That's what i was wondering. I have never heard of feeding a king snake grasshoppers WTF.

Turn the poor thing lose. Then read up and study all the info you can find on them. After all that go by a Captive Bred snake from a breeder.

[infernalis]

Insects are NOT part of any lampropeltis diet I know of.

Cease with the insects, these animals are not insectivores.

[Aaron_S]

I sent u a message but the crickets ate it. The snake will swallow the whole thing. The snake can't grow without shedding. Has it shed?

Are you...are you for real?

To the OP, make sure it's legal to keep native species where you live. It isn't for everyone and if you're not supposed, then yes, the one you have is hurting the ecosystem.

[Aaron_S]

Make sure you are gettinf your grasshopper from an area where no herbicides or pesticides are used......
I agree with everyone who has said release it.

I had higher hopes for you...

[mygabriella]

Insects are NOT part of any lampropeltis diet I know of.

Cease with the insects, these animals are not insectivores.


Actually, wild young eastern milk snakes eat slugs, crickets, grass hoppers, frogs, eggs, mice

[mygabriella]

That's what i was wondering. I have never heard of feeding a king snake grasshoppers WTF.

Turn the poor thing lose. Then read up and study all the info you can find on them. After all that go by a Captive Bred snake from a breeder.

Look it up. I live where there are a lot of wild eastern milk snakes and I am very well aware of what they are eating. Look it up.

[mygabriella]

But with all this being said. I do agree you should let It go. Hasn't it been like a month or more?

[mygabriella]

Are you...are you for real?

To the OP, make sure it's legal to keep native species where you live. It isn't for everyone and if you're not supposed, then yes, the one you have is hurting the ecosystem.

I'm very for real, do you have an issue?

[mygabriella]

First article that pops up in google
"have been known to consume a variety of animals including rodents, eggs, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Nevertheless the diet of an adult milk snake still primarily consists of rodents."
"Young milk snakes typically eat slugs, insects, crickets, and earthworms.[5] Adult diet frequently includes lizards (especially skinks), and small mammals.[1] They are also known to eat birds and their eggs, frogs, fish, and other snakes.[5]"

Not saying all the responses have been rude, but a lot of them have. I live where the wild species of this snake lives. I see them often. I don't understand why it's so hard to be helpful instead of rude.

[StudentoReptile]

Can you reference that article? In my experience, google is the bane of education. Just because it is the first "hit" in a search, does not mean it is the most accurate. Especially if its a wikipedia article.

[Aaron_S]

I'm very for real, do you have an issue?

I do. You have poor sources and passing them off as truth.

I googled "eastern milksnake diet". Want to know the first thing that popped up saying they ate bugs? Wikipedia. Poor source.

Another example is that snake's don't grow if they don't shed. That's simply not true. Snakes are growing all the time, regardless of how frequent they shed.

[Kimmie]

I do. You have poor sources and passing them off as truth.

I googled "eastern milksnake diet". Want to know the first thing that popped up saying they ate bugs? Wikipedia. Poor source.

Another example is that snake's don't grow if they don't shed. That's simply not true. Snakes are growing all the time, regardless of how frequent they shed.

true, snakes should grow all their life just slower.

[mygabriella]

true, snakes should grow all their life just slower.


I was saying that a snake that is a baby isn't going to grow 2 inches with out shedding. And you can do all the research you want on eastern milksnakes. I don't need to. I already know what they eat. They live in my backyard.

[mygabriella]

Oops meant to quote Aaron. I wasn't getting my knowledge from wiki. I just clicke the first thing that popped up google and said what I agree with. I already know what they eat.

[mygabriella]

I do. You have poor sources and passing them off as truth.

I googled "eastern milksnake diet". Want to know the first thing that popped up saying they ate bugs? Wikipedia. Poor source.

Another example is that snake's don't grow if they don't shed. That's simply not true. Snakes are growing all the time, regardless of how frequent they shed.


But anyways. I'm not going to spend my time arguing with you anymore. Your welcome to do research and find articles/books/info on an eastern milksnake.
If you think they only eat mice that's silly. I've seen them eat. Especially frogs. They love the frogs, so do the garters

[KORBIN5895]

But anyways. I'm not going to spend my time arguing with you anymore. Your welcome to do research and find articles/books/info on an eastern milksnake.
If you think they only eat mice that's silly. I've seen them eat. Especially frogs. They love the frogs, so do the garters

You do realize a frog isn't a slug or a cricket, right?

[farmboy]

Hi everybody I would just like to say thank you for your support and being with me the whole time but sadly the snake died yesterday :( i checked on him at like 8-9:00am he was fine. I checked on him a hour later and still fine, i checked on him about 3-5 hours later cause i had to go out and i went to see him and i saw he was as stiff as a board and Half his head was bitten off by the crickets......... I just should have listen to you guys about letting him go and maybe he would be alive??? So again thank you everybody for your comments

[KORBIN5895]

Yeah.... I meant to mention that about the crickets before I went to bed this am.

Well lesson learned I guess.