Baby feeding questions

[Kaianuanu]

So my baby coastal is coming tomorrow morning and I'm trying to get some food him today. The seller measured him for me and he is 15", the seller also said he was eating fuzzy mice. However, I am wanting to get him switched over to rats as soon as I can. Anyway, do you think at this size, he can eat rat pinkies? Maybe something bigger? Also, how often should this little guy be eating?

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/B0352FB2-47D7-4B70-9ADE-701A65BA287F-8341-0000081F5789348A_zps5c1fcef4.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/kaianuanu/media/B0352FB2-47D7-4B70-9ADE-701A65BA287F-8341-0000081F5789348A_zps5c1fcef4.jpg.html)

[marvelfreak]

I stated with rat pinky or fuzzies.

[Donnie]

I stated with rat pinky or fuzzies.

same for me. Either a rat pup or rat fuzzy should be fine but maybe decide which would be more suitable when you get him home and can actually see his girth

[Kaianuanu]

Do you guys think he'll put up a fuss if I go straight to rats from mice? I've heard coastals are much less picky than other locales.

[Donnie]

My coastal was fine going onto rats straight away, my jungles however were a different story..........

[UwabamiReptiles]

My coastals switched no problem to rats. But it depends on the individual snake. Some switch over with no issues and some are more reluctant. I would try rat pinks and see how it goes.

[Kaianuanu]

My coastals switched no problem to rats. But it depends on the individual snake. Some switch over with no issues and some are more reluctant. I would try rat pinks and see how it goes.

Ill probably get a hopper mouse and a fuzzy rat, or a fuzzy mouse and a rat pup depending on his size then. Just in case he won't take the rat. Also do you think feeding him weekly is my best bet or should I alter the frequency?

[UwabamiReptiles]

Once a week would be fine, thats the feeding schedule I use with hatchlings and have had great results. I would go with a fuzzy rat over a rat pup. He wouldnt have an issue with the pup, but I personally would have the first couple of meals not be huge. If you are getting him tomorrow, make sure you wait a few days to a week before trying to feed him. Shipping and going into a new environment are stressful on a snake, making them usually not want to eat right away.

[Kaianuanu]

Once a week would be fine, thats the feeding schedule I use with hatchlings and have had great results. I would go with a fuzzy rat over a rat pup. He wouldnt have an issue with the pup, but I personally would have the first couple of meals not be huge. If you are getting him tomorrow, make sure you wait a few days to a week before trying to feed him. Shipping and going into a new environment are stressful on a snake, making them usually not want to eat right away.

Thanks, for the advice, as I'm new to the snake game. I've always been a lizard guy (especially chameleons). So I have lots of experience with the more complex aspects of husbandry, but there are a few snake fundamentals I need to learn more about.

[UwabamiReptiles]

Not a problem, dont hesitate to ask questions. There are a lot of people on here that can help you along. I hope to see an update when you get the little guy.

[red ink]

So my baby coastal is coming tomorrow morning and I'm trying to get some food him today. The seller measured him for me and he is 15", the seller also said he was eating fuzzy mice. However, I am wanting to get him switched over to rats as soon as I can. Anyway, do you think at this size, he can eat rat pinkies? Maybe something bigger? Also, how often should this little guy be eating?

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/B0352FB2-47D7-4B70-9ADE-701A65BA287F-8341-0000081F5789348A_zps5c1fcef4.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/kaianuanu/media/B0352FB2-47D7-4B70-9ADE-701A65BA287F-8341-0000081F5789348A_zps5c1fcef4.jpg.html)

Personally I would get a few established feeds first in it's new environment - feed it what the breeder was feeding it before trying to switch to another prey item. The stress of the move and the switch to a new prey item may make it stop feeding altogether.

[Kaianuanu]

Well I just got him in the mail and he's much tinier than I expected, at its widest point, his head is only about 1cm wide if even.

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/B0E0C499-71BE-4652-B6F9-47D5D396D969-8992-0000088C72B9E3B5_zps96632a23.jpg

[Mikoh4792]

If you are going to start with rats I would start with rat pinkies.

[UwabamiReptiles]

Congrats on getting him. Can't wait to see him start to color up for you.

[Kaianuanu]

Turns out, the only local place that sells live rodents at feeder prices doesn't have rats smaller than pups. So it looks like he will stay on mice for a bit.

[Mikoh4792]

Turns out, the only local place that sells live rodents at feeder prices doesn't have rats smaller than pups. So it looks like he will stay on mice for a bit.

You can't order rats online?

[Kaianuanu]

You can't order rats online?

Wouldn't that be kind of pricey considering that this is my only snake and I visit that pet store about weekly for crickets for my chameleon and geckos?

[Mikoh4792]

Wouldn't that be kind of pricey considering that this is my only snake and I visit that pet store about weekly for crickets for my chameleon and geckos?

Didn't know.

[Kaianuanu]

Anyway, at this size, do you think he can handle a hopper or just fuzzies?

[UwabamiReptiles]

You could try a fuzzy for the first couple of meals then bump it up to hoppers. I know some people start there hatchlings on hoppers right away. You can make the call when you see the size of their fuzzys and hoppers at the pet shop. About the same size to 1 and 1/2 the diameter of the largest part of the snake. Carpets can take pretty decent size meals.

[Mikoh4792]

Anyway, at this size, do you think he can handle a hopper or just fuzzies?

I would go with fuzzies. Hoppers might be a bit big. That is what my 8-month old jungle eats. I have an Irian Jaya carpet about the same size as yours and it is currently on fuzzies, which leave a nice bulge after feeding.

[Kaianuanu]

Yeah, i got 2 fuzzies and put him in a small shoebox with one. They are the perfect size, but he would have nothing to do with them. So I put him back in his tank and i fed it to one of my leopard geckos, but I still have the extra one.

[Mikoh4792]

Why did you put him in a shoebox? Just feed him in the enclosure.

I know many people feed snakes in separate containers with success but I've found through personal experience that ambush snakes are more likely to eat in their own enclosure. The stress of picking your snake up and out of it's cage and then putting it into another box might stress it out before feeding.

[Kaianuanu]

Why did you put him in a shoebox? Just feed him in the enclosure.

I know many people feed snakes in separate containers with success but I've found through personal experience that ambush snakes are more likely to eat in their own enclosure. The stress of picking your snake up and out of it's cage and then putting it into another box might stress it out before feeding.

I did that because most people say that if you feed them in the enclosure, it can make them more aggressive. But if you say it's alright, I'll try again later tonight when he wakes up and starts to explore.

[Mikoh4792]

I did that because most people say that if you feed them in the enclosure, it can make them more aggressive. But if you say it's alright, I'll try again later tonight when he wakes up and starts to explore.

That is an old myth/rumor. The assumption was that the snake might associate the cage with feeding, so every time you open the cage(whether to handle it or take it out for cleaning), the snake might think your hand is food.

With that reasoning, you could also say the opposite for feeding in a separate container. Every time you take the snake out, it might associate being out of it's enclosure with feeding time. So when you are handling your snake it could also think your hand is food.

Many others and I have been feeding snakes in their own enclosures and none of them are aggressive during handling. They have never even tried to strike at me except for my adult cali king who already came to me very aggressive.(at 2 years old, so she's either an aggressive individual, or she's had a past that made her that way)

[Kaianuanu]

That is an old myth/rumor. The assumption was that the snake might associate the cage with feeding, so every time you open the cage(whether to handle it or take it out for cleaning), the snake might think your hand is food.

With that reasoning, you could also say the opposite for feeding in a separate container. Every time you take the snake out, it might associate being out of it's enclosure with feeding time. So when you are handling your snake it could also think your hand is food.

Many others and I have been feeding snakes in their own enclosures and none of them are aggressive during handling. They have never even tried to strike at me except for my adult cali king who already came to me very aggressive.(at 2 years old, so she's either an aggressive individual, or she's had a past that made her that way)

Then I'll definitely try feed him in there tonight when he starts to move around. Do you think i should try to dangle it in front of him or just throw it in and let him sniff it out. Also, speaking of kings, I saw a gorgeous 3' hypo brooksi at my local pet shop that I came within an inch of buying. Still considering it since I have a nice big outdoor cage and and live within its natural range. The main thing holding me back is a slightly steep price tag at $99.

[Kaianuanu]

Also, if he still doesn't eat, do you think exposing the brain would help in this situation?

[Mikoh4792]

Then I'll definitely try feed him in there tonight when he starts to move around. Do you think i should try to dangle it in front of him or just throw it in and let him sniff it out. Also, speaking of kings, I saw a gorgeous 3' hypo brooksi at my local pet shop that I came within an inch of buying. Still considering it since I have a nice big outdoor cage and and live within its natural range. The main thing holding me back is a slightly steep price tag at $99.

Also, if he still doesn't eat, do you think exposing the brain would help in this situation?

I wouldn't try feeding him today. It could stress him out even more.

People on this forum advised me to try feeding my snake once a week until it would accept it. My snake did not eat for a whole month since I have gotten it and after trying once a week, it eventually grabbed the food and ate it. Now it is eating every week without failure.

The next time you try to feed your snake I would try dangling it to trigger a response, it works for most of my snakes. I only have one snake that will eat the food when it is left alone in the cage.

[Lankyrob]

Also, if he still doesn't eat, do you think exposing the brain would help in this situation?

Only the rats, not the snakes :p

[Mikoh4792]

Could you post a picture of your setup? What are your temps? What thermometers do you use exactly to measure these temps?

[Kaianuanu]

Here's his tank, I have a 25w "moonlight" bulb. It's 81 in the cool end and 92 on the branch where he is sitting, I don't have the thermometer on it constantly, because the probes in it are kind of big. I used a digital dual probe smoker thermometer to get the temps right. I tested it and found it to be consistent with my other reptile specific thermometers. I also borrowed the hygrometer probe from chameleons cage and it read 46-47%.

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/036FF575-E71E-45C0-ACB7-C0F17429E21A-9987-000009657CC19CB1_zps83307d4f.jpg

[Mikoh4792]

Your snake is probably feeling vulnerable/stressed out from the clear sides of the enclosure. If your snake wants to be warm but feel secure at the same time, it has no where to go.

Try covering them like this. You can use paper but what I use is some adhesive chalkboard paper. It's like a big sticker you can cut to size and stick on the sides.

Commercial Chalkboard Contact Paper, Black, 18 Inches x 6 Feet: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific (http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Chalkboard-Contact-Paper-Inches/dp/B000KKMO90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375407263&sr=8-1&keywords=chalkboard+paper)


http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a594/mikoh4792/20130613_214907_zpsf9bf3cdb.jpg


Nice perches btw.

[Kaianuanu]

Your snake is probably feeling vulnerable/stressed out from the clear sides of the enclosure. If your snake wants to be warm but feel secure at the same time, it has no where to go.

Try covering it like this
http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a594/mikoh4792/20130613_214907_zpsf9bf3cdb.jpg


Nice perches btw.

Good idea, especially considering it was probably raised in a rack.

[Kaianuanu]

since he probably wont eat anytime soon, do you think he will eat the mouse later if I freeze it, or should I just feed it to someone else.

[Kaianuanu]

Since he spend most of his time in that particular corner, I focused on that spot instead of the whole cage. First I threw in a silk fern that draped over that spot, then I covered the sides of the corner wil some cardboard.

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/3FE4E8FE-634A-44C7-8ABC-6D263A3C639E-9987-0000099191E7D746_zps210294df.jpg

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/D1484AAB-D776-4153-9EE9-2B2681328904-9987-000009919C9C77EA_zps88ec839e.jpg

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u323/kaianuanu/55CABD5D-4DCB-4FFA-B02F-AE5C8826B4A8-9987-0000098F85A0EE74_zpsb94bc182.jpg

[Mikoh4792]

since he probably wont eat anytime soon, do you think he will eat the mouse later if I freeze it, or should I just feed it to someone else.

I am not sure on that. Maybe someone else can answer this. I don't know how good it would be to thaw something out and freeze it again for later.

[Mikoh4792]

I would cover all the sides but the front, although what you did is better than nothing. It will make him feel like that spot is more secure, since it's more covered than the rest of the enclosure.

[Kaianuanu]

I am not sure on that. Maybe someone else can answer this. I don't know how good it would be to thaw something out and freeze it again for later.

Oh no, these are live.

I would cover all the sides but the front, although what you did is better than nothing. It will make him feel like that spot is more secure, since it's more covered than the rest of the enclosure.

I thought that would be enough but if you say so, ill cover the whole thing then

[Mikoh4792]

I thought that would be enough but if you say so, ill cover the whole thing then

I'm only speaking from personal experience, i've never tried covering just a section of an enclosure so what you are doing might just be fine, i just can't validate it.

keep doing what you do and see if it eats in a week.