Elegant Racer

[Carlo69]

Hello guys its pleasure to be a member and I have a question. .
Recently I have got an elegant racer snake and its almost 50cm tall and its been with me now for almost a month without eating anything and all it think of is escaping. I did try to get all kind of food that I would believe that it would eat... but without any use. What I did try to feed it is:
1- Pinky ( small mouse)
2- live small fish
3- bird egg
And non of that it did eve eat... while its moving alot. can anyone please help me and tell me what to do??

[Akuma223]

Did you catch this snake? If you did try finding food in the same place you caught it. Also, a quick search says it is an endangered species if it is Platyceps elegantissimus.
--->Platyceps elegantissimus (Elegant Racer, Elegant Whip Snake) (http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/184057/0)

If it's wild caught try catching anything it may eat in the wild including other snakes, lizards, frogs/toads, etc.

Can you post a picture of its entire cage? It might be nervous if it doesn't have enough places to hide.

[Carlo69]

Well it is a wild caught yes and it do have 2 places to hide as you can see in the pic bellow under the stones
As for catching food from the wild. I think the only thing that it may eat is a lizard and its so freaking fast to catch since the elegant racer is a very fast snake it food should be something like it.

[Pareeeee]

It's a beautiful snake.

I think there's only one solution - since it's an endangered species, obviously stressed, trying to escape constantly, not eating, and you don't know what it eats - it would be in the animal's best interest if you release it back into the wild.

I think it would be much better to buy a pet snake that is already used to being in captivity. It will be much easier to feed and look after.

[Carlo69]

I really respect your opinion brother but I do really have 3 other pets 2 snakes 1st is pithon and the 2nd is water snake and Uromastyx lizard as i will add the pic of it soon in a new post. all are feeding fine and have no problem but this elegant are hard to fine and I just wanna keep and make the point of there is no wild snake that cant be a bit and enjoy the beauty of it :hmm::hmm:

[sharthun]

It's a beautiful snake.

I think there's only one solution - since it's an endangered species, obviously stressed, trying to escape constantly, not eating, and you don't know what it eats - it would be in the animal's best interest if you release it back into the wild.

I think it would be much better to buy a pet snake that is already used to being in captivity. It will be much easier to feed and look after.

I think this is great advice! I totally agree!

[SnoopySnake]

So basically you're more worried about proving a point than the well-being of the snake?

[Valvaren]

So its an endangered species that is obviously not doing well at all with you and instead of releasing it so it can survive and help its species you want to keep it and watch it slowly die so you can look it at?

[Pareeeee]

I really respect your opinion brother but I do really have 3 other pets 2 snakes 1st is pithon and the 2nd is water snake and Uromastyx lizard as i will add the pic of it soon in a new post. all are feeding fine and have no problem but this elegant are hard to fine and I just wanna keep and make the point of there is no wild snake that cant be a bit and enjoy the beauty of it :hmm::hmm:

Of course they're hard to find, they're endangered! You can't enjoy the beauty of a dead snake, which it will be soon if you keep it. Every time an endangered species is taken from the wild it hurts the wild population. It should be in the wild where it can breed and help the population from decreasing further.

If you really, truly like snakes, you would release it. As I said, endangered or not, it's obviously stressed, not eating, and you don't even know what to feed it. A snake with a fast metabolism - like a racer - cannot survive without food as long as a python or boa can.

[CrotalusR#1]

I haven't seen anything yet saying it is an endangered or protected species.
If it was collected in a park where it is illegal to collect out of that's different but that doesn't appear to be the case. If some one has a link to something saying it's protected I'd love to see it. The one that Akuma223
Posted only says it MAY be endangered which is not the same as is endangered.
If it is endangered, than let it go end of discussion.

That being said, I have dealt with many many wild caught snakes and if they don't wanna eat they will have no problem starving them selves to death. It is in the animals best interest if you just release him regardless if he's protected.
Make sure when you release him you do it before he looses weight an becomes Sick. Also let of go into the same area.

[Akuma223]

I haven't seen anything yet saying it is an endangered or protected species.
If it was collected in a park where it is illegal to collect out of that's different but that doesn't appear to be the case. If some one has a link to something saying it's protected I'd love to see it. The one that Akuma223
Posted only says it MAY be endangered which is not the same as is endangered.
If it is endangered, than let it go end of discussion.

That being said, I have dealt with many many wild caught snakes and if they don't wanna eat they will have no problem starving them selves to death. It is in the animals best interest if you just release him regardless if he's protected.
Make sure when you release him you do it before he looses weight an becomes Sick. Also let of go into the same area.

Even if it only says it "may" be endangered you should let it go. The possibility alone tells you there isn't enough information and its better safe than sorry. The snake isn't doing well so it should be released where it was found.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I agree, release it. The point you want to prove is not more important than that animal's life. I'd release it as soon as possible, before it becomes too weak to survive on its own like Crotalus said.

[Rattlehead]

Dude, stop being egocentric. Endangered or not, you are not capable of keep the basic needs of the snake. You can brag that you had the animal for some days, but I agree that you must leave it free

[Zelg]

This dude is gone already. He clearly cares nothing for this animal and likely any other animal he keeps. Does he even have heat in there? I dont see any heat source. Ugh...whatever. As others have said, release the snake and I'll just add that I think you should get rid of all of your pets since you really care nothing about their well being.

[Akuma223]

This dude is gone already. He clearly cares nothing for this animal and likely any other animal he keeps. Does he even have heat in there? I dont see any heat source. Ugh...whatever. As others have said, release the snake and I'll just add that I think you should get rid of all of your pets since you really care nothing about their well being.

Being a prick isn't going to convince most people to change their mind, just saying....

[Pareeeee]

This is just like that guy who joined the forum last year. He came in asking for advice about his garter. Everyone told him that he needed to change his husbandry, but he wouldn't listen.

A little while later, we learned that his garter had died.

Same thing's going to happen here. Dude's going to ignore us and that poor, beautiful snake is going to die because of it. There are so many people like him that come and go on this forum. I know the type. He's not going to listen; not going to change.

I feel bad for the snake.