need help please (not urgent)

[Burium]

We got our new adult milksnake last night. Found out that it was raised only on live. I do NOT agree with this. I think only if ALL other options have been tried is live feeding okay. Anyway, to the point, how do we go about switching it to F/T or even P/K? Thanks.

Kelly

[lostwithin]

Hi, if the snake has a good feeding response I would try "tricking it" This recently worked on my female ball who went 9 years on only live . Skip a feeding or 2 too make sure the snake is good and hungry (with my ball I did it after a 9 month fast) then get a live pray that is small enough that it will get the thing striking but leave it hungry. Then right after it eats the live drop in a f/t , and use tongs too move it a bit (too tease the snake) . And hopefully the snake will already be wound up from the first meal and nail it. I did this once and now my ball accepts f/t without any problem. It amazed me after 9 years of refusing. It may take more then once but I got lucky.
The other option is progressively moving into f/t , go from a live feeding, then the next time or too go with a stunned item, then a fresh killed, and finally a f/t. Just as a hint, I find if you really heat the prey up (within reason don’t burn the snake) it really helps in the response. After thawing the rats out for my animals, I dump the water then refill it with just hot water. Leave them in a few min’s, then feed, there bodies are much warmer then a live ones would be but it works. If I touch them and they seem too hot they cool down very quickly, so just wait for a second.
Devon

[Classic]

Pics pics pics. What kind of milk snake is it? There are 25 different american milksnake sub-species.

Brian
hwh

[Burium]

We just went to a rep. shop near here today. Found out it's a male L. tri. polyzona. At least that's what the guy thought after comapring heads in a book.

Kelly

[Tim_Cranwill]

You can try the tactics listed in this article.... :)

http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~cranwill/faq7.html

[Burium]

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions! We will def try a F/T first to see how he reacts to it. The previous owner said that he ate pretty much anything and was a really good eater. So let's hope. ;)

Kelly

[Burium]

Just thought I would update you all. We offered him a F/T hopper tonight and he took it with no problems. Thanks for the help.

Kelly

[Classic]

Your gonna have to come up with some pics. I have never known anyone to have an Atlantic Central American Milksnake.

Pics please.

Brian