what to feed baby ringnecks??

[duroo]

i caught a wild baby ringneck today. im not gonna keep it for long but i would just like to keep it for a week or so because it is really beautiful. its about 6 inches long. i was gonna buy a can of worms from the store but nightcrawlers are just as big as the snake and i cant find any smaller worms for sale, should i just go outside and catch some? or should i try something else?

[Stockwell]

This species doesn't fair well in captivety, and you'd be best to let it go soon.
They're main diet is red backed salamanders and their eggs.
Earthworms,and small insects are also sometimes consumed. They also prey on small frogs, small snakes, small lizards, slugs, and grubs

[Vanan]

Try cutting up the earthworm into short segments. Also grab some pics to remind you of the experience. Easy to immortalise a snake via pics. :) Kudos to you on wanting to return it back to the wild. Make sure you keep the ringneck away from your other pet snakes.

[duroo]

yeah, im really tempted to keep it for good but i know it was born in the wild therefor it deserves to stay there. i just want to keep it for a little while to see what they are like :-)

[BoidKeeper]

Also if it is native to your area it's a crime to keep native species in captivity. In this province anyway.
Cheers,
Trevor

[duroo]

well i live in NC, i dunno what the law here is though...

[Vanan]

Law or no law, it's a matter of ethics. As I mentioned earlier, have the most fun you can with it while you have it, then release it as in the long run, providing an adequate diet for it might be a problem and you don't want it suffering. Good luck and, most importantly, have fun! :D

[BoidKeeper]

Great advice Vanan.
Cheers,
Trevor

[HerpHelmz]

Hey there,

Feed the little ringneck small pieces of salamander tail, cut up F/T worms, or slugs. I've been feeding my neonate northerns salamander tail. They aren't as hard to take care of as some people here depict. ; )
Michael
You can check out my ringneck snake caresheet for other information.

http://www.freewebs.com/mikesnake

[JD@reptiles]

its probably not a ring neck. baby brown snakes, redbellies and ringnecks all look pretty much the same as babies. show some pics though. i would be interested to see it. i used to feed lil nameless snakes the same size small teeny earthworms. dont keep it any warmer than room temp or it will die.

[duroo]

it was definatly a ringneck, i looked it up in a audobon(sp?) society book. i let it go a few days ago cause i could never get it to eat. tried worms, grubs, and a salamander. oh well im sure he is much happier anyway now that that evil human let him go again lol.

[Removed_2815]

Good on ya!