Hi - Baby corn snake not eating!!

[jamiethorpe1980]

Hi I bought a Corn Snake just over 6 weeks ago, since I have had it it hasn't eaten anything, I was told it might just be shedding.. Well it finally shed last night, the skin measures 16 1/2 inches. How long after they shed would they usually eat bearing in mind it hasn't touched anything since i have had it.....


Thanks

[infernalis]

I am moving this to the corn snake section for a better response.

[Snickers]

I have several baby corns and after they shed I offer them food that same night and they always eat it.

Was your corn eating consistently before you got him?

[Gungirl]

^ this and what was it eating?

How are you keeping the snake? Snakes only take about 10 days from start to finish shedding on average. So it was not in shed when you got it if it just shed. Did you get it from a pet store or from a breeder?

[jamiethorpe1980]

I got the snake from a breeder, the snake was eating fine when i got her, (so i have been told), when i got her she was in a little tub (chinese food style), after a few days i moved her into a small viv, i have a pic on one of my posts, She is fed on Pinkies, I put a pinkie in her viv at 5pm tonight at the minute 3 hrs later she hasn't touched it.... Thanks

[rmfsnakes32]

My 3 baby corns can sometimes take all night to eat I leave it in there over night if it hasn't ate by morning remove and discard. Others may have better suggestions!

[Kettennatter]

Leaving it overnight is a good suggestion. Try warming or "braining" the pnky, or taking tweezers and wiggling it in front of the snake. Feeding live pinkies is always an option.

Is there anything else that may stress the snake?

[jamiethorpe1980]

I don't think there is anything that could stress the snake out, it has 2 hides one on the warm side and one on the cool side, the water is changed daily, my little ones don't go near the viv i think they have forgot about it lol

[rmfsnakes32]

Just be patient it will eat when its ready to! How big is the enclosure? If its to big that can stress them out and cause them not to eat. Something the size of a 5 to 10 ga tank or enclosure is best. I use small rubbermaid totes with holes in it layered with paper towels and hides on both sides work well!

[Gungirl]

Make sure you have enough ground cover to help it feel safe. Little snakes tend to want a lot to hide in. Add fake plants or even crumpled up news paper or paper towels just to give it a more secure feel. Offer the pinky in a hidden spot so it can eat with out being seen. When I got my corn snake it was only 7 grams, the only way I could get it to eat was by placing it in a small deli cup with a lid and then covering it with a towel.

[bolt]

I would try warming it up and using feeders try moveing it in front of her if that does not work try leaving the food on or under heat

[Kettennatter]

I'm having a similar problem with a corn snake I got at an expo last weekend. It is about 10'' long and a little thinner than a pencil. But it has not yet eaten yet, and I've tried wiggling the pinkie, warming it, and leaving it overnight with the snake. The snake is rather active, and has pooped last night. It's seems to like to hide in the aspen most of the day, and explores the enclosure in the afternoon.

I will try feeding live pinkies. Let me know if anybody has any other creative ideas. ;)

[rmfsnakes32]

I'm having a similar problem with a corn snake I got at an expo last weekend. It is about 10'' long and a little thinner than a pencil. But it has not yet eaten yet, and I've tried wiggling the pinkie, warming it, and leaving it overnight with the snake. The snake is rather active, and has pooped last night. It's seems to like to hide in the aspen most of the day, and explores the enclosure in the afternoon.

I will try feeding live pinkies. Let me know if anybody has any other creative ideas. ;)

If you have only had it a week thats why its not eating! Wait a few weeks and dont handle it.

[Kettennatter]

A few weeks? All of my other corns are hungrier than that. The rat snake of the same size I bought from the same vendor is on its third meal by now. :D

And no, I haven't handled it,other than transfering it to/from the container to feed it in.

[Jlassiter]

I feed my "purchased" snakes the same day I open their shipping box.....

I believe you were sold a stubborn feeder that was not established yet.

[Kettennatter]

I feed my "purchased" snakes the same day I open their shipping box.....

I believe you were sold a stubborn feeder that was not established yet.

That's what I'm suspecting. I just got a garter to feed with Wayne's help and some trickery. The last two colubrids I got bit me on their first days. Not because they were aggressive or stressed. No, they wanted to feed.

[jamiethorpe1980]

If you have only had it a week thats why its not eating! Wait a few weeks and dont handle it.

I have had mine 5/6 weeks maybe a little longer, I have tried everything I have tried wiggling the pinkie, warming it, just dropping it in, even braining it and nothing has worked... The last time i handled my snake was about a week after i got her

[Donnie]

Have you tried scenting the pinkie with a chick thigh? I have seen on other forums that this sometimes works although I have never tried it.

[shaunyboy]

what are your hot end temperatures ?

if a tanks not hot enough a snake won't eat because they need proper temps to digest

how big is the vivarium you have it in ?

sometimes they can get stressed with too much space,i use fake plants,plenty hides,etc to give the snake more cover,so it feels more secure

cheers shaun

[RobsCornField]

I take in non-feeders from a friend who doesn't have time for them, but doesn't want to cull them. One of the tricks that almost always works for me is rather simple.
1) Thaw pink.
2) While pink is thawing, boil a small amount of water (separately, of course).
3) Put boiling water into bowl.
4) Drop pink in. Wait until it starts getting kind of grey-ish and rubbery looking, or float.
5) Present to snake.
6) SUCCESS! :D

At least, that's how it usually goes for me. If I still have ones that won't eat after that, I'll add chicken stock to the boiling water, and 75% take that right off the giant tweezers.

[jamiethorpe1980]

I have set my viv up to be a max of 28/29c, the snake has 2 hides and plenty of fake flowers, (the viv is full of them).. The viv is 12"x12"x4 LxWxH.

[Snickers]

I was scammed by a seller who sold me a lot of corns, 2 of them were never established feeders. I have tried everything in the book with the exception of lizard scenting, after several weeks 1 of the 2 passed away and as a last resort I placed the other in a short brumation with the hopes that this will reset his feeding response so that he will start eating.

Other tricks not mentioned to get stubborn baby corns to start eating is taking them for a bumpy car ride, washing a thawed pinky and scenting it with a small lizard; like an anole, which is part of their natural diet in the wild.

[Kettennatter]

I finally had success! :D I warmed the f/t, brained it, then put the snake and f/t into a paper lunch bag and put it on a shelf. I'm quite relieved. I hope this broke the cycle of not feeding.

[rmfsnakes32]

Good deal hope that keeps him eating