first feeding tips

b23ball23 · 09-20-04, 07:35 PM

I just got my peub milk snake and was wodering how to get him to eat his first meal. I've offered him food twice and he has not eaten and not eve looke interested. I tried putting him in a tuppleware container with just the snake with the pinky, and he did go up to it but he never ate. I also, after about an hour, i stuck a needle through the pinky's head to get some scent he might smell...........but nothing. Please help, i know i probably am offering him too much food, so i'll wait for a few days to offer him another pinky.

please help
thanks
Ben

bighillreptiles · 09-20-04, 08:03 PM

how long have you had him and what tipe oc conditions are you keeping him in .temp hide ea

b23ball23 · 09-20-04, 08:21 PM

i've had him for about 4 days(not very long) has 2 hides and the temp is about 70-75 degrees. he sometimes burrows and sometimes is under the hides. he looks healthy to me. I dont know how humid it is though.
thanks
ben

bighillreptiles · 09-20-04, 08:31 PM

keep his hot side oround 90f and leave him alone for a week than try to feed you should see a big differance than

Linds · 09-20-04, 09:57 PM

Definitely need patience. Even leaving them in a container may require the snake to be left overnight. 70-75 is also too cool. I keep mine at 82-85 (I don't keep mine with a gradient, just at the temp my room stays at). They are very shy snakes, and moving them around can also cause them to become unnerved. Try boosting the temps up a bit and leave a prey item overnight. Don't handle your snake until it begins feeding for you regularily, and keep it in a low-traffic area of the house. Also, give him some time to settle in, many snakes require a week or two (sometimes even more) to settle in to their new homes, and chances are you've really rattled your new snake by bothering him so much while he is already too nervous to eat. I agree with Paul in that you shoudl definitely leave him alone for a week before anymore attempts.

vanderkm · 09-21-04, 09:18 AM

Just to echo what Linds and paul have said - increase the temps to around 82-85 and leave him alone completely for at least 5 days - no holding, no touching, nothing more than cleaning any messes in the cage and if he isn't eating he likely isn't pooing.

Peublans are quite shy - our experience was that they were even more shy than our other milks - they hide most of the time and are very shy about eating. After at least 5 days with no contact, we offer a dead pinky (very warm) with the nose into the snake's hiding place - then leave the room. They will usually pull the mouse into their hide and feed in peace. If they don't eat, we give them another week before trying again. As long as they have access to water, baby snakes can go a long time without feeding.

good luck with him,

mary v.

b23ball23 · 09-21-04, 06:41 PM

thanks guys...........i love him, but am wondering...will he be a shy feeder all his life?

bighillreptiles · 09-21-04, 07:10 PM

my little female just ate to day after three weeks in my care the male has ate 4 times just to show you thay are all differant ,as the ladys said leave him alone is the biggest thing and get the temps up best of luck and keep us posted here is a pix of mine to keep you going until you get yours eating lol female first than the male

b23ball23 · 09-21-04, 08:05 PM

thanks guys!
he/she is roaming the cage and exploring....wow what a beautiful snake i'll try to get pics soon.
thanks

to get the temp up to 85-90 what type of light should i use, or should i use a heating pad under the tank? The room he is in is usuall 65-75 degrees.

thanks
ben

bighillreptiles · 09-21-04, 10:27 PM

I would use an under heat pad you can getone at walmart for 20 bucks and a dimmer for mybe15. that is what i use with a good prob thermometer again at wallmart for 10 bucks on sale hope this helps how big is your inclosure i keep mine in 11l rubermades untill thay grow up some

vanderkm · 09-22-04, 10:29 AM

We no longer have Pueblans, but our honduran milks that prefer to eat in privacy when babies are total hogs when older and start sticking their noses out of their hides as soon as rodents start thawing. They do grow out of some of their shyness.

Heat pads (with dimmer control) is great for providing undertank heat at one end, but lights can also work well. Most important is to get a good thermometer (not the stick on ones that pet stores sell) - pick up an indoor-outdoor digital one for $15 at Home Depot - they have a cord with a temp recorder that you can just place whereever you want to know the temp - lets you get good control,

mary v.

b23ball23 · 09-26-04, 06:36 AM

i ended up getting a heat lamp that keeps the hot side at 90-95 degrees. Well i think if he doesnt eat tonight i'll leave him alone for 3-4 days with the new heat. He seems to always go under the first layer of paper towels i have set up, does this mean anything? Well once he is an established feeder i'll probbly change to carefresh so he can burrow in that

thanks
Ben