Baby Corn Won't eat

Fnymatt10! · 07-28-20, 08:17 AM

ok, so I have a baby okeetee corn snake, 10-12 inches long, not as wide as my pinky. He is in a tank with a ton of hide, 3 huts, a large water bowl, 3 papertowl rolls, 3 inches of bedding. Its heated with a heat mat, temperature at night gets to 80, day time 90 degrees. Humidity ranges 35 t0 75. I keep tank covered, I have owned him for one month, he is still not eating..ive given live, and frozen pinkies, at night before bed, he always comes out at night, i have a motion detected camera for night time, he is extremely active all night long. Climbs everywhere , but slithers right by the food, an shows no intrest..I am getting very nervous I do not want him to die, the research ive seen says 5-7 days for babies or they could die..

poison123 · 07-29-20, 01:27 AM

Have you tried leaving the pinkie in over night? Can we see the snake and the setup? A month isnt a long time nothing to worry about just yet as long as its keeping on weight.

Herpin' Man · 07-29-20, 11:53 AM

How exactly are you feeding/presenting the rodent?

craigafrechette · 07-29-20, 02:46 PM

A few things come to mind...

A) how big is the enclosure?
B) are you handling the snake at all?
C) how are you preparing and offering prey?
D) how often are you offering?

Your snake isn't going to die, not from a month without food anyway. If the snake is otherwise healthy he'll be fine. Might be good to rethink your sources if you read 5-7 days....

Fnymatt10! · 07-29-20, 07:48 PM

So the tank is 30 long 12 wide...i have a shoe box full of bedding with paper towel rolls and huts jammed in , also fake plants to hide and climb, a tight hide for hot area..and cool area..along with paper towel rolls running from one side to the other with bedding an large water bowl on the cool side of tank, i also have several balled up newpaper pieces all through the tank, with climbing branches. i have presented the food by placing the pinkie outside of his hide right before dark , then covered the tank , i have used this method with defrosted and live pinkies. He just slithers right past it at night

I have alao recently moved him to a more quiet room and habe kept him covered more

Fnymatt10! · 07-29-20, 07:51 PM

So the tank is 30 long 12 wide...i have a shoe box full of bedding with paper towel rolls and huts jammed in , also fake plants to hide and climb, a tight hide for hot area..and cool area..along with paper towel rolls running from one side to the other with bedding an large water bowl on the cool side of tank, i also have several balled up newpaper pieces all through the tank, with climbing branches. i have presented the food by placing the pinkie outside of his hide right before dark , then covered the tank , i have used this method with defrosted and live pinkies. He just slithers right past it at night

I have alao recently moved him to a more quiet room and have kept him covered more

I dont try to handle him or touch him
Offered every 4 days

craigafrechette · 07-30-20, 08:04 AM

Ok cool. Thanks for the follow-up info.

You MAY need to downsize the enclosure for a while. That's pretty big for a juvenile corn. But I'd try a few more times.

It's great that you're not handling him yet, good job there. You definitely want him to be eating consistently before handling.

You'll want to space out offerings to AT LEAST 5 days apart, but 7 days would be better. Offering too often can actually stress the snake leading to more refusals.

Can you tell us a bit about how you're heating the prey? With pinkies it's actually really easy to begin cooking the prey since they're so small, but at the same time you've got to make sure it's hot enough. They also cool very quickly so you may have to reheat a few times.

I wouldn't stress yet. We'll get you there.

Herpin' Man · 07-30-20, 09:39 AM

Instead of merely setting the pinky down and leaving, try jiggling it in front of the snake with a pair of tongs. This will often entice a strike.
If that fails, try placing the snake in a deli cup overnight, with a live pinky. Washing the pinky to remove the mouse scent, and then dipping it in egg yolk, may also help.
One more question- how was the breeder feeding it?

Fnymatt10! · 07-30-20, 07:02 PM

So i did warm water from the sink until it felt deforsted, theybare small an get warm quick.

I have tried live pinkies as well now that i know where to get live feeders regularly

Also i have provided more hide..recently he seems more relaxed..hanging out on the branches..i shall take advice and wait a solid week before trying again..i feel better knowing they can go longer lol i was really scared for the little guy

The store that sent him said he had just arrived...so i assumed he had not ate..an they did not provide any information

They said when they feed they always use live or defrosted pinkies

I think my cats freaked him out when he first arrived also..i have since seperated them...i have only had adult snakes..babies are.much different ..thanks for help i wamna make sure i do the right thing!!