hathling kenyans

bulls eye ball · 08-01-03, 03:35 PM

hi i just got a pair of hathling kenyan sand boas and i'm having a hard time getting them to eat i'm trying them on frozen pinkies but they don't want them should i try live ? .thanks bullseyeball

Invictus · 08-01-03, 06:32 PM

Hatchlings should always be started out on live pinkies. One you go to prekilled, make sure they are FRESH, or the Kenyans won't take them. Pinkies rot very quickly.

BoidKeeper · 08-01-03, 06:47 PM

Sorry to be picky guys but baby boas don't hatch from eggs so therefore they can't be called hatchlings cause they didn't hatch. They're neonates. Pet peeve, sorry had to do it.
So anyway try a live pinkie inside an opaque container over night with a piece of crumpled up paper towel covering the snake and the pinkie.
Also worth mentioning if you just got them give them a week or even two to acclimate to their new surroundings before trying to feed them. If you "just" got them then they are probably stressed and wont eat until they are un-stressed. The best way to un-stress them is first meet their husbandry needs and second leave them alone for a week or two.
Good luck,
Trevor

Removed_2815 · 08-01-03, 07:22 PM

It's a pet peeve of mine too BoidKeeper

To avoid being castrated, though, I usually just keep my pet peeves to myself, LOL!
Cheers

bulls eye ball · 08-01-03, 07:35 PM

well i got them both to eat a frozen pinkie thanks for your help lol

BoidKeeper · 08-01-03, 08:25 PM

Great! What'd you do?
Trevor

Batdad · 08-01-03, 09:20 PM

Boid, great piece of trivia.

Thanks
Bruce

bulls eye ball · 08-02-03, 09:55 AM

i just put the head of the pinkie in there mouth and they slowly and i mean slowly swallowed it.thanks

Stockwell · 08-02-03, 03:22 PM

All baby Erycines(and most baby snakes)are best started on live food.
They are ambush feeders and also usually need to be covered with substrate. They will strike upward from below the prey.
What you did is called assit feeding. Nothing wrong with it if you have the time, but try live food next time and keep them in very small quarters, like a deli container where the scent will be concentrated and the movement easily detected. They usually eat in darkness, and having temps up near 90F helps too.

bulls eye ball · 08-02-03, 03:31 PM

ya but i don't want to have to change them back on to frozen i don't feed my snakes live.

BoidKeeper · 08-02-03, 05:12 PM

Quote:

ya but i don't want to have to change them back on to frozen i don't feed my snakes live.

Then I'm sorry my friend but you got yourself the wrong snake. You should have known that they almost always need live food to get them going before you bought it if you are so dead against feeding live food. You were just given advice by the best sand boa breeder in the country and you threw it back at him. The advice on these snakes doesn't get any better then that. If your not going to listen to that guy then all I can say is good luck to you and your snake because your not going to get him switched to F/T by assist feeding.
Trevor

bulls eye ball · 08-02-03, 05:34 PM

WELL WE'LL SEE LOL

bulls eye ball · 08-02-03, 05:47 PM

ok heres a care sheet that you can feed baby live or frozen look under feeding

SUNDIAL

REPTILE
Quality Herpetoculture
by
Loren & Dana Pennebaker

Kenyan Sand Boa
care sheet

Housing:
These small snakes can be housed in as small as a 10 gallon enclosure, but the larger the better. Enclosures should typically be longer than they are high. You may choose from numerous different types of enclosures, including glass or plastic tubs. Be aware that these little guys are great escape artists, and you should make sure that you have a secure lid.

Lighting/heating:
The key to heating your enclosure is providing a temperature gradient from a hot basking zone, to a cooler hide area. Basking temps should be in the lower-90s. The cooler zone should be around 80 degrees or lower. Make sure ample hiding space is available. You may opt to heat from above or below for these snakes.

Substrate/cage decor
There are numerous options for substrate. Sand boas typically do well on aspen shavings, playsand, or newspaper. Do not use cedar shavings, the oils can kill your pet. Some people opt for newspaper in fear of the snakes digesting substrate, but we have found that a combination of playsand and aspen works well and is more natural and comfortable for the boas. Sand boas spend most of their time below the substrate, poking their heads out occasionally for food and water. If you use newspaper, make sure there are lots of hiding spots for your snake to feel secure. Decorative rocks, logs and fake plants may also be nice in your enclosure.

Feeding:
Sand boas are relatively easy to feed. Hatchlings should be fed small pinkie mice (live or thawed). Adults can eat fuzzy mice or small hoppers. We suggest removing your snake from it's enclosure to feed. Deli cups or sweater boxes work well for this task. Make sure to be as gentle as possible when returning the boas to their enclosure so as not to disturb their full tummies.
Water: We leave a water-dish inside the boa enclosure and put a little water in it 1-2 times per week (especially after feeding). Don't leave a lot of water in there for long as sand boas become ill in humid conditions.

We typically have Kenyan Sand Boas for sale during summer

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lanalizard · 08-02-03, 06:20 PM

My kenyan is eating frozen thawed rat pups...yes, she does take a half hour to an hour eating it but its worth it knowing that your snake is eating and healthy. Avoid assist feeding if you dont have to do it as for the reason your snake isnt eating is because of stress going into a new home and assist feeding will just stress it out more.
Just wanted to ad my 2 cents

Invictus · 08-02-03, 06:45 PM

F/T Rat pups?!?!?! How big is your Kenyan??? I'd like to see pics of it eating a rat pup. Man, I thought I was feeding a larger than normal prey item by giving my NEONATE (Sorry BoidKeeper, heehehe) a fuzzy. Mind you, he took that with NO hesitation, so he gets a frozen one next time.

BullsEyeBall - You should not worry about feeding live pinkies. They have no claws, no teeth, and no way to harm your snake. Fuzzies have small claws, but they have no strength to harm a snake. After your Erycine knows the smell of its prey, getting it onto frozen isn't a problem... if it's done young.