feeding babies...ahhhhh...help

ssnakeboy · 06-30-07, 03:36 PM

Finally
I have had babies and now I am having trouble feeding them, I have tried pinkies, rubbed in anole smell and blood, artificial scented pinkies, pinkies with brain exposed, pinkies rubbed on rat and I have as last resort had to assist feed them pinky heads! I have only one out of 5 that eats well, what else can I do? I have just had another batch of eggs hatch and I am dreading any more fussy eaters.........help. Does anyone have any good tricks to try?

The Snake Guru · 06-30-07, 11:21 PM

What kind of snakes are we talking here?
~B~

ssnakeboy · 06-30-07, 11:25 PM

They are green tree pythons

TailsW/Scales · 07-01-07, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssnakeboy

They are green tree pythons

Sadly GTP babies are not always the most willing feeders regardless of what you do. Given the babies size are you trying fresh /newborn pinks? Sometimes the little ones love freshies.

One method that had worked for me was newborn pinks held by the tail with hemostats and gently tap the little neonate with the pinky. This causes a strike and more often then not a wrap. Again this is in my experience. Also was seemed to help the small ones was to boost up their humidity and heat. I'm talking like boosting the heat by one degree at a time. Couple that with the boosted humidity and the babies would eat.

If you are new to GTP babies then you may want (depending on your heat controls) only try this in serious baby steps and watch everything like a hawk.

How are your little babies set up? Can you post a picture and I can help you further and tell you how I had mine set up.
A female I used to have

The Snake Guru · 07-01-07, 12:16 PM

I'm going to have to agree with Christine on this....I've heard the tail tap works really well.

I guess I never ran into any issues with mine so I won't be much help here, but the advice already offered above is sound and you should follow it.

~B~

gonesnakee · 07-01-07, 02:21 PM

How often are they being "pestered" with prey. If its more than once every 5-7 days thats what you are doing is pestering them, likely turning them off prey for even longer. Try once a week & do so at night. Are they all individually contained? If not do so ASAP. The sooner they are all kept individually the sooner they will eat. Keep them in shoebox rubbermaids or smaller & offer them the prey in their houses. Only interaction should be to change their water & to offer prey until they are established. Of course a nice quiet low traffic area is best as well. How old are they? Remember until they hatched all they did their whole lives prior was eat. Sometimes its just a matter of waiting them out. How long did you wait prior assist feeding them? If it was less than a month or 2, it was too soon. Unless they were/are becoming thin & lethargic that is. Good luck with them, Mark

ssnakeboy · 07-12-07, 10:12 PM

I am attempting to feed every 4 days, perhaps too often. They were 6 weeks old when I began trying to assist feed. I have gently tapped tails noses and necks. I have offered fresh pinkies live and dead. They have been fed pinky heads x3 and they are looking thinand getting wrinkles, I am close to freezing them cause I feel that I have tried everything????? and I dont want thwm to suffer starvation.

ToddBecker · 07-13-07, 11:23 AM

I would have to say if the whole clutch is nto eating then it is probably something to do with their set-up. You never did mention how they were set up and what the conditions are. ANd how is freezing them to death any more humane then starvation. Yes it would be quicker then starvation but it is far from instant. DO not give up on these guys and if you do give them to someone with the knowledge and ability to care for them properly. Todd

reptilenut4sure · 07-18-07, 04:05 PM

I dont know if you have gotten them to eat yet. But I know that a couple of my baby snakes wouldn't eat either. I tried almost everything. So I tried a fuzzy/hopper mouse and they took it right away. It was a little big but now he's eating just fine. You might try somthing with hair? Just a idea.

gonesnakee · 07-18-07, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptilenut4sure

I dont know if you have gotten them to eat yet. But I know that a couple of my baby snakes wouldn't eat either. I tried almost everything. So I tried a fuzzy/hopper mouse and they took it right away. It was a little big but now he's eating just fine. You might try somthing with hair? Just a idea.

Excellent point! I too find that baby Boids will not accept prey sometimes if it does not have hair. Small fuzzies work good, Mark

TailsW/Scales · 07-18-07, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reptilenut4sure

I dont know if you have gotten them to eat yet. But I know that a couple of my baby snakes wouldn't eat either. I tried almost everything. So I tried a fuzzy/hopper mouse and they took it right away. It was a little big but now he's eating just fine. You might try somthing with hair? Just a idea.

I'm sorry but I am going to have to disagree. Baby GTP's are senstive and anything to large almost always causes them to regurge and if they do that good luck getting them to feed at all. Smaller is better when feeding neonates. Larger more mobile mice tend to also make the snake afraid and they won't eat it.

Again this is just in my experiences.

gonesnakee · 07-18-07, 07:19 PM

Another good point for GTPs vs other Boids, Mark

ssnakeboy · 07-21-07, 04:29 PM

I have taken some advice and boosted temp by two degrees and another baby ate. They are at 86.5 degrees in tupperware containers just a bit smaller than a shoe box with many aeration holes on walls and lid. I mist them daily just enough so it is mostly dry before the next misting the paper towel in the bottom may still be a bit damp. Fresh distilled water only and a water bowl and a piece of dowelling to wrap and hang on. They are all individually housed and I disturb them as little as possible. The ambient room humidity is 77% outside of their misted containers. I have decided to continue trying and i appreciate all of your advice. I find that they will strike but not grab and if they grab then they just drop it. When I offer pinkies they seem to just want to cruise past the pinkie with no interest, and they only strike if I tap-tap-tap-tap-tap over and over the whole process can take up to 30-45 mins per snake x11. I am trying not to assist feed if i can avoid it but when the get wrinkly I feel they need something to get them by? I am an experienced snake keeper and I have had GTP's for years, just not neonates and I find this very challenging. I cant understand how it seems so easy for everyone else? maybe i will try a fuzzy head nxt time i have to use a pinky head that way it will not be too big because i am concerned that a whole fuzzy is too big.

gonesnakee · 07-21-07, 04:41 PM

Distilled water? Very bad idea. You know that distilled water "leaches" minerals etc. from the snakes when they drink it right? I know of a few folks who have had their babies die by using distilled water for drinking water. Distilled water is not meant to be consumed unless you are on a "cleansing diet" & even then it is not safe to drink large quanties of it. Mark

Kim Burge · 08-30-07, 07:09 AM

Don't know if you're still struggling with feeding your neonates but don't feel like you're the only one with this problem. Chondros are known problem feeders as neonates. Getting them started is a learned art and one best taught in person by someone with experience. Thankfully I had someone show me a couple of months into my first clutch and my second clutch was MUCH easier to start. I actually posted a couple of feeding videos on my web site for those with stubborn chondro neonates. Take a look at it and see if you find it helpful. I find that most people aren't been aggressive enough or spending enough time on each neonate. Also, I try stubborn feeders every 3-4 days. I start assist feeding pinky heads within the first month if they're aren't taking pinkies on their own.

Southern Chondros - Feeding Videos

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.