Feeding young Brown dekays snake!?!?!?!?

StuDude · 03-12-12, 10:01 AM

Feeding young Brown dekays snake!?!?!?!?

I joined this site because I NEED feeding advice. My 3 year old brother came in the house holding a little snake and threw it at someone. I ran into the room because I heard the word "snake" and I took it from him. Anyway, I have this young Storeria dekayi (probably 8 inches, I guess thats not THAT young, based on what I know about them) and I don't know how to feed it. I know WHAT to feed it, (worms, small slugs, little bugs) but I tried putting a bunch of worms in the cage right in front of him, but he didn't eat. Then I put him in a small tupperware container (no distractions) with a few worms, and he didn't eat there either.

HHEEELLP ME BEFORE IT DIES!

infernalis · 03-12-12, 10:56 AM

My first recommendation would be to find a nice wooded place and release the snake.

If you do keep it, then it will need to calm down from the ordeal of being thrown before it will eat.

No bugs, Dekayi snakes do not eat bugs, they are a specialist feeder that eats only slugs/snail and worms.

they also prefer humidity and cool temperatures.

alessia55 · 03-12-12, 10:59 AM

Release it. It's obviously a wild snake that can care for itself in the wild. Being thrown, then grabbed, then put into a container, and surrounded with worms, is all very, VERY stressful for the snake.

If you're interested in having a snake, I recommend you buy a CBB one (captive bred and born).

infernalis · 03-12-12, 11:17 AM

see the post I just made in his first thread..

alessia55 · 03-12-12, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

see the post I just made in his first thread..

I read it. I don't see anything wrong with what I wrote here or there...

infernalis · 03-12-12, 11:21 AM

I don't either Alessia, If he had some endangered species, I would agree fully.

But many of the best keepers I know started out catching a garter snake or a dekayi.

It's a great starting point.

youngster · 03-12-12, 11:26 AM

Try chopping up some worms whole ones might be too big depending on what kind they are.

Also you could try fish, (organic, no salt) trout and tilapia are good choices.

infernalis · 03-12-12, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngster

Try chopping up some worms whole ones might be too big depending on what kind they are.

Also you could try fish, (organic, no salt) trout and tilapia are good choices.

WRONG.. Fish works great with garters, not storeria species.

I have worked with probably 50 or more counting babies, and they do not take fish like garter snakes do.

youngster · 03-12-12, 11:31 AM

Really? Oh, then I'm sorry, I kinda assumed they had similar eating habits.
My bad, carry on

**Aaron_S** · 03-12-12, 12:22 PM

Kid, first of all listen to Wayne. Second of all snakes don't eat every minute of every day. It won't die without food for a day.

Lastly, I recommend learning about snakes in general before you keep one.

StuDude · 03-12-12, 12:56 PM

OK, guys, I'm not a TOTAL noob. I do know about snakes. I've had snakes before, (corn, green) and no, I don't want to let it go.
I got the snake a while ago, and I know its a reptile, so it doesn't need to eat "every minute of every day".
After I read this, I tried chopping up the worms, and that didn't work. So then I changed my terrarium a bit
(newspaper instead of dirt and leaves) and tried giving him the worm. He ate it immediately. I guess he didnt like dirt as a substrate.

thanks anyway!

I'll keep all your advice JIC!

alessia55 · 03-12-12, 01:16 PM

Glad he ate!
Where are you located? Have you found out if it's legal to keep a native snake?

exwizard · 03-12-12, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuDude

OK, guys, I'm not a TOTAL noob. I do know about snakes. I've had snakes before, (corn, green) and no, I don't want to let it go.
I got the snake a while ago, and I know its a reptile, so it doesn't need to eat "every minute of every day".
After I read this, I tried chopping up the worms, and that didn't work. So then I changed my terrarium a bit
(newspaper instead of dirt and leaves) and tried giving him the worm. He ate it immediately. I guess he didnt like dirt as a substrate.

thanks anyway!

I'll keep all your advice JIC!

Hear hear! This is good.

StuDude · 03-12-12, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alessia55

Where are you located? Have you found out if it's legal to keep a native snake?

I looked on the internet and the snakes that are not allowed to own are either endangered or venomous. That's just what I found, though. And to my understanding, dekays are fairly common.

StuDude · 03-12-12, 02:36 PM

Newspaper is a safe substrate, right?