New Corn - inconsistent / difficult eater

[Nick_MD]

I adopted a new corn snake a few months back, but I've had some trouble getting her to eat consistently. She was born 9/9/22. I tried to set her up similar to my other corn snake who has never refused a meal. She's currently in a 20 gallon with an UTH pad, 3x hides, climbing ops, and CocoBlock substrate. Despite the infrequent eating, she looks small but healthy and has shed twice without issues. The prior owner did indicate she wasn't a great eater.

Feeding Results and Notes:
5/15 - Fuzzy (prior owner)
--- 5/21 Rehomed to me ---
5/23 - Fuzzy (FAIL)
6/6 - Fuzzy (FAIL) - This was a day after her first shed. I was hopeful that was why she didn't eat, but still refused this meal.
6/10 - Fuzzy (1st Success) - By this time I was a little desperate, so fed her in small plastic enclosure where I left a brained fuzzy overnight.
6/24 - Pinkie (FAIL)
6/27 - Pinkie (2nd Success) - Moved to smaller prey b/c the fuzzy left a very large lump.
7/1 - Pinkie (3rd Success)
7/11 - Pinkie (4th Success)
7/15 - Fuzzy (5th Success)
7/23 - Pinkie (FAIL) - Was happy to get some consistency, so tried feeding her in her regular cage. This failed the next few times.
7/27 - Fuzzy (FAIL)
8/2 - Fuzzy (FAIL) - This was a day after 2nd shed. I was hopeful that was why she didn't eat, but still refused this meal.
8/4 - Pinkie (6th Success) - Went back to separate feeding enclosure.
8/12 - Fuzzy (FAIL)

Questions & Notes:
Should I try some other type of heat source besides the UTH? My other corn didn't need it, but I read that heating them up can encourage feeding. She tends to use the middle hide box which is near, but not over the UTH.
Should I try scenting with anole, lizard, or other scent? Could I have thrown any of this off by thawing her mouse with the rats for my boas?
Should I stick with pinkies for now, perhaps 2 per feeding?
Should I keep feeding in separate enclosure until she's much more consistent? She's refused 100% of meals left outside of her hide boxes (or inside).
Any other tips or thoughts?
Handling has been kept to a bare minimum, especially when she's not been eating.
I've brained the mouse in nearly every attempt since the first successful feeding.
I've never actually seen her strike her prey or eat. All successful feedings were in separate enclosure left covered in darkened room for at least an hour.

[Homebody]

What are the warm and cool side temps?

[Bogertophis]

Mice & rats smell & taste vastly different, so do not thaw mice & rats together if you have a snake that won't eat both happily. The smell of rat may signal danger to a small snake (like a corn) that only eats mice & has been a picky eater. Yes, you blew that- so from now on, thaw mice by themselves, & if you want to release a little more mouse scent, I just pinch-damage the rodent's nose with my feeding tongs right before feeding- since thawing in water will wash off some of the scent. Some snakes care, others don't. I've never found "braining" to be helpful in all the corn & other snakes I've raised. Pinching the nose is enough for scent. Feed at night, btw.

Since this snake has accepted mice, I would NOT advise now scenting with anole or other lizard- you do NOT want that to be her preference for life, do you?
And feeding snakes on other reptiles increases danger of parasites & diseases- so no, don't even go there.

As Homebody posted, what are the temps??? -In the snake's home & in the room? I only use UTH (in one corner of each tank) for my corns, but my house is about 69-70* winter & 78-80* in summer. My corn snakes prefer mid- low 70's most of the time. They also enjoy a humid hide. Temp. over the UTH should not exceed low 80's.

Might want to get a stool sample checked for this snake- sometimes parasites can cause these symptoms. A dose of Flagyl (metronidazole) might do the trick, or Panacur (fenbendazole), or both. Flagyl tends to improve appetite in snakes anyway- amoeba issues are not rare in snakes. ONLY USE ONE MEDICATION AT A TIME & light doses are always safer- you (or preferably vet) can always re-do. (Did previous owner feed live, ever?)

Not seeing the snake so I can't advise what size prey is best (pinky or fuzzy)- most likely something "in between". 2 pinkies at a time are also a good way to transition.

I don't advise moving snakes to feed- no idea why you might have had luck with doing so. (temperatures??? privacy???) How big are the hides this snake has?

Sometimes small corn snakes (or other colubrid hatchlings) will eat when left in a small paper lunch bag (not air tight- make a few air holes) with their prey overnight. Do not check until morning- & leave them alone with their f/t (dead) prey. Don't trust a paper bag to be "secure"- leave the bag IN their normal secure cage & NOT over/under the heat.

I find brief sun exposure often perks up a snake's appetite- but never leave in a container outside - snakes can die quickly from heat stroke from sun- always hand carry & for small snakes be mindful of your own body heat that can also overheat a small snake very easily. Keep it brief in warm weather.

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So if still no progress after all the above is patiently addressed, it's possible that either this is a case of "failure to thrive" (it's been almost a year since she was hatched- not "born" - and sometimes a snake may have internal abnormalities that either cause death or make survival a much bigger challenge) or perhaps she was exposed to some sort of chemical* that caused some lasting harm. (*such as improper methods or heavy-handed eradication of mites, for example)

But hopefully not- hopefully you can get her straightened out.

[Nick_MD]

Temps are 79-80 ambient and ~85 over UTH. Humidity is ~50%.

I opted to try the smaller feeding tank because she would just move away anytime I put food in her 20 gallon. Whenever I put food in, I would find her on the opposite side of the tank 1-2 hours later.

I'll definitely not thaw them with rats anymore. I didn't every time previously, but perhaps that contributed. I'll skip the lizard scent idea too then.

The hides are 2 of the 4 inch planter tray bottoms on each side and a roughly 20oz black plastic microwave container that she prefers most (it's taller than the planters).

Forgot to mention that we covered 3 sides of the enclosure for more privacy a week or so ago.

I just weighed her and she's 22g.

I think that hit everything asked, but let me know if I missed something.

[Bogertophis]

That's a gorgeous corn snake!

If your ambient temp. is that warm, turn off the UTH. Turn it back on when it cools down to 75-ish or below. (In the summer, I turn my UTHs off when it's consistently that warm- at least for my corns.) Humidity is fine, they're not real fussy about that.

Make sure her hides are snug for her- corn snakes LOVE crumpled or shredded paper towel to snuggle into- you might try filling (not compacting) the hides so she feels more secure.

And I wouldn't offer more frequently than once every 6-7 days. Too soon can stress snakes, & they need time to feel hungry & brave enough to do something about it.

How do the stools look? (besides too little) Honestly, I would try a low dose* of Flagyl on this snake before too long if the change in thawing her food doesn't help (it's pretty safe & effective)- *I don't recall dosage off the top so look it up or have vet do it- you'd probably have to tube it into her since she's not eating anyway. (I can give you instructions on tube feeding if you want.) Sometimes when snakes (for various reasons) don't eat enough, their body is too weak to fend off minor things (parasites etc) so it's important to get them on track before things can snowball.

Her weight doesn't mean much to me- I don't weigh my snakes unless I need to calculate a dose of something (& that's happily been rare). I go by how they look & act.

Believe me, I know how frustrating this can be.

[Nick_MD]

Fecals look visibly normal. I just cleaned a pile of urates when I went in to get the pic and weigh her. Nothing obviously off with them.

Would you wait 6-7 days even when she's doesn't eat or only eats a single pinkie? I get worried with her low weight that I should try every 3-4. Was thinking about trying again tonight. It's only been 2 days since last attempt, but 10 since she's last eaten.

Most of the growth charts have her at about half of what she should weigh at 11 months. She doesn't look obviously emaciated to me though.

[Bogertophis]

How about waiting 5 days before retrying. Just keep in mind that too often can backfire, but you're seeing & working with this snake, so use your best judgement. But also bear in mind that in the wild, these little snakes don't likely get food anywhere near as often as what we provide, & as with humans, hydration is more essential to life than food. (both are awfully nice though, lol)

I agree she doesn't look emaciated, but keep in mind that a stressed snake (like when being handled) often inflates so they don't look as thin as they really might be.

Keep a dose of Flagyl in mind or ask your vet- if it helps (& I've not seen any harm, it's safe when dosed for the weight of a snake) & boosts her appetite, that's the ballgame.

Try a bit of sunshine too- seen that work too.

And who cares what a chart says? Every snake is different- even one disadvantaged with a slow start can do just fine with the right care. As I said, wild snakes typically grow much slower than our pets with room service.

[Homebody]

I know zilch about corns, so I reviewed the forum's caresheet for them. It said, "Juvenile corns seem to do well in smaller enclosures that make them feel more secure; a small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed & stressed." So, maybe you should consider a smaller enclosure.

[Nick_MD]

Considered the smaller enclosure and was just about there before I had the string of successes. I'm hoping the hides, clutter, and blackening in the 3 sides of the enclosure accomplish roughly the same thing as a smaller tank. Have also considered moving to a dark and quiet part of the house. Will reconsider all of that if I don't get another string of successes soon.

[Bogertophis]

I know zilch about corns, so I reviewed the forum's caresheet for them. It said, "Juvenile corns seem to do well in smaller enclosures that make them feel more secure; a small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed & stressed." So, maybe you should consider a smaller enclosure.

Since she's acting like a hatchling, it might be a good idea to start over & treat her like one. When I hatched out corn snakes (& some of them were awful eaters for a while too) they were raised in "shoebox size" polycarbonate containers w/ ventilated tops (-made for pets- they used to called them "Critter Cottages" etc.). I lined the floor w/ paper towel, then shredded several paper towels for substrate, & layered another paper towel most of the way over the shreds, & held that in place with a small water bowl, so they could weave in & out of the shreds (like leaf litter would be outside) & feel very well hidden. Small hides or cardboard rolls can be added too. Just kept everything low-key until they had a good feeding record, then they moved up to bigger "apartments".

Another option I endorse (& have used for various colubrids, esp. kings): https://beanfarm.com/products/herpatat-hide-out-small (And you did say she liked the black container?)

In this case, the water bowl sits in the recessed area on top- you can put lots of fluff (shreds or crumpled pieces) inside the hide, & when you feed the snake, just leave it near the edge of the hole at night- the snake will feel safe & hidden enough to grab it & eat where they feel safe.

Either way, when snakes get braver & used to eating with humans around (& most eventually learn to eat from tongs -corns are usually great feeders) their housing can change with their "maturity" & skills.

Has this snake ever been fed live pinkies? I would certainly try that- just to get her feeding. Most of the snakes I've raised had live first, just to help establish their recognition of prey. After that, some will accept f/t right off, otherwise when they're big enough to eat say 2 pinkies, you give them one live + one f/t- they usually make the leap easily, & you can feed all f/t once they've had several meals that way- you've taught them to recognize f/t prey. Maybe she was rushed to f/t & never got a good transition- snake have to follow their instincts first, & then learn to generalize.