fostering a non-eating baby sandboa

[Shelby]

I'm fostering a baby kenyan sand boa which they bought the week before christmas, and it hasn't eaten yet for them. It is a very young baby. Maybe 5" long, and it does appear that she has lost some weight because she has a bit of a neck, and sand boas are known for their necklessness.

I had been walking them through the husbandry requirements for sand boas (they bought it from a pet store which told them nothing useful) the owner (a boy) has been handling her a lot even though I told them it's not a good idea at this point. He also rearranged the whole cage on her.. a 20 gallon tank I might add. I told them that a shoebox is much better, but they want to be able to see her and they are tight on cash so even buying a 10 gallon wasn't easy.

They did buy two ranco t-stats and 2' of flexwatt from Matt, which is very good. They have been offering f/t pinks to her every week, but she hasn't eaten any of them. She shed once for them.

So, now I have her because they're about ready to give up. She's in a shoebox with a good temperature gradient and lots to burrow in. About 5 days after I recieved her I offered her a newborn live pink. I plopped it in front of her in her cage. She flicked her tongue at it and seemed interested, but she eventually backed off of it. I left it overnight, but to no avail.

Last night (only a few days after the initial offering) I put her in a deli cup with another live pink. This one was a bit big for her, but I had nothing else to offer her. She was left overnight in her cage in the deli cup, but she didn't take it.

I'm sorry this is long, but I'm wondering if buying a pinky pump and assist feeding her would be a good idea. I don't want this baby to wither away on me.

[lars5277]

I thought I read something a while back when I was researching sand boas that dipping the pinky in chicken broth would help. I think it was something about the chicken being a stronger aroma and more appealing taste. If that doesn't work, I would force feed then if if has been off feed for a LONG time.

[SatanicIntention]

What I would do, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to, is to gently restrain the snake and take a f/k pinky mouse(newborn-small as possible) and lightly push the pink up against the snake's mouth, causing the snake to open it's mouth. Then let the snake swallow at will. It may even help to brain the pinky and spread a little bit of the brain matter on the sandboa's nose to stimulate that feeding response.

You may want to give the snake a piece of paper towel or newspaper to hide under. They seem to like the weight.

Hope that helped.

[Shelby]

I will try that, Becky. I have tried braining pinks with fussy colubrids, and it's done the trick.

[Colin Vestrand]

this may sound kinda dumb, but bear with me...

in a snake husbandry book by bartlett they mentioned that when they've had problems feeding sand boas they introduce crickets. they say that a cricket accidentally got into one of the enclosures of a kenyan sand boa that hadn't eaten yet and it ate it... ever since then they've fed crickets to the non-feeders and after a few feedings they take a cricket scented pinky. the book said they preferred that to a pinky pump for this species because the neonates are so small.

[jknudson]

I know its only been a day, but how's the little one doing? Did you try braining?

Good luck, I hope it pulls through.

[Shelby]

Hmm.. cricket scenting is interesting. I will keep that in mind.

I haven't offered food again, I don't want to stress the baby out too much. Perhaps tomorrow.

[Shelby]

Ok folks, no luck. Today I took a f/t day old pink and held the snake and touched her on the face with the pinky.. rubbed her nose in it, tried enticing her.. didn't work. So, I brained the thing.. got yellow pinky brain all over my fingers.. touched the snake with the brained pinky, and she looks at me like I'm crazy to think she'd eat such a foul thing.. left her in the deli cup with the brained pink and some shredded paper to hide in.. nothing. I even tried cricket scenting, nothing.

I'm not sure if we have any chicken broth.. I've heard that egg yolk can work.. anyone know anything about that?

[cassandra]

Poor little thing...=(

[Colin Vestrand]

did you try actually giving it a couple crickets? that's what the breeders i was talking about did. dunno if he'd eat them or not, but some nutrition would be better than none.

i feel your pain though i lost a spotted python because it stopped eating, then started, then stopped and died.