First Time Eaters Hatchling Help

[bcr229]

No, a hopper is old enough to start chewing on your snake and cause damage.

[Galaxygirl]

No, a hopper is old enough to start chewing on your snake and cause damage.

That's what I thought. A mouse fuzzy should be fine though, yeah?

[Galaxygirl]

So it's the third week now that we've been trying to feed them live rat pinkies and still none have eaten. The only pet shop we can find within an hour around here only has rats rights now so we've been unable to try any live mice. We've given all the hatchlings around two inches of aspen. Temperatures are 92 on warm side and 80 on cold side. They seemed interested and were flicking their tongues a lot when we put it in, so we thought they would take them. We left them alone overnight, and not one ate again. Is this unusual? One has lost 5grams since and is sitting at 46g. When do we assist feed?

[Alicia]

If this guy is representative of what they look like, I wouldn't assist feed yet, although other folks' mileage may vary.

Showing interest is a good sign, that they're not taking means something isn't quite click. It's not unusual for baby BPs to not take rat pinks. Some people think it's movement, some people think it's the lack of fur, some think it's lack of smell. You can try leaving the pinks in with some dirty mouse bedding to help them pick up scent.

I still suggest lowering the temperature. By several degrees. Take the hotspot down to 88-89. Do they babies use the hides an overwhelming majority of the time, or are they frequently out, like the little guy in the picture?

[Albert Clark]

Is it safe to leave them through the night with a live Mouse Hopper?

Yes, but imo the hopper wont be in there for long. Especially when it gets really dark in the room or enclosure. It has a lot to do with the heat signature coupled with the natural movement of the live hopper. Not to mention the almost total darkness! Good luck. Peace. Don't forget to support USARK and donate to the lawsuit against USFWS and the overturning of "the lacey act".

[Galaxygirl]

So on top of the aspen on their hot spot reads at around 85 degrees usually. We have the heat set to 90. It only reaches 85 on the top of the aspen, and can get up to 95 way down underneath the aspen! The probe is in a cage with aspen, just like the hatchlings. Isn't this an issue? What would you recommend to do? Obviously I want the top to be a good 89 degrees, but if they burrow I'm concerned.

I would like to say most of the time they're wedged BEHIND their hides and not actually in them. They push the aspen around which makes the door to the hides obstructed and will make the hides sit at awkward angles where it looks like they can't get in unless they burrow from under and up into it.. Unless I fix the hides multiple times a day then I usually just see them behind the hides. I just looked now and half are in their hides (An hour ago I just adjusted their cages so that aspen wasn't obstructing).

We also rubbed the pinkies on a warmed F/T adult mouse that we had in hopes of the smell helping.

[Albert Clark]

I agree with Alicia. Consider mixing a little cypress mulch in with the aspen. Maybe a 40% mix of the 100% cypress mulch. Either the Zoo MED brand or the "all living things" brand. Let them kind of acclimate to the substrate change, maybe skip the next scheduled feeding then pick it up after that. Don't get any cypress mulch from home depot. You can get the right one from petco, petsmart right away. Good luck.

[Galaxygirl]

They always somehow dig out the aspen in the way back causing the hide to fall back into a ravine, tipping up like this. After this happens they usually abandon the hide and wedge themselves between the back of the hide and the tub.

[Albert Clark]

Also, I would tease feed before I assist feed any way. Keep trying, its a process. Let us know about the progress. Good luck again!

[Family Jewels]

Is it safe to leave them through the night with a live Mouse Hopper?

I have the best luck offering live pinky rats as a first meal. Immediately upon hatching, I give each baby their own shoebox with a hide and water dish. A few days after shedding, I place a live pinky rat in each cage and usually within 15 minutes every baby is constricting. The benefit is that if you have to leave the prey in longer, a pinky can't do anything to hurt the snake. I wouldn't leave a hopper mouse in overnight.

After an initial live meal, the next week I offer f/t rat pinkies and they eat like pigs.