That's typical only of a young hatchling- look how small they are. It takes time for tiny colubrid snakes to grow.
How long ago did you have this snake? Because I'm thinking it may also have been a wild-caught. And if it came from a pet-store, may have been shipped, also.
My first TP was an apparent w/c adult from a pet store, many years ago. To make matters worse, the idiotic store employees had been teasing that snake to make her hiss & strike defensively. Happily that store went out of business- they were known for selling w/c imports with mites & all sorts of issues. I was still fairly new to snakes at that time but I couldn't leave her there- she came home with me.
She stunk badly from her own musk & the filthy cage they had her in. I felt so sorry for her, there was no leaving her there, & after a while with me in an ideal set-up (40 gal breeder tank with heat & hides, etc) she was a calm & happy camper. Initially got her eating by offering her live fuzzy mice- no apologies- & it was interesting because you could almost see a smile on her face. Not only that, but she would eat them calmly out of my hand, as long as I held them one at a time between my fingers so the mouse protruded & she could easily take it without biting me. If the fuzzy was on my flat palm, she didn't take it- you could see that she wanted it, but it was almost as if she was trying to avoid biting me. I loved that snake for many years, & had no trouble getting her on pre-killed mice & baby rats thereafter. These are seemingly smart & naturally calm sweet snakes when provided the right environment. Patience & empathy goes a long way with snakes.
I went on to breed Trans Pecos (how I avoided keeping them all is beyond me?), & also I later got a pair of c/b hatchlings from a great source. Before they arrived (air shipped) I knew they'd be quite stressed & they were also shipped right out of the egg per my agreement with the seller (it was either that or wait until spring, as these are usually hatched in late fall, & the source lives in Maine). So I did something I've never done for hatchlings before or since- I used some light cardboard box lids to construct rather elaborate (though small) maze-hides for each one (separately housed, of course). They took to them right away & throughout the days I'd see them peeking out of the various little doors- cutest darn things!
Pretty soon, they were in & out, exploring happily & feeling safe, knowing they could easily return to their shelters. In the wild, these prefer sheltering in & around rocks & such.
It was sad when they out-grew those hides, & being cardboard anyway, it was also a matter of cleanliness too. But they served their purpose- those little snakes ate soon after arrival because they felt safe & warm. Never had a bit of trouble feeding them. Again, they didn't stay in those hides, but made regular excursions to explore their tanks- without me handling them for quite a while btw. (Yes, glass tanks- I'm not a fan of "tubs" & "shoeboxes", & being desert snakes, these REQUIRE good air-flow for health reasons.) Their natural curiosity took over- while at first I fed them on top of their hides (within reach of a doorway) it didn't take long for them to completely come out for meals. You might have to make a little effort to befriend a shy nocturnal Trans Pecos, especially a hatchling, but with the right mindset, I think you'll find them worthwhile. As always though, we don't all love the same things.
And with all tiny colubrids, watch but don't handle them for a while, until they're feeding regularly & gain a bit of size.
The two I still have are both up in years now- one is the 14-year old male c/b of that "just out of the egg" het pair I've been describing, & he's about 5' long. The other is an unrelated 'normal' male I obtained from another source as a yearling- he's now 15. (I prefer their natural markings to the blond & silver versions, of which that pair is/was het for.) Sadly the female het passed last year of a medical issue that my vet was unable to help with.
Originally Posted by Bogertophis
That's typical only of a young hatchling- look how small they are. It takes time for tiny colubrid snakes to grow.
Reply With Quote