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7 Posts |
 Posted - 06/08/2008 : 13:38:48
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You probably get this all the time but i must be going wrong somewhere.
I can't get my corn to eat. I've had him for about 4 weeks and he's only eaten 1 fuzzy the whole time, I leave them in there but he won't even take a second look.
I leave them to fully defrost, I wiggle them in front of him, I tried warming them up with a hairdryer, I tried feeding him at night but he's just not interested.
Starting to worry now.
Can anybody suggest anything? |
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Blackecho
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
4379 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 13:57:06
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Hello and welcome to the forum,hopefully we can help you.
Could you give a few more details please?
How old is your Corn?
When did he last feed? - how long after you got him?
How is the viv set up? - What temps and how are they controlled?
What size viv?
How often do you handle him?
Did you get a feeding/shedding record when you got him?
When did he last shed? |
 
www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum
Location: Rotherham
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7 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:15:27
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I think he's about 18 months old (possibly), about 2ft long.
he fed about 10 days after I first got him but even that was a struggle to get him to eat and it was at night he ate it. so that was about 2-3 weeks ago.
I've got a 60cm x 40cm x 40cm viv. that's got about 2 inches deep of chipping and a heat mat on the right hand side wall. next to the heat mat is half a hollowed out peice of wood as a hide. on the front left is the water bowl, and behind that is a piece of dry wood for climbing and running along the back wall is some plastic foliage stuff. (i'd put in a picture if i knew how lol)
the temps aren't really controlled, there's just a heat mat pinned to the right hand wall
I handle him pretty minutes every day, no less than 20 minutes, no more than an hour
he shed about a week and a half ago but i didn't get any paperwork about when he last shed
he does act a bit weirdly when i go to pick him up sometimes though he tries to push my hand away by arching his back... he sometimes shakes his tail like a rattlesnake too, dunno if that has anything to do with it.
thanks for the reply |
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Kazerella
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
3093 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:33:44
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They shake their tails when they are nervous and it's a defensive tactic to try and scare you away.
Maybe he's just too nervous and hasn't really settled in yet. Try not handling him for a few days to see if he calms down.
Food wise, you've just to keep trying. Sometimes leaving him in a confined, dark area with the mouse for a while can help. Otherwise braining is a good option. You just have to make an incision on the mouse's head to let the smell of the brain out. This sometimes tempts non-eaters.
Keep us updated! |
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7 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:36:53
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i did leave him with a mouse in a shoe box over night too... forgot about that one.
still didn't work though |
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306 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:46:51
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have you got a thermometer in there reading the temp, if yes what is the temp?
if no you really need to get one, it might be too hot for him to want to do anything. |
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7 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:56:21
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| ok, where abouts in the viv should i put it? |
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Blackecho
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
4379 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 18:57:22
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You really ought to have a stat with the heat mat to control the temp. You can pick up a Mat Stat for £20.
Would like to know the temperature in there.
Also, is the only hide in the viv at the hot end?
18 months old and only 2 foot sounds quite small, do you know how much he weighs? - It might be worth keeping a weekly check to make sure he's not losing weight. |
www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum
Location: Rotherham
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 22:47:53
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| put the heat mat on the floor if it's a wooden viv or underneath the tank if it's a plastic one, he'll be struggling to get warm with it on the wall. don't handle him at all for a few days then try a feed, if he's not interested and it's properly defrosted and heated (to give it a smell) gently tap his tail with the fuzzy repeatedly, this will get his attention and might annoy him enough to strike at the mouse. although a lot of people feed out of the viv (me included) feeding him in his viv where it's familiar and he feels secure may help. if it's a plastic/glass viv enclose 3 sides so he feels more secure and if he's stuck the mouse or if you're leaving it in with him for 24hours try covering the front of the viv too so it's properly dark |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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306 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 22:53:22
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if you have got a thermometer, put it at the hot end of the viv and get a reading from there, you want the temp at 30*c.
have you got anything covering your heatmat? you say you have it on the wall, it may be a better option to put it on the floor and put your bark on top of it. first things first get a temp reading in the viv. |
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7 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:34:35
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I'll try moving the heat mat and I'll get a thermometer too. He's quite cold to touch but i have quite warm hands anyway... should he be cold to me or about the same temperature?
When i check on him he's always at the oposite side of the viv to the heat mat
this is my viv... is it right or shall i move it about? |
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306 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:44:01
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| what are the measurements of your heatmat, you only want it to cover 1/3 of the floor space in your viv. |
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7 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:47:25
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| I think if i put the heatmat under the chips it'll take up half of the floorspace |
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306 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:57:43
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| yeah thats what i thought it looks quite big in the picture, i would probably leave it where it is then, but you must get themometers to get a reading asap, you really need to be getting a reading in the hides where your snake is, i have 2, one either end, and as blackecho suggested a matstat, this will control the temp your mat will get to so it won't get too hot in there |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 15:00:47
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quote:
Originally posted by rasputin101
You probably get this all the time .....
.....Can anybody suggest anything?
using the 'Search' button on the top right of the page  |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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Blackecho
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
4379 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 15:18:18
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If you've not got a thermostat the heatmat is likely to be too hot and you will end up with a poorly or burned snake. Even putting it under the substrate is insufficient as the snake may burrow. If its a wooden viv you could put some vinyl over it to stop the snake getting to it, if it has a glass/plastic bottom you can put the mat under the viv.
PS. Nice looking snake, is it a Butter or something like that? |
www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum
Location: Rotherham
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7 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2008 : 08:28:22
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Ok I got a statmat, put it under the chips and put some hard plastic thing over the top of it.
I stabbed the fluffy in the skull so a bit of brain was hangin out and i put him in a small (but not too small) box with knife holes in the top and put the box in the viv so it was warm enough with a familiar smell. Then i put a sheet over the viv to make it really dark.
Since doin that, he's eaten 2!
I think he might be fixed.
THANKS EVERYONE!!!!! |
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saddleninja
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1400 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2008 : 08:29:18
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| nice one |
1 amel
1 okeette
2 normals
1 rosy rat x
3 royals
1 cali king
1 publean milk
1 yemen chameleon
2 orange spotted agamas
1 colombian rainbow boa |
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306 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2008 : 08:41:02
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| well done, good to hear he's feeding now. |
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Blackecho
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
4379 Posts |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 14/08/2008 : 13:08:18
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| congrats! |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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