Re: Q's about Mandarin Ratsnake babies...

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Posted by Pedersen, S�e on September 26, 2000 at 15:11:57:

In Reply to: Q's about Mandarin Ratsnake babies... posted by Mr. Jones on September 25, 2000 at 21:00:53:

Hi Mr. Jones
After breeding something like 100 babies of mandarins over the years, I have learned some of the behaviour on this lovely snake.
Most of mandarin babies volunteraly eats after their first shedding. They prefer small food items and for very small juveniles it can be nessesary to use aborted mice as food because the normal pinckies are too big.
In some clutches (This happens mostly from very young females) there are some of the juveniles that will not eat on their own for some time. When this happens for me, I place a mousetail in their mouth and they swallow it without any problems. If they continue to reject food, I place them in a short hibernation for a period of about 3-4 weeks and they always starts after that.
Many people has experienced that mandarins will reject food especially in the summertime. My adults eats 90% of their annual food in spring and autum. If you keep them cold they normally continue to eat all the time.
There are actually only two problems with captive bred mandarins:
1. If they are overfed (like corns) they often develob fat liver and die after 1� or 2 years looking healthy to the very end. I feed my juveniles with 1 pincky every 10 days for the first 2 years.
2. Don`t overheat them. Keep them at a temp of 22-25* Celcius and even lower at night if possible.
I found that hibernation are helpful to their health condition and hibernate all animals every year. The juveniles for about 4 weeks and the adults up to 6� months (normally 3� months).
Be aware that the mandarins are living in a very large area with different climate and they should be kept accordingly.
Best wishes
S�e

Reptilia-Denmark

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THANKS.....i learned a lot :) np Mr. Jones 09/26/00 (0)

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: Hi Mr. Jones : After breeding something like 100 babies of mandarins over the years, I have learned some of the behaviour on this lovely snake. : Most of mandarin babies volunteraly eats after their first shedding. They prefer small food items and for very small juveniles it can be nessesary to use aborted mice as food because the normal pinckies are too big. : In some clutches (This happens mostly from very young females) there are some of the juveniles that will not eat on their own for some time. When this happens for me, I place a mousetail in their mouth and they swallow it without any problems. If they continue to reject food, I place them in a short hibernation for a period of about 3-4 weeks and they always starts after that. : Many people has experienced that mandarins will reject food especially in the summertime. My adults eats 90% of their annual food in spring and autum. If you keep them cold they normally continue to eat all the time. : There are actually only two problems with captive bred mandarins: : 1. If they are overfed (like corns) they often develob fat liver and die after 1� or 2 years looking healthy to the very end. I feed my juveniles with 1 pincky every 10 days for the first 2 years. : 2. Don`t overheat them. Keep them at a temp of 22-25* Celcius and even lower at night if possible. : I found that hibernation are helpful to their health condition and hibernate all animals every year. The juveniles for about 4 weeks and the adults up to 6� months (normally 3� months). : Be aware that the mandarins are living in a very large area with different climate and they should be kept accordingly. : Best wishes : S�e

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