Re: changing to frozen pinkies

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Posted by Jean Lobel on November 03, 1999 at 22:09:42:

In Reply to: changing to frozen pinkies posted by Mistergecko on November 02, 1999 at 19:51:40:

: I have a baby wildcaught fox snake that is eating live pinkies now. I want to make sure that when it is an adualt it will eat the frozen mice. I have tried giving it frozen pinkies but it wont eat them.
: Thanks

This worked for me.I have a big rat snake that was wc,and it was quick to learn to come for frozen,thawed warmed mice if held them up by the tail,and moved them a little.But,a young 30" wc rat snake only wanted live pinkies that would crawl.I tried the various procedures,with no results on the frozen pinkies until this worked:I had been dressing gray squirrels,and took one of the skins to big snake's 55 gal tank to observe his reaction to it.He wasn't hungry,but took great interest in the skin,tracking it all over the tank applying his snout to wherever it had been dragged.I warmed a frozen pinkie,and holding it by the tail with forceps trailed it across the newspaper substrate to the entrance of the small snake's hide box;it is a low box but fairly long so he can lie on or off the heat-pad end.I left it in front of the snake,who looked it over and refused to pick it up.After a minute he turned away,and gliding down the side to avoid the pinkie he slowly left the box on the far end.As he came on out of the box,I saw him stop and lower his snout.He had crossed the scent trail.He picked up the trail,and steadily tracking with his snout moved along it right back into the box without stopping straight back to the pinkie.As soon as he touched it he picked it up,and swallowed it.Now this snake will pick up pinkies if you put them down in front of him,and just move it a little.
Perhaps in nature these snakes sometimes scatter the nests of mice,and track up young mice that have crawled off a short distance.
Good luck,
JL

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: : I have a baby wildcaught fox snake that is eating live pinkies now. I want to make sure that when it is an adualt it will eat the frozen mice. I have tried giving it frozen pinkies but it wont eat them. : : Thanks : This worked for me.I have a big rat snake that was wc,and it was quick to learn to come for frozen,thawed warmed mice if held them up by the tail,and moved them a little.But,a young 30" wc rat snake only wanted live pinkies that would crawl.I tried the various procedures,with no results on the frozen pinkies until this worked:I had been dressing gray squirrels,and took one of the skins to big snake's 55 gal tank to observe his reaction to it.He wasn't hungry,but took great interest in the skin,tracking it all over the tank applying his snout to wherever it had been dragged.I warmed a frozen pinkie,and holding it by the tail with forceps trailed it across the newspaper substrate to the entrance of the small snake's hide box;it is a low box but fairly long so he can lie on or off the heat-pad end.I left it in front of the snake,who looked it over and refused to pick it up.After a minute he turned away,and gliding down the side to avoid the pinkie he slowly left the box on the far end.As he came on out of the box,I saw him stop and lower his snout.He had crossed the scent trail.He picked up the trail,and steadily tracking with his snout moved along it right back into the box without stopping straight back to the pinkie.As soon as he touched it he picked it up,and swallowed it.Now this snake will pick up pinkies if you put them down in front of him,and just move it a little. : Perhaps in nature these snakes sometimes scatter the nests of mice,and track up young mice that have crawled off a short distance. : Good luck, : JL

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