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Posted by Simon R. Sansom on September 10, 2002 at 15:23:19:
Hello Everyone,
I live in Ontario, Canada and I really enjoy reading this particular forum. There are lots of really dedicated people on the "rear-fanged forum" and I learn a lot every time I visit.
I just thought that you might enjoy seeing the pair of Texas Night Snakes (Hypsiglena torquata texana) that I used to have.
I obtained them from a friend who picked them up at a show in Michigan. When he found out that he couldn't get them to feed, he offered them to me knowing I'm a sucker for a challenge!
Anyway, I tried them on all the regular stuff but they refused everything. One day, on a hunch, I grabbed a dozen guppies from the pet store. I gently force fed the snakes each a guppy, just opening their mouths with the smooth, blunt end of a sewing needle (works great for this by the way) and placing the fish in and giving a little push, just to get it down a bit. Well, I was surprised to find that the little snakes would actually start trying to swallow the guppies with enthusiasm.
After a few gentle sessions of force-feeding, I tried offering thawed pinks smeared with guppy slime. The male ate the first time, and the female followed suit at the next session. After a couple of scented, thawed pinks they both went on to accept unscented, thawed pinks with no trouble. I was pretty happy with their progress, and I found that they eat a lot of pinks for such a small snake. They seem to have a very high metabolic rate.
Unfortunately, they both passed away during the subsequent brumation period. I was really hoping to try getting them to
breed. What a shame.
Anyway here's one of the few pics I have of them. Please excuse the qualty, it's a digital pic of a photograph. Primitive, but I don't have a scanner!
