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Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by demonic_smurf_1 on July 20, 2006
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I need notes on keeping cottons in captivity. I have two adult males and i am haveing trouble getting them to eat anything.I have tried mice, rats, frogs and scenting mice. maybe my methods isnt right i havent tried fish yet if any one has had any luck getting wild coughts to eat please let me know. also i have 2 fla. cottons i bought and they eat fine but the wild cought easterns are not. thanks for takeing time to read my post and any help would be appericated
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by rickyduckworth on July 20, 2006
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they're usually some of the easiest animals to feed.....they're usually not picky and even eat chicken livers or hot dogs.........
sure they're males?
maybe they're gravid females
i have a copperhead that will ONLY eat dark colored mice and won't touch a white mouse/rat..........try a dark animal......
i had a copperhead quit eating for 8 months......then picked up eating again after brumation and is fine now......
could have worms or be sick too.....could be really stressed......maybe it's just not hungry at all.....
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by Cro on July 20, 2006
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Jason: Usually wild caught Cottonmouths will eat in captivity whithout much problem. A few questions come to mind, like are they being housed together or seperate ? Do they have good hide boxes in the cages.
How big are the Cottonmouths ? Are you leaving the food items in overnight and possibly covering the cages while the food is in there? How long have they been in captivity? Are the cages large enough for the snakes ? Are you inducing the snakes to strike the food item before leaving it in the cage ? Sometimes it can take a month or more before a wild caught snake settles down and starts to eat in captivity. Give us a little more information and perhaps we can help more. I would not worry much unless they refuse to eat for several months, but it would be good for them to feed a couple of times before winter.
Let us know a little more info and we should be able to help more.
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by timberrattlesnake89 on July 20, 2006
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One thing I would do is feed them a live mouse each and use tongs and let it bite it. Then turn off the lights and leave the room for an hour. I have done this with picky copperheads and baby cottons and that has done very well for me.
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by 23bms on July 21, 2006
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The size of the prey can make a difference. I have a juvenile cotton that had been stubbornly refusing to feed. I got it started simply by switching from f/t fuzzies to somewhat larger f/t hoppers.
jrb
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by Phobos on July 21, 2006
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That's absurd! The garbage disposal of the Agkistrodon complex. Are they alive?
Al
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by 23bms on July 21, 2006
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LOL Even garbage disposals have off days. Can you imagine my chagrin when the cotton I bought to help my big WDB with the leftovers turned out to be a FINICKY EATER???
jrb
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by pygmybait on July 22, 2006
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Are you feeding live or F/T rodents? Cottons are very sucessful scavengers in the wild. Maybe try prekilled...
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by demonic_smurf_1 on July 26, 2006
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Sorry,
About it being so long to reply to you guys post i was out of town ...i am keeping the cottons in a 20 gallon long tank each they have plenty of room they each have hides and nice big water bowls.I keep the humity around 65 to 75%. they are still not eating yet how ever the are showing interest in mice they are smelling/tasteing them like crazy.I even had one to strike and kill a mouse and then she toung flicked around it for about an hour then it was like she decided nope she didnt want it.so i still have no takers again any help would be appericated
Best regards
Jason
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RE: Agkistrodon piscivorus
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by Cro on July 26, 2006
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Jason, I am willing to bet that the wild caught Cottonmouths have spent most of their lives eating fish and frogs. Get a frog or fish and freeze it in a zip lock bag, and each time you thaw out mice or rats, thaw out the fish or frog and rub it all over the mouse or rat. The just re-freeze the fish or frog `till it is needed again. Take the scented and slightly warmed mouse or rat and put it into the Cottonmouth`s cage, and cover the cage with a towell, and walk away and turn out the room lights. Leave the snake undisturbed for 24 hours. There is a good chance that it will decide to eat for you if you give this a try. Hope this helps.
Best Regards JohnZ
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