|
1-7 of 7 messages
|
Page 1 of 1
|
|
White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by coivis1 on June 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hey guys, as the heading says, I'm battling to get my white lip to eat. Its about six months old, and the guy I got it from has been forcefeeding it. Please help.
I use a glas vivarium, with a thermostat and a mister.
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by Rob_Carmichael on June 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Force feeding will usually do far more harm than good (the stress of shoving prey down a snake's gullet will outweigh the nutritional benefits of the prey item)....that's a general rule, not hardfast as there are times when it has to be done (but rarely).
We've raised a number of white lips at our facility and here's a few helpful hints (as they can drive you nuts until they are well established):
- be patient and don't ever get frustrated
- if you have access to small anoles or house geckos, white lips LOVE them. It's a good way to get the feeding, put some weight on and well established. From there, you can use simple scenting techniques to gradually wean them on to frozen/thawed mice.
- before you resort to lizards, though, we have found that gentle tease feeding works best for this species. We will take the smallest size pinky mouse you can get and via hemostats we'll just sort of nudge or gently tap the head of the mouse on the snout of the snake. Oftentimes, you'll get strikes but not a feeding response. Once the snake gets its teeth caught on the mouse, it will usually hang on and then proceed to eat the moust (keep your movements to a bare minimum during this time).
- We like to feed the babies in subdued light so that they feel a bit more secure.
- When we open the cage, we will wait a few minutes to let the snake settle back in in case it was startled by the movement of the door....obviously, don't leave during this time.
IMPORTANT: I am making the assumption that you have the snake set up properly and are providing the proper temps and humidity levels.
Hope this helps.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by BobH on June 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I agree with what Rob says. One other thing you might try is when you tease feed use just the head of a slightly bigger pinky. It is easier to get stuck in just the right position so that it will have to swallow it. Remember not to move until it is on its way down the throat.
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by ssshane on June 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I couldn't agree more with the tease feed. As well as don't move at all once it has struck, they will drop the pinky with the slightest movement. I have had luck with just laying the pinky over a branch, but more times than not, tease feeding was the way to go.
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by petra on June 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I used to keep them too. And maybe can add few tips. One of my snakes was very shy and I could never touch his snout, it would immediately try to get away. However touching his tail worked great. Also he would much sooner take very warm defrosted pinky mouse than a live one. But the temperature of the mouse had to be pretty warm, almost seemed too hot. If it cooled down he wouldn't take it. I used to have a cup with very warm water on hand while teasing and warm it up when it was necessary. That was actually the only way he used to eat while he was young. Once he grew up he wasn't so picky any more and took the mouse immediately if he was ready to eat(it wasn't often, though, maybe once every two months). All the snakes are different though and I'm not saying that whatever was suggested is not going to work. I'm just giving you an extra tip.
Petra
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by coivis1 on June 15, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Thanx guys, I think I will try the scenting next. Already asked my friend to get me some geckos (he's working on site). And I will do this in a dark room, with only a infra red light so I can see. Will keep you guys posted on any new developments.
|
| |
|
RE: White lip tree viper feeding problems
|
Reply
|
|
by coivis1 on June 24, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Ok, some feedback. I caught a small gecko today. First i tried only the gecko, but nothing happened. Then I've mashed up the gecko with a scalpel and scented a pinky with it. Nothing seems to work. I am a very patient person by nature so I dont think impatience is the problem. I friend suggested that I should forcefeed my whitelip with a mixture of yoghurt and introboost to get the bacteria in its stomach right. Please help????????
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to this topic.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Check our help page for help using
, or send questions, comments, or suggestions to the
Manager.
|
