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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by jared on October 2, 2008
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I generally think most of the Va and central Nc tend to be intergrades. I have seen copperheads in christiansburg that look more southern than ones from Hyde Co nc. Many on the parkway are screamer pinks and oranges. I would say this if you wanna keep that snake. First, never offer food rite off the bat. Let them have at least a week in the cage w water and hiding spot to acclimate ( I prefer 2 weeks). Next, offer your prey item at dusk, and no more light or traffic near the wc for the rest of the night. They prefer larger items as neonates (it will look impossible but fuzzies work well). So find a small fuzzy and do the thing, just make sure you dont handle the food item to much and kill the scent and place it on the opposite end of the cage. It may take a few tries, just leave some time in between. Again as others have stated, i never have luck with crickets, but Cicaidas are like air for copperheads, they go nuts over um. you can always give that a shot if all else fails. Good luck with the lil one,
Jared
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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by pdk9Roper on October 2, 2008
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Reptilenurd, this goes along with what "FSB" said when he replied to your post, and I agree with him. We all need to be careful, but even more so when we are working with neonate's or baby Venomous Snakes.
I hope you enjoy the new Copperhead you have and you will continue to "learn" as long as you are keeping "Hots".
As many others have advised you, never become Complacent, or let your guard down, as the article explains, even more so with young snakes. I hope the articles help.
Keith (pdk9roper)Lessons From Snakes: The Better Part Of Valor
ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2004) — Biology Ph.D. student Joel Johnson and co-author Eric Roth, University of Oklahoma, found that when test snakes were confronted with danger their first reaction was to retreat. Smaller snakes, although just as likely to flee or strike as larger snakes, were more likely to issue warnings. But, over all, test snakes of all sizes were more likely to exercise the better part of valor: they ran away. Rather, slithered.
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"Our results show a gradual decrease in response to a predatory encounter with an increase in body size," said Johnson.
Johnson and Roth collected 46 variable-sized western cottonmouths in Texas and cared for them in the laboratory for months before testing. Using a metal snake tong with a welding gloved fitted to the end, researchers nudged the snakes' faces. As the snakes responded, researchers documented seven common antipredator behaviors - escape, defensive posture, tail vibrations, musk release, mouth gapes, strikes and bites. After testing, the snakes were released to the wild where they were captured.
"We found that antipredator behavior varied with body size," said Johnson. "The bigger the snake, there was less defensive response and fleeing became more common."
Were the bigger snakes older and wiser? Perhaps.
"Younger snakes may exhibit an elevated defense response," said Johnson. "Assuming the younger snakes were less experienced, older snakes may have been better able to evaluate the risk and respond accordingly."
Johnson and Roth published their study in Behavioral Ecology (Vol. 15 No. 2: 365-370).
Adapted from materials provided by University Of South Florida.
Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:
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University Of South Florida (2004, September 22). Lessons From Snakes: The Better Part Of Valor. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 3, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2004/09/040922074919.htm
Cottonmouth. (Photo courtesy of University Of South Florida)
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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by LadyBloodRose on October 4, 2008
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with any luck you may be able to encourage him to eat 2 of my lil southerns ate on their own last night i was soo happy. now if their 2 other iblings an the 2 northern cousins will eat i will be set myself.
let us know if you have any progress ;)
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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by tj on October 4, 2008
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You picked a tough time of year to keep a wild-caught baby copperhead. They often stop feeding about this time and the added stress won't help. Hopefully, it had a good fill of food prior to it's natural brumation period.
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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by FSB on October 4, 2008
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Tom is right... this is a tough time of year for any wild-caught copperheads. I caught a cottonmouth in NC last August that didn't begin to feed until the following spring. It's no worse for wear, and doing fine now, but then again, it is an adult.
Otherwise, we were until recently neighbors. I didn't get to do much snake hunting in Franklin Co. though I was always curious about what might be up there.
I've looked around Floyd County a bit, but not with much success. There is a nice population of C. horridus around the Buffalo, but they are being studied, so I wouldn't recommend anyone hunting there. You might get an angry field biologist coming to your door with a microchip locator in hand.
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RE: wild baby copperhead
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by David_Eakin on October 5, 2008
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I have had the same problem and have found 2 solutions. Soak the pinkie in warm water until it's body temperature (~100 deg), put it in the cage and then leave the room for at least an hour or two and leave him undisturbed, Any motion in the room can cause him to lay motionless for quite a while since this is their nature in the wild. The other thing that works better but makes me feel terrible doing it is placing a live anole lizard or similar sized lizard in the tank and then leaving them un disturbed for a while. It seems like once he gets the first meal in him it's easier to get him to take the dead pinkies.
Hope this helps.
David
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