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Feeding a baby Florida Cottonmouth
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by Dadee on August 24, 2004
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I have just become a new Daddy. I was somewhat surprised, on August 21st to find a little blob that looked like the molt from my Florida Cottonmouth. When I inspected a little closer, a head appeared, WOW. My heart was racing, the lump in my throat reached record size and my breathing was labored. I was late in witnessing the birth of a new member to my Agkistrodon family.
I plugged in the camera to see if I could record any more live young, but was let down to see only 2 orange plugs. No doubt in my mind, these plugs are the undeveloped young that she couldn't sustain to birth. With the one baby in the house, he quickly sought refuge with (what I believe to be) his father. I know, some of you are now thinking "Dude, move the female and her young out", but I too was thinking that, until I witnessed how protective the "father" was.
I haven't heard of this being documented at all in nature, so I'll share it. The baby, crawled right over the males' head and curled up inside his coils. The male raised his head, as cottons typically do and proceeded to "stand guard". Anything that came near the male, was given a warning. Puffing up with air and shaking his tail as most agkistrodons do in defensive posing. I didn't want to ruin his "motherly" instinct by lifting him away from the baby. I decided to sit an wait. No curiosities were displayed by the male at all. It's as if, he knew who this baby was.
I'm figuring the female still has more of these plugs inside her, since her rear is still swollen and I had seen her squeeze her muscles from time to time in that area. Nothing more comes out. She's still in the same position with her tail raised, but yet it's almost as if one of those plugs are stuck?. The next day, the female has moved to the other side of the enclosure and all that's left where she was are those 2 plugs. Making the most of the time and opportunity, I proceed to remove the bad "seeds" and clean up the mess left behind.
3 days have passed and now, I'm wondering, what do I feed this neo. Pinkies will be too large. Insects don't seem like a good enough source of food to me, but I am willing to accept ideas. I have seen the father fishing of late, some nice sized minnows that swim around in the pond. I even have some frogs in there for them. I do think it's a little late to attain any cicadas, so I would have to locate another source of food.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
Matt
(still choked up)
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RE: Feeding a baby Florida Cottonmouth
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by Phobos on August 24, 2004
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Congrats!! The natural food they would eat at this size would be: Insects, small toads & frogs, lizards, and small fish. Don't discount the amount of protein in insects. I know plenty of breeders that start neonates on crickets. Try small crickets or meal worms first or even earthworms. Minnows are another excellent one to try early. The problems with "wild food" is the introduction of paracytes. I had the same problem with a newborn B. caudalis; it was too small for normal pinkies that you commonly get at the pet store. I bought a pregnant female and waited for her to give birth. The newborns were perfectly sized for this tiny Bitis and it readily munched it down. I froze the rest. Just some ideas...good luck.
Al
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RE: Feeding a baby Florida Cottonmouth
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by Phobos on August 26, 2004
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Hey Matt:
Let me (us) know when & what the new baby starts to eat.
Al
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