|
1-7 of 7 messages
|
Page 1 of 1
|
|
FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by BlackSnake7 on April 17, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I caught a small neonate copperhead and have not gotten it to eat. It is extremely aggressive and has bitten the mice and geckos i have tried to feed it, but only in defense.It has not even approached the after they died. it is in a small cage with aspen shavings, a waterbowl, a rock, and some egg carton to hide under. i have kept it fairly warm, and i think it has probably already had it's post-natal shed. any suggestions?
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by scottquint on April 17, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Baby copperheads are tough. They prefer temps in the low to mid 70's and may be inclined to eat small anurids(frogs and toads) or skinks.
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by biff on April 18, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Plus it is a neo wildcaught. There are a lot of negative factors working here. This sounds like a case where you should release it and buy a well started specimen from a dealer if you really need to have a copperhead.
Steve
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by BlackSnake7 on April 18, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Only problem is, I sold one to aguy before I irealized that I may be able to keep one, and it ate the minute he put it in it's cage. I know that Milksnakes eat copperheads, and my copper's cage is right above the cage of my Pueblan Milk. Could the smell of the minlksnake be keeping him so aggressive and refusing food. also, does that frog or mouse-maker stuff work? I can't get frogs to feed it, and it won't eat goldfish, mice, crickets(just a try) or even house geckos. And how deep should the substrate be?
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by TAIPAN78 on April 18, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Well, presonally I think you should release the chunkhead back exactly were you found him(there are many CB coppers on the market for cheap!! 30 bucks is worth the price to leave a snake in the wild!!) but if this is not and option to ya heres a few things you should do.
First, put him far away from the kingsnakle. Coppers, Cottons and even reattlers have been found to know the scent of kingsnakes and reconise them as an enemy and have actually evolved a rather interesting defense posture called body bridgeing specificly designed for when encountered by a kingsnake.
Secondly, I would keep him in a shoe box type cage in a very low traffic area and not disturb him anymore then needs be. Baby coppers are extreamly high strung and privacy is the best policy.
Thrid, I would use the tail tapping method and get him pissed to the point were he strikes his prey and means it. Obviously you do not want to injure the guy so be very gentle. If he gives it a good bite and then lets it go, lay the mouse down right in front of him, close his cage, hit the lights and leave the room for a few hours. Theres a really good chance the pink will be gone whjen you get back. The venom injected into a prey items really seem to attract em and my last 2 chunker babies took useing this method.
If the pink still hasnt been eaten when you return, leave it in there overnight and if still no luck in morn, take it out and try again in a few days.
Alot of the times baby chunkers will go a long time without food and I have 2 that went the first 5 months of their lives without eateing anything but are now thriveing.
Just basicly be pateint and give they guy alot of privacy(re frame from peeking in on him too often. Its really getts em stressed)and he should start eating eventually.
Best o luck and keep us posted.
Later,
Jeremy
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by EK on April 18, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
here are the methods that work for me:
once babies our born-I offer live pinkies after the first shed. If they don't eat I offer again the following 2 weeks.If they don't eat(usually half do)I brumate them for 3 months. After they are up for 2 weeks I offer them all live or thawed pinks. Usually a few more will decide to eat. For the holdouts, the first thing I do is offer split head("brained") thawed pinkies. Most will go for these -left overnight. And if they are a real pain, I will scent with skinks or frogs.
hope this helps some...
|
| |
|
RE: FEEDING BABY COPPERHEAD
|
Reply
|
|
by BlackSnake7 on May 2, 2002
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I let the copper go down by the creek near our house. he apparently broke one of his fangs off when he bit a stick that must have smelled like the milksnake. i think he probabl will grow it back soon, though, and he should live down there okay. thanks for your advice.
|
| |
|
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.
|
