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w.c. copper
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by JSHarrison on July 31, 2002
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First I would like to thank you guys for all the great info that is available in this site and thanks to those people who have spent many years keeping hots and are so generous with knowledge and advice.This site has been a great deal of help to me.
Now for the question.I have been keeping a w.c. copperhead for 3 weeks now.It is about 2 1/2ft long and was fairly fat when I caught it.It feed on a small mouse about a week after capture.It took to a store bought feeder no problem at first,but it has not eaten in the last 2 weeks.I tried to feed him twice since his first captive meal.Last week he struck the mouse several times before killing it, but it seemed to be more defensive than a feeding responce(s posture,shaking tail like rattler and trying to run away before hitting the wall of the enclosure then striking mouse again).This week I tried a smaller mouse,snake responded with same defensive manner s posture, several false strikes and tail shaking.But did not actually bite mouse.The mouse was killed after 2 days but not eaten.The tank is well away from alot of noise and is secluded away from main area of house,but after 3 weeks snake is still very defensive You would honestly think he hates me(can't say I blame him I did capture it)If he is moving in the tank and I walk buy the snake will freeze then head straight for the hide box.Moving him to do cleaning is a chore as well the snake is very wirey and has literally jumped of the hook twice(only had to move him twice)had to chase him down once(that was stressful to both snake and myself)he almost got away from me.This is the first wild caught hot that I have tried to keep for longer than a few days,What can I do to get it to mellow out?Should I try a diffrent food source?Any advice at all would be very much appreciated.Is it possible this snake has had to much time in the wild to take to captivity,and also is there any way to tell sex of copper without probing?Sorry for the info overload but I figured to much was better than not enough.
Thank you
J.S. Harrison
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RE: w.c. copper
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by bitisatrox on August 1, 2002
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the best thing I can tell ya is if it starts to get thin, let it go where you got it...
I have a 3' female thats as calm as a kitten (a vary mean one that is)that eats great and I have had others that do so badly in captive life you can't help but let them go or they just get so malnourished that they will die even if they do get released...
so the point is if you have a wild snake thats not doing well LET IT GO!!! before it's too late....
best of luck,
Ty
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RE: w.c. copper
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by TaipanVenom on August 1, 2002
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I once had the same problem from a very healthy looking copperhead that I caught. It ate good for a few weeks and then just stopped. It started getting defensive towards the mice. After it would not eat for a little while,I was just about to let it go and I came home from work one day and there were eight babies in the cage with it.
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