Any ideas on feeding an infant Florida Scarlet Kingsnake? SAD*UPDATE*

[love-my-wolves]

Good morning all! Ok, well, he made it through the night, and I have a ton of snake tracks in the sand!! He's been busy!! I can't tell if he ate any crickets, and based on the advise I will be taking all but one out of the cage. I did immediately unplug the heat rock! He is currently resting in the pine hedge, and is looking content. So, my next question is how can I tell if he is drinking? The water dish looks the same, except for some evaporation.

And also, where do I find lizards, since my yard is not forthcoming. (ugh, figures!) Thanks everyone!! Steph

 

[love-my-wolves]

Oh, and one more question! Since I found the baby snake under the chicken pen, should I be concerned that the momma might show up and eat my chickens? They are almost 6 week old bantams. Kinda worried about that one!!! I have never seen a snake in my yard, and the fact that I have a doxie mix running around all the time makes me think this baby was just lost, but I am kinda worried! Thanks! Steph

 

[Moonwalker]

Quote:
I missed where someone advised that, but it's a good idea becasue those rocks can get too hot in spots and actually burn skin. Snakes are normally smart enough to move off of them, but iguanas will stay on them until they get 3rd degree burns! But if it's the only heat source, snakes sometimes get burns too.
I like under tank heaters, they are little flat wafers that go underneath and warm a spot. The animals can burrow down under the sunstrate to get close to it yet not contact it.
You'll need a basking spot (reptiles need to get their body temp to a certain point, usually around 95-100 to be able to digest their food properly) and VERY IMPORTANT!! a UVB light. A plant gro bulb, aquarium light, or black light is NOT a good substitute. Even if you keep the cage near a window, ordinary glass can filter out so much of the sun's rays that they need that they will get vitamin D deficiency, which leads to bone disease. Kind of like arthritis/osteoparosis.(in iguanas it's MBD, Metabolioc Bone Disease) and when you have a backbone THAT long, you really don't want it weak and twisted!

 

[kees]

A pinkie is a newborn mouse that usually still has it's eyes closed and has no fur. Pet stores usually sell them, you could substitute tiny gerbils, hamsters, etc. if anyone you know has them since they multiply like the dickens.

As someone mentioned, you can buy them frozen and then just hold the tail and dip them up and down in warm water to defrost them. Some snakes won't go for food unless it's moving so you might have to wiggle the food in front of it.
Suzy

 

[theOEGBman]

Quote:
No need to worry. Most snakes arent "Motherly figures". Kings lay eggs, so after that is done, she could care less who is who. She might even wind up eating her own kid! Not sure if kings will eat their own species, but they eat other snakes, so why not?? Do Florida Scarlet Kings even get big enough to eat a chicken?? For some reason I always thought they were a smaller species.


Kees: It would be best not to try hamsters, so I've heard. They are one rodent that snakes become extremely addicted to and they arent too cheap! Dwarf Hamsters are $15-$17 a piece here. $17 a week for one snake, I dont think Im willing to pay that.

 

[love-my-wolves]

Quote:
Whew, thanks! I was thinking the same, but wanted to be sure. Now to find the elusive extra extra extra small pinkies.

Here's a pic from today

 

[Moonwalker]

www.kingsnake.com
is the snake/reptile owners friend!
There is a huge storehouse of information, supply sources, forums and helpful members

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Yeah, I have seen some pretty "big" kings but none I felt would eat a chicken. They are something I highly encourage around my house! They keep down the rodent population AND greatly reduce the risk of my kids happening across a rattlesnake or copperhead in the yard.

If I hadn't been positive Sunset (my little speckled) was about to be bird food he would have been a yard ornament!!!

However, in a way I am glad he needed me. I can't imagine life without the little spoiled brat now!

Good luck with the pinkies.

Oh my!!! He truly is a beauty!!!!!

 

[Moonwalker]

You are making me want to get snakes again!
I have not gotten any since we moved to TN almost 5 years ago. I have igs now.

 

[fowltemptress]

Oh yes . . . if you do get frozen pinkies, be careful how hot the water is when you thaw them. You can actually partially cook the mouse if the water is too hot, which could cause the snake to refuse to eat it. I usually defrost them by putting them in a plastic baggy and letting them sit in tepid water. Then, once they're fully thawed, I dip them briefly in warm water, to emulate a live mouse's body temperature (I only have to do this for my very picky eater, my other two mouse eaters don't give a hoot about the temperature of their food).
As for how to tell whether it is drinking or not . . . I don't know how you'd know for sure, unless you actually caught it in the act. The only evidence I ever have that my snakes go near their water, other than when I see them, is when I find their poop in the bowl. Other than that, the water always seems untouched. Other than putting up 24/7 video surveillance, I don't know what else you can do to tell