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Need help with copperhead not eating

Posted By:

darkplatypus

In Relation To:

Peaches

Our baby copperhead is not eating reliably and all the usual tricks are not working. Offered her everything from live pinks, freshly killed pinks, anoles, and frogs. We've tried scenting pinkies with tuna juice, chicken broth, lizards, and frogs all to no avail. Tried putting her in a small deli cup with food overnight and tried feeding in a separate container and in her "home". She's kept in a slighlty larger than shoebox sized rubbermaid tub with cypress mulch bedding at 75-80 degree ambient temps. It's been over a month since her last meal and she is starting to look a bit thin. She has only had 3 meals since she was born in July. Anyone have any tips to getting a stubborn copperhead to eat?


Points:	250
Topics:	Feeding
Tags:	Copperhead, Feedingproblems
Species:	Venomous > Venomous > Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Member Comment

11/7/2010 7:10:21 PM

Imbricata

whats the heat like? iv found the really stubborn snakes will usually start to feed when you bump the heat up more then usual, for example i had a super stubborn jungle dident feed for 8 weeks after we got him so i bumped his hot end to about 33-34 dagree celcious low and behold he not only started eating but has had a monsterous appitite since

you can also try "braining" with a warm pinky and you can even sent the exposed brain with lizards/bird down ect

Member Comment

11/8/2010 2:47:58 AM

shellboa

If it is a baby and it is looking thin you might get a fecal done to rule out parasites. I would stick to offering it one or two types of prey and not offering to frequently to reduce stress. I do not know hots so I do not know if there is any thing special or different to do for them as opposed to any other baby snake.

Member Comment

11/8/2010 2:53:06 AM

Leiren

It being closer to being winter time might have to do alot with it also..good luck.

Member Comment

11/8/2010 9:37:56 AM

Kingsnake King

I agree wwith Leiren....The winter is most likly the cause.

Assisted Answer

11/8/2010 7:00:24 PM

RB3067

I would try feeder minnows in the water dish. May do the trick.

Accepted Answer

11/8/2010 11:00:08 PM

Jeffriey

It could be a seasonal change as mentioned. My copperhead is on f/t mice. This might be an odd case but there is one thing that I have to do with my copperhead for it to eat. I have to move the feeder around until it strikes it. Then I have to cover the cage and leave it alone. If I don't get it to strike like it would to a prey in the wild it won't eat or even bother to go search for the feeder even though I know it can smell it.

Member Comment

11/8/2010 11:14:01 PM

NorthBrazilian

I had one ages ago...... It was a wc copperhead and it was necessary to get the prey very warm to illicit a strike...... but also like stated earlier... they slow down feeding dramatically this time of the year....

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