Wild ribbon not eating- how long to give?

[gellfex]

Hi,

My son and I picked up an 18" Northern Ribbon a couple of weeks ago in the Catskills, I had been thinking of keeping the next garter we caught. So I've read every caresheet on the web, and have the snake in a 10 g tank on newspaper with a shallow dish of water and a hide made of half a 4" dia cardboard tube 8" long. Since the ambient temp in the room is usually in the 80's I haven't given a light, I don't want to bake him, I think any heat source would raise the lower temps too high. I've offered rosy reds to no avail, and though against the common wisdom, even tried garden worms and crickets (get them for the beardie anyway).

It'll be 2 weeks tomorrow. He's remained very skittish, flailing around the tank if you approach close, though he doesn't actually hide very much. He won't musk when handled and settles down after a short while, though I've refrained from handling him figuring to get him eating first. Suggestions besides keeping to offer the minnows?

[Lori P]

First of all, I'm really sorry we haven't gotten back to you-- I missed this post too, somehow!!!! I'm not an expert by any means, but, in my little experience with ribbons, they can be very skittish and harder to get going in captivity. Two weeks without eating is not that long; he is still trying to settle in. Mine, who is a long term captive, still cannot tolerate handling at all and often goes off feed for weeks at a time... then eats like a pig for a couple of feedings... then goes off again.

Personally, I'd stop handling him all together, make sure he has plenty of hides and cover in his tank (mine slinks around in the plants and greenery a lot) and just offer fish once or twice a week for a day at a time, then take them out. He won't eat crickets, but he should go for the worms and minnows eventually. Mine even eats fish-scented pinkies now!! One thing you could do is put the worms and fish in the same bowl with just enough water to cover the fish, and all the activity might draw him to them...

Just give him time... can you set up a small tank to keep the minnows in so you can take them back and forth?? Then you can feed them in between and they'll be healthier for him... if not, I'd "off" them and freeze them instead of letting them starve.

I hope this helps... keep us posted and ask away... send pics too!!