Question about feeding

[EasternGirl]

I'm glad to hear he ate an earthworm! Funny thing is...even though easterns live primarily on earthworms in the wild around here...my easterns actually prefer pinkies and fish over worms at this point. At first it was difficult to get them to eat anything else...but I was worried about them living soley on worms so I slowly got them to try fish and pinkies...now it's difficult for me to get them to eat worms. I think salmon is actually their favorite food. My albino checkered has only had pinkies at this point, but I am trying to introduce him to salmon and trout.

I hope Cuddles eats some more for you...

[Light of Dae]

If you do decide to get pinkies I'll let you know what helped me a lot. I first cut up an earthworm real small pieces then take the frozen pinkie and chop it into bigger chunks when frozen (about the size of Cuddles's head) then add n mix in with the minced worm put on a small lid with a drop of water, and Whalaa you got an awesome easy clean non-messy non-gross way of feeding pinkies. That way the tiny amount of blood from the pinkie is mixed in with the worm guts n it thaws out with the worm and you don't even notice it. Works PERFECT. My little Radix wouldn't take a pinkie that had just been rubbed with a worm so I stared mincing the worm so that it would REALLY smell like worm.

My little girl just in fact finished her breakfast of half a pinkie an a full chopped worm
Sometimes (like this morning) I only mince the back end of the worm and either put the 'head' of the worm back in the dirt for another day, or chop it slightly bigger so that it gets eaten too. (Worm head will survive back in the dirt. I also believe there is more nutrition in the head then the rest of the worm)

[EasternGirl]

Now I can't get my Seeley to eat...it's been weeks and he hasn't eaten anything. I know he does this now and again but I'm starting to get a little concerned. He hasn't eaten since I separated him from Cee Cee...I swear he is boycotting...but I let them have supervised visits all the time...lol. I have tried pinky, worm and fish....even Wayne's garter goulash....I'm going to try again today...

[kibakiba]

He could be wanting to brumate. Or he's on a food strike til he gets to breed. Snakey does that, too. It's perfectly normal, he'll eat when he's hungry

[EasternGirl]

I think you're onto something with the breeding thing...since he stopped eating as soon as I took him away from Cee Cee. When I let them have visits....he goes straight to her and starts up his antics...he is a little horndog right now!

[guidofatherof5]

I wouldn't place all the blame on him.
She's probably sporting the pheromone that says ♪Come a little bit closer, you're my kind of man ♪

[EasternGirl]

Or...she is putting on that snake perfume again when I'm not looking!

[acovert]

Cuddles ate another worm today! And I found out that no one in my family besides my baby brothers like him >_<

I also picked up some pinkies and silversides from the pet store today, to see if I can get him to take either of those. I had to take my brother there anyways, so I figured I'd finally try to find the well-hidden freezer. The worm he had today was a bit on the larger side. He's still digesting. I may try a piece of mouse tomorrow, to see if he shows any interest. The worms digest fast.

In the meantime, he's decided that I'm not allowed to hold him. Instead, he is curling up next to my leg and watching me type.

[d_virginiana]

I think you're onto something with the breeding thing...since he stopped eating as soon as I took him away from Cee Cee. When I let them have visits....he goes straight to her and starts up his antics...he is a little horndog right now!

That's funny.. Houdini does the opposite. Maybe it's because he's in a different cage and can't actually get to her, but he's started eating much more since Harley's been in my room (it's the warmest room in the house, so she's in there sharing my frog's heat lamps until I'm convinced her mouth infection is cleared up). Whenever she's in the same room, he spends a good 90% of his time trying to get out of his cage and hunt down the female snake.

[EasternGirl]

Ashley...give your family time. My family hated snakes...was totally afraid of them. Then I rescued Seeley and told them I was keeping him. Then I convinced them to let me have Cee Cee. They called me a crazy person at first...now they ask me about my snakes and my mother even checks on them to see how they are doing. I just got another one. Slowly they are adjusting and I think my mother actually likes Cee Cee and Seeley. She would never admit it but.... Just give them time. I'm glad Cuddles ate another worm. It is not uncommon for them to not want to be held after eating btw.