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42 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2010 :  19:45:22  Show Profile  Reply with Quote

My corn snake is finally taking fuzzies (from moving on from pinkies) but he doesnt strike at them, he almost seems wary of it at first but then creeps over and just wiggles his mouth over it really lazily. Could anyone explain this behaviour?

P.S the fuzzies are a little smaller than the pinkies

LittleMick
Yearling

United Kingdom
563 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2010 :  19:53:43  Show Profile  Visit LittleMick's Homepage  Click to see LittleMick's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
Striking and constricting is a hunting instinct so if it isn' moving sometimes the snakes just grab. My Elijah didn't strike straight away, in fact his first strike and constriction was so lame it was if he was saying c'mon, that was too easy, but then his second strike and contriction was awsome. But now he has done he won't do it again. But if you do want to see a strike then you may want to hold the prey in some tweezers and wiggle it abit.


0.4.0 Gerbils (Gemini, Pica, Gerty and Sasha)
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko (Elle)
1.0.0 Carolina Corn Snake(Elijah)
0.0.1 Emperor/Imperial Scorpion (Abbi)
2.0.0 Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters (Micro & Chippy)
Tropical fish - 6 Platys.6 Mollies.9 Glowlight Tetra.4 Pearl Gouramis.4 Apple Snails.1 Tiger Plec.2 Common Bristlenose Plecs and lots of babies.
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42 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2010 :  19:57:29  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
yeah i always wiggle his prey to try and make him "hunt" for his food. ive been alternating between pinkies and fuzzies to try and wean him off pinkies. and he eats both but the difference in the way he takes each of them is really weird
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42 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2010 :  19:58:12  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
p.s mine hasnt constricted yet, maybe hes just lazy?
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Sizzlesmum
Hatchling

United Kingdom
490 Posts

Posted - 14/07/2010 :  20:31:27  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Sizzle always strikes and constricts but Cleo never has and she's two now

I hope every time I feed her she will but she hasn't yet


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Kellog
the nice one

United Kingdom
7308 Posts

Posted - 15/07/2010 :  04:42:11  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I know it is strange that your corn's behaviour is so different between when you are offering him the pinkies and the fuzzies Marc, but I think that what is most important is that he is eating !

I would stop alternating between the 2 different prey items and just stick with the fuzzies as that is what you want him to be feeding on now. You describe him as being wary of them, so it may be that he just needs time to adjust to the different prey item, even though the size difference between them and the pinkies is so small....maybe they smell different to him?

As you are already wriggling it, another way to maybe encourage him to be more 'pro-active' in his feeding would be to heat the fuzzie up slightly (I just pop the prey in a plastic bag and dunk it in hot water, but only for a few seconds as you dont want it too hot). That increases the smell of the prey item and increases its body heat, making it seem more 'alive'....it may encourage his 'killer instinct'.

It may be that it doesnt and you will just have to accept that he isnt going to strike at the moment. Some snakes dont no matter how much you try and encourage them. Having just come out of breeding season and had 2 males who havent eaten for over 3 months I dont care how they take their mice as long as they take them !

xxx


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103 Posts

Posted - 15/07/2010 :  20:13:30  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Eugene was like that for the first 6 months or so that i had him, then all of a sudden WHHHOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! dove straight at it. Thank god i was using feeding tongs
Now he does it all the time.
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herriotfan
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
5853 Posts

Posted - 15/07/2010 :  21:03:09  Show Profile  Click to see herriotfan's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by shaka1980

Eugene was like that for the first 6 months or so that i had him, then all of a sudden WHHHOOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! dove straight at it. Thank god i was using feeding tongs
Now he does it all the time.



Super description!!!

I wouldn't worry too much. As long as your snake is eating...that's the main thing!


Husband....Very Understanding!!! (Phil)
Son & Daughter (Kevin & Carol)
Granddaughter (Eva)
3.4.0 Cornsnakes Amel (Sidney) Caramel Stripe (Sultan) Amber (Cleo) Carolina (Phoebe) Anery Motley Stripe (Penny) Snow (Lily) Caramel (Holmes)
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0.1.0 Senegal Parrot (Peanut)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons (Bonnie & Clyde)
1.0.0 Crested Geckos (Echo)
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0.1.9 Tarantulas (Poppy, Gypsy, Bumble, Insey Winsey, Sonic, Cookie, Raven, Fudge, Titch & Sox)
??? Foster animals
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
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n/a
deleted

42 Posts

Posted - 16/07/2010 :  11:21:07  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
yeah, i guess your right. but it just looks ace when they do strike haha!

ill just stick to feeding him fuzzies and hopefully he'll get used to them.

cheers guys
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elament
Yearling

United Kingdom
942 Posts

Posted - 16/07/2010 :  12:15:52  Show Profile  Send elament a Yahoo! Message  Reply with Quote
I have managed to get both mine feeding on the carpet now (punches fist in air for all you out there that are familiar with the problems I have had getting them to feed out of vivs/feeding tubs) I sometimes make them chase the prey item round the carpet a bit by dragging it away from them. This nearly always induces a massive strike and constriction so much so in fact that I have seen Xena leap off the floor wrapped around a fuzzy. Colin will strike and constrict a prey item then drop it and have a good sniff around it once he has "killed it" lol then lazily take it. In both cases I heat the prey up a little before offering as this does release more body odours and gives the impression that the item is alive. Hope that helps. I think all snake owners should be given the pleasure of watching their littluns strike and "kill" their food its amazing to watch.

Cheers

Steve



1.1.0 Amel Corns Colin and Xena
1.0.0 Dog Talan
1.1.0 Cats Wotsit and Willow
1.0.0 Ferret Chaos

Location: Lowestoft Suffolk

Edited by - elament on 16/07/2010 12:16:46
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headlow
Hatchling

130 Posts

Posted - 16/07/2010 :  12:18:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Every snake seems to be different. My oldest corn strike and constricts, while Sid who is an 09 hatchling just grabs it and gobbles it down.
My Mexi milk will not feed unless he's in a very small container with his rat.
Up until recently I though my MBK had the most fantastic feeding response. He'll strike at anything, side of his feeding tub, mice, tongs and me. But it's nothing like my new Royal, which surprised me, cos I'd heard that they can be fussy feeders. Once I dangle the mouse in front of her the tongue flickers a couple of times, she draws her head back and bam! So much speed. She then completely wraps around the mouse and constricts for around 10 minutes. She's done that for me each of the 4 times I've fed her. Nature at its best!

1.0.0 Snow Corn
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