Any tips on getting hatchling corn snakes to eat?

[zaroba]

My corn snakes mated, laid eggs, and 7 weeks ago 4 hatched.

The 4 snakes are all in seperate enclosures, critter carriers with cocofiber bedding and lined up on a shelf in my room and I give them a live pinky every week. I'm at work right now so I cannot post specifics on temp and humidity until I get home in a few hours. I have heat pads up against 1 side of the enclosures and the snakes (all 4 of them) spend most of their time in the middle of the enclosures, sometimes closer to the cooler end, sometimes closer to the warmer end. They are on a thermostat with the probe on the shelf a foot away from the tanks so will be on any time the temp on the shelf is below 80F.

Snake #1 is eating like a vacuum cleaner and growing like a weed. He's about ready for fuzzies.
Snake #2 is also growing nicely, a bit smaller then #1 and a bit shy when it comes to eating.

Snakes 3 and 4 hatched a few days after 1 and 2. They are active and seem healthy, they drink (I have seen them drinking), but have yet to eat their first meal. 7 Weeks old, neither has eaten yet, neither has grown, both are now nearly half the size of snake #1. I put a live pinky in their enclosures, they smell it, they look at it, then they ignore it and the pinky ends up starving to death. I have tried cutting them with a razor so they would bleed a bit, I have also tried splitting open their skulls to expose the brain. The snakes still ignore them.

Any other things to try?
I guess trying to force feed is an option as a last resort, I've never done it before and the snakes aren't the slightest bit lethargic so they will fight it.

[reptiledude987]

Have the ones not eating had their first shed yet?

[zaroba]

yep, less then a week after hatching.

[reptiledude987]

when they hatched were the yolks of the eggs fully absorbed? of the 4 enclosures are the 2 not eating on the outsides or inside of the row? if so monitor their temps closly as they may be getting too much or not enough heat

[reptiledude987]

force feeding should only be a last possible resort. If you've never done it before you should also have it done by someone with expierence to show how to do it propperly

[zaroba]

Sorry for the late reply.

As far as I know, the yolks were fully absorbed before they hatched. 3 hatched all on their own, pipping then leaving the egg after a bit of time. 1 pipped then went back into the egg, pipped again the next day and went back in the egg, then a day or two after that I cut a slit between the 2 holes he made so it could get out by himself.

Yes, the 2 that weren't eating were at one end of the row.
I flipped the positions of the enclosures on the shelves on Wed night then tried feeding again on Friday and the 2 snakes still didn't eat. On Sat, one of them died.

[reptiledude987]

Well I'm sorry to hear you lost one but I'd take the last one who still hasnt eaten to someone local to you to try a force feeding so you don't loose it too. Watch how they do it so that in future seasons you will be able to do it your self in case the need should ever arise again.

[zaroba]

Hmm...
I know of a few exotic mom-and-pop pet shops that have some experienced employees. But the closest one is nearly an hour away and my work week is sun-wed. Really hope the little guy can hold out until Thurs. He still seems pretty active and alert, looks up at me when I get close to the cage.

Haven't tried assist feeding either yet.
I have frozen pinkies, could thaw one out tomorrow after work and possibly try that first.


This was my first time with snake eggs, so I'm sure my lack of breeding experience plays a role in this. I really do hope to breed them again come spring.

[reptiledude987]

If you havent tried yet and can get them try live pinkies as well. Sometimes the natural body heat and movment can provoke the natural inctinct to strike as well. being new may be a factor but I've had difficulty getting hatchling corns to eat their first meal as well. So dont be too hard on yourself