5 baby coastals, all so different...

[Sabrinnadancer]

Hi. I'd like some advice on coastals and food. I have five babies about 16 to 20 weeks old from 2 different clutches. I may be worrying over nothing but I'd rather be over cautious than neglectful. One of my snakes (Opal) has only eaten 5 times in total. The others have skipped the odd meal here and there but I expected that in winter. One has eaten 13 times, two have eaten 9 times and the other has eaten 8 times.

Opal seems more interested in exploring so I get her out and let roam around my bed and then take her with me while I'm preparing the rats and she sits on me and smells things and gets to explore a bit. I thought this might solve the problem but it didnt. Getting her into her feeding enclosure is a struggle. (I separate all the snakes for feeding time and have 5 separate feeding tanks. The tanks are quite small but big enough for them to stretch out while they digest their food.) She's just much more interested in the world around her than in food.

I heat the rat by putting it in hot water in a bag, so its warm (not cooked) like a fresh kill would be. I've pierced it for that blood smell to help her along a bit. I've fed the strongest eater in front of her to try and get her predatorial instincts going, then given her a rat in privacy so she doesnt feel threatened by the stronger snake. I've even goaded her with the rat to try and get her angry but she's just doesnt respond.

Is this normal, should I worry for her?

 

[ambah]

I probably wouldnt worry for now, it's not like she's not eating all the time, just sometimes.. I think it's important to establish a routine, like always try feeding at a certain time of day on a certain day and do the same thing everytime.. I have a diamond that won't eat in the enclosure, so I feed it on a clotheshorse.. if you're consistant then the snake will know everytime you put in on a clotheshorse, it's feeding time..

 

[DanTheMan]

My coastal wont eat out of her tank, or in the day light
When I 1st got her, tried the same thing, a separate feeding tank, but wouldn't take it unless it was a rat, in her tank, at night.
Wont touch mice no matter how hungry she is, and definitely wont eat in daylight, guess you'll just have to try different things until you find what it prefers. unless its just not a big eater.

 

[pete12]

some say that letting them roam around can be bad for them eating wise

 

[Sabrinnadancer]

Thanks 4 that. The breeder I bought two of my snakes from told me to feed them in the same place for consistency but at different times to mirror the 'wild'. He said, in the wild they dont eat regularly so its better to keep it random at home too. However, using the same place means they know, 'ooo, its dinnertime' and are less likely to bite when you reach in to clean, change the water or handle them. Any thoughts, on his advice?

I've read on the forum to only handle them for 5-10 mins every few days. Opal loves being out and would hang around on me all day if I'd let her (which I dont). Is it possible she isnt happy with her tank or tankmate? She shares with Isis who seems to be a strong willed dominant snake. Their tank is quite small (about 30cm long, 25cm high and about 20cm width). They have two hides, one over a heat mat and one up above in a tube spanning the width of the tank. Most of the time Isis is the prime position in the warm one and Opal squeezes in around her or lies down next to the water dish. They dont seem to use the tube at all.

I could move her in with Ash and Shadow and move Valentino in with Isis. I separated them by sex but as they're babies they dont need to be. I'm wondering if it would be better to separate them by temperament?

 

[DanTheMan]

some say that letting them roam around can be bad for them eating wise

What?
As in moving around? like they do naturally in the wild?

 

[Sabrinnadancer]

Oh, that's good to know. I'll try leaving her in her feeding tank for an hour before feeding her and see if it helps.

 

[DanTheMan]

Thanks 4 that. The breeder I bought two of my snakes from told me to feed them in the same place for consistency but at different times to mirror the 'wild'. He said, in the wild they dont eat regularly so its better to keep it random at home too. However, using the same place means they know, 'ooo, its dinnertime' and are less likely to bite when you reach in to clean, change the water or handle them. Any thoughts, on his advice?

I dont feed mine on a strict timetable, so yea thats good, its they way they've been doing it before we got here so it seems to work alright.
But with the feeding in different place, whatever suits you really, I think it depends partially on the snakes personality, if its a little cranky any way, maybe feed it somewhere else, but I can reach in and do what I want around mine and she stretches out and sniffs me and goes back to sitting on her branch (If she's out)
But again, its her personality, she doesnt stike at her food, she sniffs it for a while, then slowly puts her mouth over it and pulls it away from me and wraps around it just to hold it, doesn't constrict it, very placid snake.
my point being, I think it depends on the snake.

 

[Tsubakai]

Put her in an enclosure on her own, give her a week or two to settle in then see how she goes.

 

[Sabrinnadancer]

Yeah, I only have two snapper style eaters.
The other two are gentle.
When Opal does eat, she sniffs for a long time, then snaps at it. If I leave it in with her she's more likely to use it as a pillow - lol.
None of them bite really.
Isis did go thru a small patch of bitey'ness but has got over it and become quite pleasant snake.

 

[Sabrinnadancer]

That's a good idea Tsubakai. I'll get a small temp space for her and give it a go. Thanx.

 

[jasontini]

One of my coastals had her day-old chick every week, anytime of the day, but the other one only prefers to eat at nite when the lights are off... the rest have 'switched off' due to the cooler days...so i guess diffrent snakes, have diffrent temperament.?
n yea, a couple of pics of ur baby coastals would be kewl

 

[Sabrinnadancer]

Just to update all who replied- your advice and help was great. I tried hanging her of a metal cup stand, she had a wonderful time on it, twisting herself around the hooks and the central pillar but seemed not to notice the rat - lol. At least she had a good time. I had two spare mice in the freezer so I tried those. She's had rats twice before but I have a new batch and they have freezer burn. This doesnt bother my other carpets but obviously bothers her. She ate the two mice! Yay.

 

[pythons73]

thats great 2 hear,ive had,and still do, a little coastal that was a hand full 2 feed,now eat just about anything.Cheers