# Feeding adult corn snake for first time... advise needed :)



## XFile (Apr 13, 2008)

As some of you will know from my previous threads I got my adult cornsnake last week and today he's been out and about in his viv. for the first time and also shed his skin without problems :no1:

According to the feeding sheet from the reptile shop he was feeding regularly on x1 adult mouse and was due for a feed late last week. As he was very active this afternoon we defrosted an adult mouse and warmed it up for him - we placed the adult mouse in the vivarium on a piece of kitchen towel - after 5-10 minutes he edged out of his hide and seemed to be smelling the air quite a bit... He opened his mouth wide a few times and then edged closer towards the mouse - he didn't strike but once touching the head-end of the mouse he opened his mouth and began to take it in... he got the head in but then seemed to be struggling to take anymore and then released it back out...

He tried a couple of times but then just left it and started moving around the vivarium... After about an hour I came back and decided to move the mouse onto the large log thats in his vivarium but he doesn't seem to have done anything since...

I thought initially that the mouse might be too big for him but he's a 3yr old corn and those are what the reptile shop gave us as to what he'd been feeding on... Am I worrying over nothing? Do I just need to give him more time (maybe leave it in there overnight)?

Any advise as always gratefully appreciated


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

try holding the mouse in the air a bit and wiggle it...if he is a strike feeder he will go for it they dont tend to strike when the mouse is laying on the floor


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## XFile (Apr 13, 2008)

But he took the mouse without problems - he took a third of the mouse in but then just pushed it back out of his mouth... almost as though it was too big for him...


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

right how big was the mouse compered to the fattest part of the snakes body ...was it defrosted completly


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## XFile (Apr 13, 2008)

The mouse had been defrosted at room temperature since mid-morning - we then warmed it through in hot water for a few minutes before putting it into the vivarium around 1830 this evening...

The mouse is probably a little bit wider than the fattest part of his body - so I think he should be able to take it and would only have a slight buldge at the widest part...


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## jamie-c (Nov 16, 2007)

it sounds like your doing everything right : victory:

leave it in the viv over night 

if that dont work its best thing to do is leave it another week to settle and then try offering again as it might not have settled in just yet 

jamie: victory:


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## Skytwin (Mar 31, 2008)

Did the snake feed in the end?

I found when first feeding mine a) wouldn't strike feed and b) hates an audience.

I took the tactic of leaving the mouse near to wear she was and then putting a towel over the viv. Obviously, keep a slight eye on things as well, she might do something silly like eat herself but if the mouse isn't gone within say 3 hours, remove it and try again in about 48 hours.

mines now strike feeding but again, if she knows someone is watching she just sits there and rattles her tails until your gone.


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## drpjtaylor (Feb 26, 2008)

Two of my corns won't take it unless wiggled in front of them, if their not interested they pull away as if frightened by it. I take away and try again after 15 mins, if they still don't take then leave it till the following week.
At the opposite end one of my royals won't take unless left right in front of them, the lights are turned off and you leave the room. All the rest I lay it down in the viv and they slowly creep up on it after a couple of minutes and take it as yours started to.
One thing I have noticed several times is that when I get a new snake they often refuse the first feed so go about two weeks before eating. Snakes are vunerable when eating so it may have suddenly felt insecure and left it.
One other thing when yoy said that you warmed it up in water, was it in a bag or did it get wet at all? They often refuse if it has got wet.


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## Andy Nightingale (Apr 6, 2008)

My corns a greedy b:censor:h and will take if left or strike if dangled, with the whole family watcing or on my own. How long since he/she shed? it might be that!!


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## XFile (Apr 13, 2008)

Thanks for the replies - the mouse was still there this morning but from what you guys have said there's nothing to worry about we'll just try him again over the weekend or early next week...

The mouse had been warmed in hot water but was inside a plastic bag so didn't get wet... It could have been a case that the landing light was on when we put it in and we were stood on the landing (away from the viv) trying to sneak a peak of him eating (so the security idea may be right as to why he didn't take it completely)...

On a positive note we removed the mouse this morning and took Olly out of the viv for the first time and he was loving it...


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## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

i would leave him alone until he has fed for you this gives him more time to settle in


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## Richie91 (Apr 21, 2008)

I had the excat same problem with me female corn when i got her. she was about 3 years old at the time, and wouldnt take anything. However, we left ehr in the viv for a week, minimal distrubacnes(only realy to change water) and let her settle in.

The following week she was much more perky, and took the mouse five minutes after it was put in the Viv. Just think of it like this, you start a new job in an office, how would you like the whole office watched you eat your dinner?


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