Finiky Feeding Naja Help ASAP

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Posted by Jeremy G on April 28, 2003 at 07:43:32:

In Reply to: Finiky Feeding Naja Help ASAP posted by cfoley on April 27, 2003 at 16:09:00:

It would seem that you have already found out one of the reasons your haveing feeding probs. Feeding to large of a meal, especially to Naja seems to bring on regurges quite often. I have a male kaouthia who has in the past regurged because his prey was too large. As a genneral rule, only feed a prey item that will leave the slightest buldge in the snake or feed several smaller prey items instead.

As for the finicky neos/juvis, frog sent is the best thing I have found for stubborn baby Naja. Get a large tad pole, freeze it and then thaw it out and rub the prey item around on it. This usualy gets an instant response(my juvi blk neck spitter wont touch unscented byt acts crazed when frog sent is introduced). If you dont get an intial response, try putting the animal in a small deli cup or some other small containor and leave it there over night. Alot of times babies will eat this way.

If frog sent doesnt work try snake(useing a shed skin preferably), lizard or even try differnt sp of mice like deer mice or other rodents like gerbils. Hell, even senting with chicken broth has worked for some people. Id also recomend fish, especialy in the case of the melanoluca (ive heard alot of them like fish and prey on them often in the wild)

The most important thing over all of this is to give them alot of privacy. If your sticking your face in their cages everyday or everyother day then you may be stressing them out. Give them nice, secluded warm cages and let them sit for awhile, especially if you do get them to eat.

Welp, I hope some of this info is of use to ya. Good luck and keep us posted.

All the best,
J

:i have 1.0 naja melanoleuca, 1.1 Naja sputatrix, and 1.1 albino Naja kaouthia.

:None of them are eating. The forest was sold to me eating rats, he ate one a few weeks ago, but it was too big and he regurged it.

:the blacks were sold to me eating chicks, they wont touch them.

:the albinos were sold to me eating pinkies, they wont touch them.

:this has been going for a month, (1wk with the babies).

:i have a heat varient of 75-86, humidity 50-60%. Aspen or mulch substrate. A moss hide box, and large water bowl.

:Any suggestions????

:thanks
:chris

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