My wild baby water snake struggles to eat. What should I feed it?

It depends on what the snake has been eating already. If the previous owner/breeder feeds live mice/food, then the snake will most likely eat dead food. Some snakes can be trained to eat dead food but it can take some time. Some will never convert to dead/frozen food. You may want to consider getting another type of reptile that does not eat mice. Most snakes will not eat chicken or fish meat. I hope this has helped. Thanks for using pet coach.

If he can eat baby rats, feed him baby rats. Going off food before, during,or after a shed is normal. Confirm proper temperature and consider covering the cage or placing him in a pillowcase with prey at the next meal time. If he doesn't eat, wait 5-7 days then try again. Keep him hydrated and stress free in between feedings.

I'm glad you found him! Since he was missing for so long, an exam with your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet would be strongly recommended to diagnose and treat any illness or injury. In the meantime, give him a good soak in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte. This will warm him up and provide hydration. Once he's warm and hydrated, he will be more likely to accept prey.

It looks like a juvenile slider. Ideally, a wild turtle should be returned to the area where found. They don't transition well to captivity Since it is a juvenile , you may have a better chance though. You can read about slider care here: http://www.anapsid.org/reslider.html You can feed a commercial pellet or stick diet supplemented with fresh greens and some protein in the form of crickets, feeder fish or nightcrawlers. The water should be no deeper than twice the length of the shell and should be heated and filtered. Provide a heat lamp and UVB lighting.

Find out when the snake was last fed. If it was fed recently, wait 3-5 days before feeding at home. If it hasn't eaten recently, it may eat right away. Each snake is different and not all will adhere to general guidelines.

Check the temps in the enclosure. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. next, make sure you are offering appropriately sized prey. If it is too bog, he won't eat it or may regurgitate it afterwards. If you feed frozen/thawed, make sure it is at least room temperature before offering it to Ares. A snake will not eat cold prey. If he will allow, look in and around his mouth for signs of infection or injury. This may include redness, swelling, bleeding or discharge. Anything suspicious should be addressed by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. Soak him in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte to treat or prevent minor dehydration. Offer prey and cover the cage afterwards. If he doesn't eat, remove it and try again in 5-7 days. Do not force feed. If you can provide the species, we may be able to provide more specific advice. If Ares is a ball python, they are notorious for their "hunger strikes". Make sure he stays warm and hydrated. Identify and reduce or eliminate any negative stimuli in or around the cage.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There are lots of reasons why a snake might go on a hunger strike, but it sounds like you've narrowed it down to a food preference. Rats are a bit more nutritious and ideally preferable over mice, but mice are also a perfectly acceptable option. Some snakes simply prefer them, in which case you are welcome to keep feeding Luminescence mice, and depending on her size she may simply need multiple mice per feeding as she grows. If you want to encourage her to switch to rats, you can try rubbing a dead mouse or mouse bedding on the rat prior to offering it, to give the rat a more familiar scent. Keep trying - but don't stress if the end result is she ends up staying on mice. Hope this helps!