Brown snake help?

[Haerodiel]

I joined because at first I thought what I had was a baby garter snake, but as I looked at pictures of garter snakes, I started thinking he wasn't one. I've never had a snake before, so I'm really nervous, cause I don't want anything to happen to him.

I've finally after much searching identified him as a brown snake, and not a baby; brown snakes are just small. They still are supposed to eat worms and some fish, but they are much to small to eat mice. I've done lots of research on garter snakes, but I'm not sure so much on the care and keeping of a brown snake, so if anyone has info or help I would be grateful.

I know they eat worms, snails and slugs, and they have special teeth to eat the slugs. I also found one site that said they don't like to be handled and may take a little longer than usual to start eating. Does anyone have any idea how long they will take to eat? I've had him for three days and he doesn't seem even remotely interested in worms. Also, what should I use for substrate? All I have currently are paper towels.

Well thanks for reading, and if you have any other tips for the care and keeping of a wild brown snake I'd love anything. Thanks!

[Zephyr]

I kept a brown snake over the summer for a few days. It took him/her about a week to eat. The good news to this is that I was on vacation when he was fed by mother, so after a period of acclimation it can't be too hard to feed them even if you're a total n00b.
Just make sure you keep his/her tank warm with tons of things to hide in/under. I used rotting vegetation to simulate the compost heap I found mine in. These aren't the kind of snake that likes to roam around *Like garters* although on a few of my herping expeditions I've found them crawling above ground just before dark and before storms.
If you're going to go the rotting route, maybe try finding a whole bunch of garden worms from a pesticide free local area, get some potting soil and dead oak leaves *these are high in nutrients* and set up a compost heap-like tank for your little dekay's. :P
Good luck!

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

Most snakes take a while to settle in try leaving him alone stress free for like 3-4 days then try feeding him,
Reed

[salzar]

hi ,
I have a brown snake and they are easy to keep.
they will not take big earth worms so cut them up in to 1/2 inch pieses, they adore slugs and mine will eat them over worms 2 to 1 .
mine loves to be handled and I do so like 7 times a day he is a very nice snake and really only likes me and trusts me, they shy easy so slow movement is important.
keep handling him he will get use to it , just do not over handle him, he may get to stressed out, mine took to eating right away, and is not a normal behaving snake.
he likes to eat from my hand and drinks from his bowl whilst I am holding him tottaly spoiled!!!!
i offer him water everytime I pick him up.
I use aspen chips but paper towles work well.
they do like to hide a lot but are day feeders so use coconut shells or u shaped bark I also use cut off long sleaves from a sweat shirt with peek holes cut in them, he loves that. there are shots of my cage and sal in the gallery look under salzar. hope you have good luck with him, they are fun!!
bye
michelle

[anji1971]

I also have a Dekay's snake, and like Michelle said, they are pretty easy to keep.
I use aspen at the moment, and Stitch is happy with that. They do like to hide a lot, so at least a couple good hides are essential. I have a little wooden "house" and a cardboard tube which he hides both inside of and underneath of. But every so often I'll find him climbing the vines and exploring around the higher areas of the tank.
I feed Stitch twice a week, a couple of slugs, and a few small worms, or pieces of nightcrawler. At first he would only come out to eat once a week, and would only take one small item. But over time he's become quite comfy and darts out to see me as soon as I come near the tank!! And he's got quite the appetite, too!!
As long as you are slow and pick him up gently, your brown snake should let you handle it. But be careful not to twitch or move suddenly, or he'll startle and go a bit spazzy!!
That's about all I can think of for now (you're probably sick of reading it anyway!) so welcome, and feel free to ask about anything else we may have missed here!

[adamanteus]

Years ago I kept a couple of Dekays Snakes. I found them pretty easy to care for, but rather shy. Lovely little snakes, I bred them and struggled to rear the neonates on tiny (match head size) slugs.

[Zephyr]

Hmm... Maybe I should get me a pair of Dekay's... I saw some crimson neonates last fall, failed to catch them though. Maybe we could get some color varieites out of these guys. :P
What temps do you guys keep yours at? Do you have a temp gradient?

[adamanteus]

It's a long time ago... but I think I kept mine relatively cool.

[Sid]

I keep one or two off and on. I use aspen shaving. Keep in my reptile room which is 80 to 85 degrees in the day time and 75 degrees at night. No other heat is needed. I feed whole worms and slugs.

[anji1971]

I've never kept mine at anything other than normal house temp -- between 68 and 72F. I have a little tiny heating pad in one corner of the tank, but a lot of the time Stitch is in his little house on the opposite side. He uses the heat mainly right after eating.