I have some experience with raising neonates. My first litter/clutch of S. dekayi were the smallest snakes I had ever worked with. They came at a time when slugs were hard to find and they refused earthworms. I took them to a local lake and released them in a swallow weeded area. Seconds after I released them they found snails and started pulling them out of their shells. It's probably best to release these tiny little scrubs. Mother nature knows best with these guys.