Catch / Keep / Release?

[dashnu]

Very interesting, I have not decided what I wanted to do yet so I figured I would come here for thoughts.... I do not in anyway want to cause problems in the wild.. My first thoughts were actually the total flip.. I figured taking them in as babies (or young) chunk them up a bit then free them would give them a better chance of survival and my hope was to populate my area a bit more

[dashnu]

And btw, I was thinking about releasing them to take in two other babies me and the girls found... They of course like the small cute little babies better now and I dont have the money to invest in any more enclosures atm.. lol

[Zephyr]

And btw, I was thinking about releasing them to take in two other babies me and the girls found... They of course like the small cute little babies better now and I dont have the money to invest in any more enclosures atm.. lol

Try sterilite bins. Sturdy and affordable.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

iris ones are a little more exspensive but are 2x stronger

Try sterilite bins. Sturdy and affordable.

[Loren]

Steven- what have you tried to feed the night snake?
I have had success with small fence lizards and small pacific treefrogs. I actually feed them as frozen/thawed.
I leave them in the cage overnight along the perimeter, and they almost always are gone in the morning.
Night snakes can swallow fairly large meals too, so its ok if the meals are on the big side. They make it fit.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Steven- what have you tried to feed the night snake?
I have had success with small fence lizards and small pacific treefrogs. I actually feed them as frozen/thawed.
I leave them in the cage overnight along the perimeter, and they almost always are gone in the morning.
Night snakes can swallow fairly large meals too, so its ok if the meals are on the big side. They make it fit.

So you feed them prekilled? MY Hypsiglena is probably just intimidated by anything that moves. I have tried a live TINY fence lizard, alligator lizard, anole, long-tailed grass lizard, and slender salamander (all babies); today I caught a baby skink - I am currently anticipating... I'll try freezing something next. Maybe since they are night-feeders, being adapted to slightly cooler temps, they prefer incapacitated food (as inperhaps too clammy to move?); then they give it a mildly toxic salivary chew and down the hatch?!

Will see what happens...Thanks

[Loren]

So you feed them prekilled?

Yes, thats actually been my standard for lizards and frogs for a few years now, mostly for the reason of hoping to avoid internal and external parasite issues. Not sure if I have really even tried live with them, but I have had them for a couple years. I just really hate putting live wc anything in with a long term captive.
Also, Mine both came from central ca, so if yours is from so Cal, maybe his feeding preferences are different.
I have found very few snakes that wont take a frozen/thawed lizard or frog just as easily as a live one.
If using a frog, I mist it and the whole area around it to try to make it stay edible a bit longer.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Update! Besides the one young Skilton Skink I fed my Night Snake a while back (Skink pickins have been bad), I have now had success with (Oh No!) baby corn snakes. Please understand, I would normally have an issue with feeding snakes to snakes, but these corns were all born with numerous vertebral kinks. Soooo.... It seems my Hypsiglena (whom I will name "Hypsi") doesn't have to go hungry for weeks on end. On the other hand I can't say much for the outcome of one of this year's corn clutches.... Guess it was meant to be...

Steve

Steven- what have you tried to feed the night snake?
I have had success with small fence lizards and small pacific treefrogs. I actually feed them as frozen/thawed.
I leave them in the cage overnight along the perimeter, and they almost always are gone in the morning.
Night snakes can swallow fairly large meals too, so its ok if the meals are on the big side. They make it fit.

[Loren]

Wow Steven, I knew night snakes could eat big meals, but that must be a decent size night snake to eat a baby corn!
Cool deal though, at least he's eating.

I actually have a night snake taking non-scented thawed pinkies from my hand now. I'm pretty happy about that. I think this ones gonna get big (for a night snake).