cguarino30

I have considered it, but I do not think I will be going that route. There are a couple of factors at play here. Firstly, even the more robust neonates have proven themselves to be quite sensitive to stress, and force feeding is one of the most stressful things that can happen to a snake. I believe that any force feeding would likely do more harm than good to appetite and overall security of the individual snakes. It could send a snake that was on the verge of beginning to feed back into anorexia, and could even cause physical damage to an otherwise healthy, though reluctant, snake.

Secondly, I am reluctant to force feed for reasons of genetic viability. It is one thing to give in to picky eaters. Picky eaters will not be held back for my own breeding purposes, but natural instincts are natural instincts, and I won't cull an animal for being inconvenient. However, an animal that doesn't have the drive necessary to eat ANY kind of food, I generally consider not to be genetically viable. Since there are so few of these guys in the world, and none that I am aware of being produced in the state, I feel I have a duty to the species and to future pa breeders of maintaining the genetic strength and viability of any animals that I add to the gene pool.

Non-feeders could have drive or instinct issues, that may or may not be passed on to future offspring, or could have internal defects that may or may not be heritable. Either way, with 26 viable babies, I feel that force feeding would likely be a disservice to the species, the hobby, and to the individual non-feeders themselves. Plus, I'm still hoping they come around on their own. Time will tell.