Lyre Snake Care
 

I have a new juvie lyre snake (~1.5 ft). Does anyone have experience keeping these caging (all I could find said to set them up like a rat snake, so I have him in a standard snake cage: 10 gallon, tight hide, water dish, UTH, and aspen shavings), feeding, etc. I'd like to get him onto rodents so any tips on converting him would be appreciated. I have a lot of experience scenting and a diverse array of herps that could be pressed into service, are there any that you guys have found to be particularly "enticing". I'm going to give him a week to settle in before I attempt feeding.

Thanks,
Alice

of course Lyers are
 

notorious lizard eaters. You will need to examine all possibilities of converting over to rodents. The Texas lyers are thought to be as bad eaters as neonate or wild caught grey-banded kingsnakes as to switching over. As you know also they are completely nocturnal with baro pressure maybe being a very big determining factor of feeding. At least in my observation. Did you say what species this one is ? Doesn't really matter as all lyers do the same. A heavily habitat type scenario cage appears to be the way to go on this species. I do know of people keeping and a few successful breedings in captivity. But to my knowledge and observation, they need quite a bit of room cage wise even as juveniles ? My .02,

Any info would be appreciated. I plan to give him a week to settle in and then offer a live pinkie (maybe I'll get lucky). If that doesn't work, I have a pet banded gecko that I'll use to scent a washed f/t pinkie. I also have night lizard that could be pressed into service. I know a guy who had a lyre snake that ultimately died, but he was able to get it to take tree frogs (I have a Hyla regilla and a H. cadaverina I can use for scenting as well). If this doesn't work, I'll get a lizard tail and stick in the mouth of a f/t pinkie and see if that works. If I still have no luck, I'll catch him a treefrog (and then try to get him to take treefrog scented) and if that doesn't work, I'll do the same thing with a side-blotched. I'm wondering if in terms of feeding, if it would be best to cup him or leave him in the cage. I've had good luck with cupping when trying to get some new snakes feeding or converted to rodents.

-Alice

The lyre snake didn't take the live pinkie I offered initially. The next week I offered a f/t washed pinkie with a piece of skink tail in the mouth and that disappeared :) Hopefully, it works again.

-Alice

He didn't eat at the next feeding. I offered a pinky with a mouthful of skink tail and placed it under the slab of cork the lyre snake hangs out under again. This time, however, I used a large rather than a small pinky. The lyre looked like it might be going into a shed cycle at the time (aside from feeding, I've been leaving him undisturbed, and even then I just barely lift the cork to slide the food under). Provided the snake isn't shedding, I'm going to try again with a smaller pinky and the skink tail in a few days. If that doesn't work again, I may try rubbing it on one of the treefrogs and re-offering it.

-Alice