Hatchling Snake Care (general)

A Brief Guide to Hatchling Snake Care

Housing
When you buy a hatchling it is essential to remember that in the wild EVERYTHING wants to eat them, so they are more nervous than adult snakes and generally easier to get things wrong with.
Many people buy a neonate (hatchling) snake and put them in large vivariums to give them space to stretch and explore, this is totally wrong. More often than not the snake will hide away and starve itself/become dehydrated because it is scared to come out to drink/feed.
The best enclosure you can give a hatchling is (dependant on species) a small sandwich box (ventilated – with small holes), a cricket box, a small pen pal (with larger holes sealed off).
The less space they have the more secure they will feel.
The best substrate for a hatchling snake is tissue, when this is used defecation can be monitored, humidity controlled and you can clean them easily and quickly with less disturbance than with other substrates.
Hides are the most important part of the hatchlings enclosure apart from the water bowl, because as previously stated the sense of security is extremely important to them.
For hatchlings I prefer to use half a toilet roll tube, or a small home made box (just big enough for the snake to get into and touch at least three sides) with a hole just big enough for the snake to fit through on the top/side.
The best method of heating a hatchlings tub is to place one third of it over a heat mat, I prefer to do this inside another (Empty) enclosure in order to double the chances of stopping any escapees.
Water

Hatchling snakes are extremely prone to dehydration so a small water bowl should be available at all times, this can be anything from a milk bottle lid (washed thoroughly) or a small water bowl purchased from a pet store. Some hatchling snakes can be fussy about the smell of tap water and can be put off by the chlorine, so some keepers prefer to use ‘aged’ water (water that has been left for 48 hours for the chlorine to dissipate) or bottled spring water. During ecdysis (shedding) it is essential that you monitor it carefully, at this size an incomplete shed due to incorrect humidity can cause the young snake damage. Some areas of the tissue dampened in the final days of the shed (when the eyes are starting to clear) usually prevent any problems with disecdysis (bad sheds).
Handling

Hatchling snakes do not enjoy being handled and played with, if you want something you can play with get a puppy. Excessive handling in the early stages can damage the snake and put it off feeding. They should never be handled 48 hours after feeding or during the shed. Once a snake has started to feed properly then it can be handled but for no more than about ten minutes a few times a week and if the snake ceases to feed then this should be reduced or even stopped until it starts again.
Feeding

If the enclosure is too big, the handling excessive, the humidity wrong and the prey too large the snake won’t feed.
The first meal of a hatchling should be a day or so after their initial shed (if you bought the snake from a breeder or shop they have usually already had this), until this time they are still living off the nutrients from the yolk. The initial shed is usually the day of hatching/birth through to ten days after dependant upon the species.
Hatchlings should never be hand fed, instead they should be offered a suitable prey item (a defrosted pinkie usually suffices) on a small pair of tongs, and I use a pair of eyebrow tweezers to offer food to hatchlings. If they do not feed for the first few offerings do not worry. Simply pinch the end of the defrosted pinkies nose with the tweezers to make it bleed a little and offer it like normal, the scent will usually start them off feeding. If they do not feed then look at what time you are offering the food, i.e. the majority of hatchlings will feed better when there is a dusky light (especially the nocturnal species).
If the hatchling is a persistent problem feeder then contact someone for help, the breeder, the pet shop or an experienced keeper. If the hatchling looks unwell and is not feeding then it should be taken to a vet with a specialist interest, although most feeding problems with hatchlings can be overcome by changing some of the husbandry methods being used.
Recommended Reading/Useful Contacts
Stuart Dodsworth – stuartandlynette@dodsworth2005.wanadoo.co.uk
The International Herpetological Society – www.international-herp-society.co.uk
The British Herpetological Society – www.thebhs.org
Exotic Animal Welfare Trust – www.eawt.co.uk