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Hollow stomach.

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  • 12-23-2009, 08:36 AM
    withonor
    Hollow stomach.
    I searched "hollow belly" and "hollow stomach". I have never had so little results. Maybe I'm calling it something different.

    I've had these three females for a week now. I've limited contact to checking temperatures and cleaning defecation. Yesterday I found my female pastel Missy had pooped. Cleaning her tub required picking her up and when I was holding her I felt something very eerie. My finger tips went up inside of her like she was hollow. I picked up the other two, cinnamon first. She came bigger than I was expecting and she felt solid. The mojave, Star, had the same feeling as Missy. Star is also the smallest and has had me worried about how skinny she was. After relieving herself, her head was as wide as her body and when she "coiled" there were wrinkles in the turns.

    I don't know for sure and that's why I searched but didn't get much results. Feeling up inside the ribcage to me seems like a starved animal. I decided to try and feed them.

    I put Lunchbox Jr in the room with them. Her job is to prescent. I go to the freezer and get the frozen fuzzies and pups. I had one picked out for Star because it was the smallest I had at 15 grams. I get one 20 grams for Missy and a pup that is 30 grams for Scarlett.I thawed them out which is about an hour submerged in warm water. I dry them off and hair dryer zap the heads.

    Someone had suggested that Missy was ready to go so I started with her. I grab the one for her and present it and she is all over it. I grab the smallest one for my mojave Star and put in near her hide and she ZOOMS out. A little search and sniffing results in no action. I leave the rat in there. I take the rat pup and offer it to Scarlett and she seems far more interested in escaping so I leave the rat in there.

    An hour late I come back and the two rats are still there. I pull them and heat the heads again. I present the one to Star and this time she finishes the deal. This is exciting because she is tiny and the F/T rat is 15% or more of her weight now.

    Scarlett the cinnamon didn't take hers so I'm leaving it in there over night. I'm not worried about her so much except that she wants to escape so bad.



    I just want to know about the hollow stomach and what it means.




    Thanks
  • 12-23-2009, 10:28 AM
    rabernet
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    How old are they? What you're describing reminds me of what females' bellies look like right after laying eggs, with a concave belly.

    If they're babies or juveniles, it would suggest to me that they need to be offered more food and are under-nourished at the moment.
  • 12-23-2009, 10:56 AM
    Dave763
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    I agree. sounds like they are not eating often enough or big enough prey. After laying a clutch they will have that concave belly.
    Prey items should be as big as the snakes girth or slightly smaller. You should be able to see a slight bulge after a meal. Not like they swallowed a football.
    Sometimes a live rat will get them interested.

    I only feed live rats myself. If they don't want to eat and you are sure the husbandry is all good temps,humidity,enclosure size, hides, ect, then you may just have to wait until they are ready to eat.
  • 12-23-2009, 11:12 AM
    BPelizabeth
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    Ok so I have no idea...not that experienced but I have to say...

    Lunch Box Jr........that is the funniest name I have ever heard...:rofl:
  • 12-23-2009, 02:05 PM
    Kaorte
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    I know that sometimes when I poke my snakes on the belly they actually move just their belly away and it kind of caves in a little. Not a whole lot but definitely enough to notice.

    Are you sure this isn't what you noticed?
  • 12-23-2009, 06:29 PM
    withonor
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    They're about two months old. I just received them last Tuesday and I was going to wait two weeks to let them settle then try to feed them but after feeling that I felt like they needed food now. I'm so relieved they actually ate. The both had muffin tops after eating.

    It definately wasn't them sucking in their stomach, it was much deeper than that. I didn't poke them, just picked them up and my fingers sunk in. As they moved it felt like it went nearly the entire length of their bodies. I imagined those videos of children in Africa. Scarey.




    Lunchbox wasn't as lucky as Lunchbox Jr. She owes her life to her frozen cousins.
  • 12-23-2009, 06:32 PM
    2kdime
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    Where'd you get them?
  • 12-23-2009, 06:38 PM
    withonor
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 2kdime View Post
    Where'd you get them?

    Someone on kingsnake.com.
  • 12-23-2009, 06:45 PM
    2kdime
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    Could have been their very first meal...
  • 12-23-2009, 06:57 PM
    withonor
    Re: Hollow stomach.
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by 2kdime View Post
    Could have been their very first meal...

    That's not a pleasant thought... Although having read some "BAD GUY" posts on fauna, I'm happy they're alive and eating. Hope it stays that way.
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