Oddity? Apparently, sometimes there is a reason to feed out of the cage.

[Caspian]

My Pastel het. Pied girl, Arìana, has been refusing to eat for a month now. She wouldn't even respond to the rats I offered her, f/t, f/k, or live, all of which she's eaten before. She'd be at the entry to her current hide, looking interested, until I offered - and then she'd pull her head in and put it in the back of the hide. Basically, give me her back, and ignore the rat. In fact, the last time I was feeding, she ignored it so long that I looked away while wiggling a fresh-killed at the hide entrance, and Shasal, who's next door (I have tub dividers), stuck her head over and snatched it! Greedy little slither. She'd just been fed the day before! So anyway, I noticed that Arìana had peed in her cage - no surprise there! I just cleaned it this afternoon. Nothing begs a fresh mess more than a clean cage.

Well, I took her out, put her in a holding container I regularly use for just that purpose, and got to cleaning her cage. Then I noticed she was going nuts, tongue flickering all over the place, S-ed up and hunting. I'd forgotten that I dropped a rat in there for a few minutes, earlier, though I'd put in a clean paper towel afterwards. Just to see what would happen, I dropped a live rat in... and wham! She had it immediately. She's swallowing it as a type. She's not very big yet, so refusing to eat worries me, and she was starting to look a bit thin. Her temperatures are fine, she has nice tight hides and darkness, her humidity is fine, and she won't eat. Then I put her in a cool, barren tub, and suddenly she'll eat. It makes no sense to me. Prior to this fast, she's always eaten in her tub with no problem at all.

Crazy snakes.

[SiXandSeven8ths]

I'm having similar issues right now. Viserion has not eaten in a couple weeks now, prior to that he was pretty good eater. Unfortunately I've had to feed live mice, so I had been giving him 2 at a time, which he happily and speedily ate without problems. Now, he just gets a bit interested at first but then just stares at it. When it would get close enough for him to want to strike (he had been striking from whatever hide he was in, too lazy to stick his head too far out, ya know) he would just tuck his head back in his hide. After a while he would start to stalk it a bit, bu then give up and go back to his hide and watch. Eventually, the mouse just hides in the corner and the snake stares at it from across the enclosure.

This went on for way to long last week (20 minutes turned into 2 hours watching him) and this week I let it go on for half that. Eventually I killed the mice, left one in with him overnight wondering if he would do anything with (he didn't) and froze the other one. I'm hoping to get him to move over to f/t just because the local pet store doesn't keep anything live bigger than these little feeder mice. And that just isn't enough for him I think. Maybe that's the cause of not eating? Prey too small? Anyway, I have some frozen rat pups on order, I'm hoping to convert.

[cristacake]

In fact, the last time I was feeding, she ignored it so long that I looked away while wiggling a fresh-killed at the hide entrance, and Shasal, who's next door (I have tub dividers), stuck her head over and snatched it! Greedy little slither. She'd just been fed the day before!

Has Arìana had a neighbor the whole time you've had her or could this maybe have something to do with going off feed? She may be shy or something. If not that then idk what! Glad she ate at least

[Caspian]

Has Arìana had a neighbor the whole time you've had her or could this maybe have something to do with going off feed? She may be shy or something. If not that then idk what! Glad she ate at least

Not the entire time, but she's eaten a few times since she acquired a neighbor - if anything, it seemed to stimulate her to be more aggressive toward her food! I already plan on picking up another rack, and spreading the snakes out instead of using divided tubs with neighbors - most of them are too small to be put in a full tub yet.

[Slim]

I guess the one thing I've learned about these animals is that they love to break the rules. We may never know why she likes to eat in a bare tub, but it's awesome that you found a trick to get her going again.

One of my juvenile BPs just recently quit striking and constricting his F/T rats. He's decided that he prefers to just crawl up and start swollowing. This is the first one I've owned who eats this way. Strange snakes...

[SmoothScales]

He's decided that he prefers to just crawl up and start swollowing.

You have GOT to video that.

[melcvt00]

Just curious, how did you kill the mice? Just wondering in case I decide to try it.

[Caspian]

Just curious, how did you kill the mice? Just wondering in case I decide to try it.

Cervical dislocation. I do not recommend that you try it without an experienced individual to teach you how. I find the slower suffocation of gas to be something worth avoiding, if possible, personally. It is not a pleasant thing to do, under any circumstances, but it is quick and effective.

[Jeanne]

My ball will only eat in a bare tub as well. Whatever works. Lol

Sent from my LG-V500 using Tapatalk

[melcvt00]

Cervical dislocation. I do not recommend that you try it without an experienced individual to teach you how. I find the slower suffocation of gas to be something worth avoiding, if possible, personally. It is not a pleasant thing to do, under any circumstances, but it is quick and effective.

Thanks!