help with Pastel

I have a Pastel I had to feed him a paper bag when I 1st got the only way it would eat.
Now he will strike and coil up around mouse and then after a little while would either lay over it or next to it but the last 2 times I would find the mouse still laying there in the morning? what could this be? Like I said he was small and a troubled eater when I got him late last year. But he did eat the mouse when in the paper bag.
thanks

If he was a trouble eater to begin with why didn't you take him back to the place you bought him? I would never buy an animal that starts to have trouble early on.

Since it sounds like he got over the behavior and has been actively been feeding for a year and stopped now all of a sudden. I would look for a couple of things.

I would check his temps to make sure they are on point. Although I really haven't heard of a bp killing an animal and not consume it. The only time I have seen this is when they have an RI infection, because they might want to eat but the RI infection makes it painful for them to eat. They will randomly, but its not regular and sometimes will stop all together.
You can check this by seeing if theres any weezing, discharge, and if you open his mouth there shouldn't be any buildup of bubbles. If you got any of that, you must take it to a vet to get it looked at.
I made a mistake when I started was I got a bp and it was sick. Ever since that, I don't mess around.

If everything checks out okay, try the paper bag trick and see if he eats properly than. If he eats there, I would just do what works. You got a bp that likes his privacy than lol.

It the snake doesn't feel safe, it won't eat. The paper bag method is to get shy feeders to eat.

Try cluttering up your enclosure with fake plants or crumpled up paper balls.

feed in the enclosure. The only problem I have ever had thus far with feeding is when I tried to take her out and feed Elizabeth somewhere else. It stresses them out not to mention it is a pain in the butt. The whole thing....."oh it will make then agressive when you reach in to get them" is not true at all. They know the difference!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stlsteelersfan

I have a Pastel I had to feed him a paper bag when I 1st got the only way it would eat.
Now he will strike and coil up around mouse and then after a little while would either lay over it or next to it but the last 2 times I would find the mouse still laying there in the morning? what could this be? Like I said he was small and a troubled eater when I got him late last year. But he did eat the mouse when in the paper bag.
thanks

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Is the snakes enclosure in a high traffic area? It sounds like once it kills the prey its being interupted and since its shy allready it just leaves.What type of enclosure is it in? If its a fish tank drap a towel over it and leave the snake alone for a hour,no peeking once it wraps the prey up.

try feeding in a tupperware prescented of course then cover with a towel always works 4 me

Don't worry. If he ate in a paper bag, I would just feed him in the bag. You could try adding some crumpled newspaper and a a few sheets over that.
Just offer food once a week.

Now that I have bumped the temps back up they are starting to get back on feeding.
I can tell at a glance which ones are going to eat and which want to be left alone. They eat when they want.

Constricting but not eating food is usually a security issue. Snakes are at their most vulnerable when they are swallowing their prey, so they just won't do it if they don't feel safe. Since it used to work for this guy to eat in a paper bag, I would go with a similar approach. Drop the food in his enclosure, wait just long enough for him to strike so you know he has the mouse disabled, then cover the enclosure with a towel. Then quietly turn off the lights, and leave the room, and leave him alone.

Since it seems like this guy was shy at first, then ate fine for a long time, and now is having issues again, I'd also be looking for what has changed, and trying to eliminate sources of stress from his life.

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Originally Posted by kc261

Constricting but not eating food is usually a security issue. Snakes are at their most vulnerable when they are swallowing their prey, so they just won't do it if they don't feel safe. Since it used to work for this guy to eat in a paper bag, I would go with a similar approach. Drop the food in his enclosure, wait just long enough for him to strike so you know he has the mouse disabled, then cover the enclosure with a towel. Then quietly turn off the lights, and leave the room, and leave him alone.

Since it seems like this guy was shy at first, then ate fine for a long time, and now is having issues again, I'd also be looking for what has changed, and trying to eliminate sources of stress from his life.

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agreed with the quote above. the paper bag was to make him feel more secure. Try feeding in the dark or a smaller container in the dark. and after he coils the mouse, leave him be for an hour or more, don't keep checking on him as this can also keep him stress and not feeding.