getting hypo hondo to eat

so my hypo in very nervous and flighty, which i do beleive is common for hondurans, and musks me almost everytime i hold it...but its so flighty i cant get it to eat, it stays burrowed consistently, ive not seen it out of the substrate but once, and i keep checking, its always in the exact same place, so its not moving overnight either. should i try a seperate enclosure for feeding and maybe put the F/T hopper warmed up and let it come to the mouse?

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Originally Posted by tsdsbd

so my hypo in very nervous and flighty, which i do beleive is common for hondurans, and musks me almost everytime i hold it...but its so flighty i cant get it to eat, it stays burrowed consistently, ive not seen it out of the substrate but once, and i keep checking, its always in the exact same place, so its not moving overnight either. should i try a seperate enclosure for feeding and maybe put the F/T hopper warmed up and let it come to the mouse?

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If your feeding live yes try a seperate container, if F/T just put it in the cage and leave and check back in an hour. Good luck!

-Payson!

If it's that flighty, I don't think i would be handling it on feeding days. It will just make him more nervous. I wouldn't do any handling at all until you can get him to eat. Except for some spot cleaning.

In my opinion, there is no advantage in feeding anything in a separate enclosure. It is purely for our benefit.

yeah the only thing is hes under 3 inches of aspen, if he wants to eat he will come out considering he can smell it right.

How big is he and how big is your enclosure.

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Originally Posted by stratus_020202

In my opinion, there is no advantage in feeding anything in a separate enclosure. It is purely for our benefit.

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I would disagree with this. Though it's not always best, it can sometimes help get difficult feeders to feed by putting them in a small container. In a large area, food can get passed over or unnoticed, especially by flighty individuals.

I start my hatchling hondurans by placing them in an 8 oz. deli with a frozen thawed fuzzy the very day they hatch. I've had 100% success by doing so. Once they take their first few meals, they are usually problem free.

hes about 2.5 feet long and in a 10 gal right now. the size seems fine to me, what about putting him in a paper grocery bag (closed) with the mouse for 15 minutes then checkin on him?

You can try that. I do however think a hopper sounds a bit small for a 2.5' hondo. I would be feeding weaned/sm. adult mice.

yeah ik your right, im just trying to give him something. because ive yet to get him to eat, i want it to be an easy first meal to get down. even the hopper is thicker than it by a little bit.

i dont think hes emaciated, but he just shed so maybe he wasnt eating because of a week leading up to preshed and through shed...who knows