concerned about one of my 2011 pickups

Wanted to share some facts in hope that you might offer some help via opinions, ideas, thoughts, etc. I bought 4 hatchlings this year - all 4 of them are housed exactly the same way. My husbandry is on point - trust me on that for now. 3 of them are doing well with the exception that one has been slow to switch over to f/t but recently did so i feel good about her. Weight gain across these 3 is reasonable based on their hatch date and a few feed refusals. The problem snake, due to a shipping mistake was 1 day late arriving and might have been exposed to some mid nineties temps at the fedex hub. At any rate, when he came out of the deli dish, he was lethargic as expected - no tongue flick which concerned me a little but after just a few hours in his tub he was out exploring like the others. He was sold as a f/t feeder which was big for me as I have no close source for live feeders. He has not been handled much in the month or so I have had him - just enough to check on him. Never once in handling him have I seen any tongue flick - which continues to concern me. He has refused feed 3 times - after speaking with seller - I have learned that I am offering food exactly like the breeder was with success. I weighed him today and he has lost 10% aprox. body weight down to 63 grams from a ship weight of 70. He is due to feed again on Saturday. Not sure what step to take next. I see him ramble around most every dusk and dawn and stay hid most of the day which is normal. Any thoughts appreciated??? - - Thanks in advance

Try feeding at night. Hate to say but you might have to make a trip to get live food.

try offering at night and leaving in the cage all night he might just be a shy eater I've had new ball pythons not eat in front of me so i wait till night cover there cage and leave it in all night on the hot side 9 times out of 10 its gone in the morning

Try feeding at night when he's active, make sure the mouse/rat is heated up (you can use a hairdryer), try wiggling it with tongs and/or try leaving it in his cage overnight.

When he refuses food does he show any interest in it? Does he strike or does he just ignore it, or does he hide like he's frightened?

i've tried both of those 2 ideas on the last 2 attempts - i've tried offering it off tongs at night peeking it inside his hide which is exactly how the breeder said he fed him and then after he seemed uninterested i left it on the hot side all night - closed door - room dark all night - still there next morning - i tried the week before offering when he was rambling around - he seems uninterested and if you force the issue afraid - all 3 attempts the mouse was heated in a sealed bag as to not lose smell

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Originally Posted by robeyeshua

i've tried both of those 2 ideas on the last 2 attempts - i've tried offering it off tongs at night peeking it inside his hide which is exactly how the breeder said he fed him and then after he seemed uninterested i left it on the hot side all night - closed door - room dark all night - still there next morning - i tried the week before offering when he was rambling around - he seems uninterested and if you force the issue afraid - all 3 attempts the mouse was heated in a sealed bag as to not lose smell

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Hi

That might actually be lowering your chances slightly - pre-scenting so the snake knows food is in the area can have a big effect on feeding success with F/T.

I defrost mine on top of a heat pad ( around 86f ) in the same room and then I heat the head with a hairdrier which blasts the smell around the place just before offering.


dr del

Had already tried the live before I saw your post Dr. Del - offered a very small live mouse - the smell was reaking after a 45 minute stint in the travel box - introduced in very low light - snake showed absolutely NO interest at all - I have yet to see this snake flick it's tongue since I have had him - I will try what you said Dr. Del - how long should I wait? - On a side note gathered an interesting lesson on the power of a mouse's smell as I decided to peek in on the other 3 after removing the mouse. Two of them were oviously in high alert feed mode with their heads strategically positioned out of their hide and the other went nuts when I opened his lid literally leaping out over the edge of the tub looking for the food. Pretty incredible to see - lol.

Hi,

Heh heh yeah - I now have to be very carefull when opening the tubs on feeding day.

I'd probably recommend waiting until the next scheduled feeding day - offering too often can stress some of them out and actually reduce the chances of them eating.

I'd probably examine him to see if there were any odd signs inside his mouth or noises from his breathing.

How closely are you matching the way he was fed at the previous owners?


dr del

i have matched exactly the method used by the breeder twice with no success - on next attempt - i will try f/t after "baking" one on a heat mat in the room and then "torching" the head with a hair dryer - it will be fun as well to witness the other snakes response to this overwhelming smell in the room - thx again dr. del and other posters - i will update when i learn what happens

get some live rodents. breed your own.