Refusing to eat

I have a baby red blood python I got from Outback Reptiles at the end of October, he has only eaten about 6 times for me since then. I have offered at least once a week since I got him but he just runs from the mouse. I have tried f/t, live, stunned, freshly killed and he shows no interested and the times he has eaten its always been a different scenario. I'm at a loss. I'm at work right now so I don't know the exact temps but plenty of areas to hide and for humidity I spray once or twice a day. I'm at a loss he hasn't even gone through a shed. But he seems just fine otherwise. Please help thanks!!

My juvenile blood was a shy eater. He would only eat if I would leave the food and then close the lid. He soon grew out of it, but still is a shy eater. I always feed f/t rats, never fed mice. I would suggest switching to rats, it might be the choice of food. Does he show any signs of interest when you offer? Any other changes in behavior?

Behaviors are fine otherwise, he will smell it then just go the other way. Maybe I will try the rats next time, I was told he was eating mice when I bought him that's why I stuck with them. Just really worried that in 4 months he hasn't shed :(

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Originally Posted by lidjamay90

I have a baby red blood python I got from Outback Reptiles at the end of October, he has only eaten about 6 times for me since then. I have offered at least once a week since I got him but he just runs from the mouse. I have tried f/t, live, stunned, freshly killed and he shows no interested and the times he has eaten its always been a different scenario. I'm at a loss. I'm at work right now so I don't know the exact temps but plenty of areas to hide and for humidity I spray once or twice a day. I'm at a loss he hasn't even gone through a shed. But he seems just fine otherwise. Please help thanks!!

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Hi there it hard to advise as you have very little information provided to ascertain a decent plan of action. Husbandry more often than not will be enough to throw them off feeding and also I dont know why its on mice a Blood need never see a mouse from hatchling on they can start on rats right off the bat.

you say it has eaten 6 times in 3 months which approx is every 14 days which is far less than usual more like an adults feeding schedule on Jumbo's.
Plus mice are not very good compared to a rat so you want to get more information on here like set up and temps and humidiity etc if your confident the husbandry is not an issue it could well be building up for a shed as they will shed more often as youngsters obviously, do you have info that it was eating shedding ?

Young captive bred bloods housed correctly have voracious appetites normally so apart from getting it on rats and making sure husbandry is in order there are a number of possibilities but these should be addressed 1st.

As much info as possible would enable myself and other experienced blood owners to advise you better however.

I dont know if your feeding live or F/T I always feed F/T so if its live please make sure yuo pick the brains of others on here who regularly feed their own bloods live.

What are your temps? High temps turn off bloods to food. You should aim for low 80's overall and any hot spot the same.

maybe you're enclosure is too big?

I agree the curtus species like lower temps than, at most mid 80's for your hot spot. Idk what kind of substrate you are using, but if you are using any paper put a couple extra loose sheets in their so he can hide under. If you are using cypress or something similar just make sure you have a thick enough substrate. They like to burrow and hide. Also if you are feeding every 14 days I'd bump it to every week. My largest blood around 10 lbs eats every 14 days and it's a big meal. :D