Opinions on how long to wait to be worried

So I have a female Het Pied that is about 500 grams that has not eaten since I got her from a reliable source. It's going on 32 days now. Temps and humidity are perfect. She is in a rack with 3 other snakes eating fine. She is in a 28 quart tub with a hide as well.

I have offered:
F/t rat pups
f/t mice
Live rat pups
Live mice
Live mice hoppers
Live ASF's pups

I have been offering only once a week as I did not want to stress her. I know 32 days is not that long but it sure is frustrating.

Any advice?

500 grams is probably large enough for small rats, to be honest. She is probably holding out for a larger meal!

If temps and humidity are perfect like you say, just keep waiting. Sometimes they go through a fasting period as juveniles (I have a yearling cinnamon at home currently doing this in fact) where for no apparent reason, they stop feeding for a period of time.

If she's not losing weight, and is otherwise acting normally, I'd keep offering at least jumbo sized mice (if not small, weanling rats) once a week until she does start eating.

-Jen

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Originally Posted by canzoman

So I have a female Het Pied that is about 500 grams that has not eaten since I got her from a reliable source. It's going on 32 days now. Temps and humidity are perfect. She is in a rack with 3 other snakes eating fine. She is in a 28 quart tub with a hide as well.

Any advice?

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I'd be careful about introducing a snake that early into your collection. What if she isn't eating because she is sick? You could have just compromised your entire rack by skipping a seperate QT.

I'm also seeing you offered 6 different feeders, but you said you only offered once a week. So I'm assuming you tried multiple different feeders on similar days?

I'd personally just leave her alone and stop fussing for a bit. Give her a chance to calm down. As it is, you have her in around new snakes, which is new smells, in a new environment, and you're tossing multiple different food types at her in a short period of time.

Relax. Breathe. It's a Ball Python.

Leave her be for a while. Let her get comfortable. I'd leave her for at least two weeks to settle without offereing food items, without disturbing her or fretting over her. She needs to feel secure in order to eat.

Forgot to mention got her at 500 grams and now she is 475. Not THAT much but did lose some.

She was too scared of a big mouse I figured a small rat would have the same result.

I secon what Val said....leave her alone for a couple of weeks. Too late now to worry about QT, but I wouldnt miss that step in the future!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

I'd be careful about introducing a snake that early into your collection. What if she isn't eating because she is sick? You could have just compromised your entire rack by skipping a seperate QT.

I'm also seeing you offered 6 different feeders, but you said you only offered once a week. So I'm assuming you tried multiple different feeders on similar days?

I'd personally just leave her alone and stop fussing for a bit. Give her a chance to calm down. As it is, you have her in around new snakes, which is new smells, in a new environment, and you're tossing multiple different food types at her in a short period of time.

Relax. Breathe. It's a Ball Python.

Leave her be for a while. Let her get comfortable. I'd leave her for at least two weeks to settle without offereing food items, without disturbing her or fretting over her. She needs to feel secure in order to eat.

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Thanks for the info.

Yeah it was a short quarantine. I know everything about her prior setup as the person I got her from is a friend and lives close by. Point taken though.

As yes I did offer multiple on same days just in case.

I will leave her alone for 2 weeks then try again.

You could also try putting her in a smaller tub. The cramped space might make her feel safer. You can always move her back up after she takes a few meals.