Hm...What Do You Think?

Last week, I tried feeding Auryn a rat pup for the first time. After sniffing around it (sniffing as snakes do, of course ;) ) for about 15 minutes, my arm got tired holding the hemostats. I left the rap pup (F/T) in his tub, covered it up and left it for the night. I figured, if he was hankerin' for a midnight snack, he'd eat it.

Well, the next day, the pup was still there, so I tossed it.

It's been a week, and Auryn's been acting weird. Last night I found him out of his hides, kinda stretched out across his tank with his head propped up on his warm hide. When he saw me looking at him, he decided to hide under his substrate (paper towels). Then this morning, instead of being in his hide, I opened up his tub to check on him (the way he was last night was off his routine, so I'm a little worried) and he's wedged behind his warm hide, with his neck and head S-shaped, on top of the hide.

With his head propped up, I was worried: "Oh God, pre-cursor to an RI!". But, I haven't noticed ANY yawning, labored breathing, wheezing/popping... and after I peeked in at him, he decided to hide under his substrate again--which is where he is now.

Anyone have ANY idea why he's suddenly acting like this? Is it that he's hungry and on the look-out for food? I was going to wait a bit longer to try a rat pup again--so he'd be good and hungry when I tried...but if he's hungry now, I can try tonight.

:) Thanks for any insight you long-time snakie owners can give me. I'm still a pretty new snake-mom, and when ANYthing not "normal" for Auryn happens, I become a worry-wort.

Well Kim only you will really know if he's that "off" that he might be sick but if I found one of mine in behind the hide with the head in an S curve like that I'd read "hungry snake". Many of mine sort of learn to use their hides as cover in many ways....lurking from the doorway, sitting on top of the hide striking downward, darting out from behind the hide to nab dinner. They do use different hunting methods and seem to adjust and change those a bit as they mature and learn to use all of their environment to be a successful predator.

Lol as we speak my two hets are in the same position in there tanks. the female is wedged in back of her hide with her head kind of sleeping sideways. The boy is doing the same. There both on the warm side as well. I donno what to tell you. Maybe its just a time of the year they do this. But I think there just hungry. But im not gonna feed them twice a week so they better relax.lol

So Kim...give us the basics again...setup, temps, etc.


Has anything changed...new items added, new smells in room, etc?

Just cover the basics to be safe. :)

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

So Kim...give us the basics again...setup, temps, etc.


Has anything changed...new items added, new smells in room, etc?

Just cover the basics to be safe. :)

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He's currently at:

Cool Side: 83
Warm Side: 93
Humidity: 58%

He lives in a Sterilite tub.

Nothing has changed as far as his setup is concerned recently (he got new hides about two months ago). The only really new thing was my trying to feed him a rat pup instead of a mouse at the last feeding. I'm attempting to get him switched over. He didn't take the pup, so it's really the first time he's gone two weeks without a meal.

Sounds to me like he's just hungry and wondering when the next mousie is due to wander by. :P I'd say wait until the next scheduled feeding day and try the rat pup again. It won't hurt him at all to miss a few meals until he gets over his finicky phase.

All of mine sit cool side and warm side side w/ there heads resting on top of their hides in S shape and just full length. Head propped up does not mean always R/I. I figure they are like us and move around into different positions.

Sometimes it takes a few trys to switch over from mice to rats. Follow JLC's advice and just try again. Missing a few meals is in no way gonna hurt them.
If temps are good and everything is spot on then he will eat when hungry enough.

Mine has yawned two or 3 times and he seems to streth out of his hide with his head on a log a lot. Should I be worried about RI?

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Originally Posted by keeb

Mine has yawned two or 3 times and he seems to streth out of his hide with his head on a log a lot. Should I be worried about RI?

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It's worthy of discussion, and if you start your own thread, your question will get the attention it deserves. ;)

I hope everything works out for you Azure, I am sure everything is fine looking at your setup. I am going to be attempting to switch from mice to small rats in two weeks so this is good info. Just out of curiosity how much has your snake grown in the time you have owned him/her? I know you have only had the snake a few months right? Good luck and keep us posted.