Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
JoshSloane
Good god that is a crazy fixated bp. What kind of enclosure do you have him in? Are your husbandry specs within limits? If all that is on I would increase hides and let the guy rest for a week or so to settle in. Changing environments is extremely stressful for snakes. If your gerbil colony is sustainable for the long haul you might not be in such a bad spot.
For shy eaters you can put a blanket or something over the tank while they eat.
Just a thought, but are you sure that your friend was truly only able to feed gerbil pups? Sometimes people get whacky advice and discount other food sources. Ive overheard pet store employees dishing out this nonsense. It might be a good experiment to see if he would take down a young mouse or rat. The change in smell might jump start him.
I have him in a 41 qt tub on a rack, 50 ish humidity with a 94 hot spot and 80 low side, on paper towels, and 2 hides plus water dish. And my friend I got him from is a breeder of rats, mice gerbils, ect... So that is how he found out it eats gerbils. I could try and surprise him with a different rodent see if that works. I might try and clutter up the cage first just to get him to eat before I try that thought. So If I put a bunch of things in his cage is it like that for good, or do I remove it after awhile?
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
200xth
How big are gerbil pups (in grams)?
I have never really weighed the pups. I could do that, but I have run out. When he doesn't eat them I can't put them back into the colony because they are based on sent. So they smell the snake on them and kill them. I've even tried to reintroduce the pups slowly by keeping them in a critter cage full of there feces but no go. If I had to guess I would say maybe 25-35 grams, which is why I want to get him off. I was told when he does finally eat he will eat 4-5 of them and thats pretty much the whole litter so you never really regenerate what he eats/doesn't.
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Commonground
I have him in a 41 qt tub on a rack, 50 ish humidity with a 94 hot spot and 80 low side, on paper towels, and 2 hides plus water dish. And my friend I got him from is a breeder of rats, mice gerbils, ect... So that is how he found out it eats gerbils. I could try and surprise him with a different rodent see if that works. I might try and clutter up the cage first just to get him to eat before I try that thought. So If I put a bunch of things in his cage is it like that for good, or do I remove it after awhile?
Try putting him in a smaller tube with a hide. Ive had ball pythons not eat well in open spaces specially the smaller ones. Try to leave him alone most of the time except for feeding and cleaning. Keep him in a quite place where theres minimal or no movement.
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Commonground
I have never really weighed the pups. I could do that, but I have run out. When he doesn't eat them I can't put them back into the colony because they are based on sent. So they smell the snake on them and kill them. I've even tried to reintroduce the pups slowly by keeping them in a critter cage full of there feces but no go. If I had to guess I would say maybe 25-35 grams, which is why I want to get him off. I was told when he does finally eat he will eat 4-5 of them and thats pretty much the whole litter so you never really regenerate what he eats/doesn't.
Sounds good. I was just curious because if they're too small the snakes will ignore them many times. It doesn't sound like they are too small, though.
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Commonground
I have him in a 41 qt tub on a rack, 50 ish humidity with a 94 hot spot and 80 low side, on paper towels, and 2 hides plus water dish. And my friend I got him from is a breeder of rats, mice gerbils, ect... So that is how he found out it eats gerbils. I could try and surprise him with a different rodent see if that works. I might try and clutter up the cage first just to get him to eat before I try that thought. So If I put a bunch of things in his cage is it like that for good, or do I remove it after awhile?
Wow yeah that tub is big for him specially with just the two hides. You can either clutter it up or like suggested above, move him to a smaller enclosure. As he eats and grows you can start taking some of it out so that he has more space.
Also your temps are a little on the high end
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Awesome thanks everyone! I will try out some different things and see what I can do. Also if they are finding out our temps are wrong what should they be at?
Re: Super picky eater, HELP!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Commonground
Awesome thanks everyone! I will try out some different things and see what I can do. Also if they are finding out our temps are wrong what should they be at?
Hot spot of 85-90°
