Tired of Eating Problems

titanoboa Where are you located???

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Originally Posted by titanoboa

OP here. Well I came back from Thanksgiving and decided to try and feed again as it was his usual feed day. No luck. He was moving around the tank all day without rest so I figured he was hungry. I will continue to offer at regular intervals until he eats or dies. He ate like a pig until about a month ago all frozen/thawed. Conditions haven't changed so it's not that. He is not ill but I will take him to a vet this week. I can't go live with my son's allergies, so I will let him enjoy titanoboa constrictador until he leaves this world. :( It won't be long since he is less than a year old and about 20 inches. Then I will either get a corn snake or rosy boa. Any animal that will starve itself to death is not suitable to captivity. I've worked at zoos when I was younger and know that was generally the cutoff for suitability.

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It's also winter, so he might have just gone off feed because of that. Temps drop outside, so they stop eating. Four weeks isn't that long of a fast- I had a KSB who went 6 months between feedings.

It's a little disturbing to me that you keep talking about letting him wait it out until he passes away- did you not see the people who offered to help? You could post here, or fauna, or kingsnake to try and rehome this guy. Where are you located? If you are in the Oregon/WA area, I can help with rehoming as well. Do not let this snake pass away, yes they can get fat and happy on f/t, but they are notorious for being picky eaters. If you want one who eats reliably and doesn't fast, you can talk to breeders about their adults. Usually when they are full grown, their eating habits are set so if they do have an annual fast, you can prep for it.

I know having an animal who doesn't eat is stressful and discouraging, but please don't wait him out and let him starve. Get a scale, measure him. Try a tub (if he's 20 inches long, a 15qt or smaller should do) and black it out. If he doesn't eat, wait longer and monitor his weight- these guys can go longer then you think without food.

Or just rehome him. Do the responsible thing and do not kill this snake because you can't think of a better option. People are giving you better options to try. Try them.

Also, Rosy's can be hard feeders as well. I'd personally say a King if you wanted a reliable eater (I haven't owned one, but I've heard they are trash cans and great eaters), but I just really like King's. Definitely go to a breeder and look at sub-adults/adults so you have an idea of their feeding behavior.

Please do not let this snake suffer because he isn't eating. My pied male went off food in April and only recently started eating again, so I know the frustration of watching them grow lean. If anything, I will gladly take in the snake and pay you overnight shipping. I have a small colony of well loved animals and I have rack space to accomodate another snake. No loss to you, and some money to get your son a more suitable animal.

Again, please don't write this animal off because they are being difficult. Nothing deserves to suffer because of a misunderstood problem.

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Originally Posted by titanoboa

O.K. After much encouragement, I tried feeding him today. No luck. I'm going to try in two weeks and if no luck, I'll give him to Petco. They have a bunch there. I'll get a corn snake. My kid wants something heavy that he can hold, but he's not quite old enough for a boa. I did my research. I just underestimated how flighty the animals are. I almost got a corn before, but was afraid they would escape. Anything is better than feeding problems, though, and corns are native.

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Sand boas or possibly some of the smaller locality Boa Constrictor, like the Cay Caulker honestly though red tails are not very "sit down" but they are not as active as corns either.

I know it sounds damn weird, but you have to go in there with confidence and drive, you have to want the snake to eat.

OP, where are you located? Someone would be willing to take and work with this animal immediately, I'm sure. And then you can try again with whatever species you want. Although, if small issues like this make you believe starvation is the proper means for dealing with it, perhaps you should wait.

I have acquired several "picky eaters" who just "wouldn't eat at all!" And within a week I had them pounding rats every week after. Why? I put them in a rack with proper husbandry.

Regardless, I still have my notoriously picky eater who goes off feed every two months or so despite my best efforts. He only eats live mice, won't touch a rat, and if the mouse moves around too much, he won't eat it. He also prefers white mice. (He's such a weirdo.) I've had this animal for almost 4 years. He is quite small for his age and never really packs on the pounds. He's been to the vet numerous times, and nothing is wrong. He's just picky and bent on stressing me out with his eating habits. That doesn't keep me from trying to feed him, or make me want to starve him. I just try harder. He is an amazingly sweet animal. Just because he wouldn't survive in the wild with his eating habits means nothing. He is not in the wild. He is in my care. And the day I purchased him and brought him home was a promise to him to be properly cared for for the rest of his life, as his caregiver. If a pet owner is not willing to make that commitment, they shouldn't purchase the animal. Or if they already have, they should find it a home with someone who will make that commitment. Because the animal deserves that.