oh no not another "my bp isnt eating thread?!?"

Ok, I know the deal, bp will go without eating especially around winter I know its not a big deal. However the bp in question is my 69g (now 63g) black pstel boy. He last ate the 29th (day before we got him). I've left him with the mouse hopper for over a hour, still nothing. He's at the begining stages of shed (blueish coloring, pink belly ect). I know bps will refuse if they're shedding. 1st question, is it normal for smaller bps like mine to skip a meal during shed. 2nd, he seems to be looking thin which is what's got me a little worried, should I just wait untl after he sheds or should I do something about it now. If so what should I try? :confused:

Humidity is good, and heat is good, and he's still pretty active. He's not nippy, and h doesn't seem stressed, just looks a little thin.

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Originally Posted by nikitajane25

Ok, I know the deal, bp will go without eating especially around winter I know its not a big deal. However the bp in question is my 69g (now 63g) black pstel boy. He last ate the 29th (day before we got him). I've left him with the mouse hopper for over a hour, still nothing. He's at the begining stages of shed (blueish coloring, pink belly ect). I know bps will refuse if they're shedding. 1st question, is it normal for smaller bps like mine to skip a meal during shed. 2nd, he seems to be looking thin which is what's got me a little worried, should I just wait untl after he sheds or should I do something about it now. If so what should I try? :confused:

Humidity is good, and heat is good, and he's still pretty active. He's not nippy, and h doesn't seem stressed, just looks a little thin.

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assuming dec 29 is the last time he ate, 9 days of feed isn't going to kill him. some of my balls will eat during shed and some will not. my male pastel never eats during a shed but always eats right after. i would wait fo him to shed then try feeding.

It's not normal for a baby ball to go off feed for the winter, that rule is really only meant for breeding sized balls. If you can describe your set-up in detail, including how you read temps and humidity, we can help you more. I disagree that 9 days for a 69 gram ball is not a big deal. It's not a long time, but I also wouldn't "just wait".

I would agree with lgray23. It usually wouldn't matter but a baby needs food. I woul try and feed again before you just wait until after shed. see what happens and hopefully it will eat. If not then I guess wait until after shed but keep a close monitor on his weight and post a pick so we can see how thin he is.

I didn't see the part where you mentioned he's in blue, you can wait until after he sheds since it's only days away, but I'd still double check all the husbandry and attempt a live hopper mouse to feed after a successful shed.

Agreed, there's no rule that balls go by when it comes to eating while in shed, some do and some don't. Has the snake defecated since you got it? If not, I would wait not only until after it sheds, but until after I see a bowel movement. It seems to me that babies tend to get backed up rather easily.

I'd also like to say that the timeline here is perfectly normal...if the snake is going blue, it's not right at the beginning of the shed, but a couple days in. If it ate on the 29th, and today being only the 6th, everything should be fine if your snake is an established feeder, and it should eat right after shedding.

My husband has a substrate mix cuz we were having humidity problems. But he is in a 20g tank with coconut fiber on the bottom, a layer of aspen on the top, and very little sphagum moss sprinkled. He has 2 hides (one is a humid hide) 2 water bowls, and the back and sides of the tank are lined (from the outside) with black contact paper. We have an accurite digital thermo/hydro readin arund 80 cool sideand 90 warm with a range of 50-60 humidity. We also have an anolog hydrometer (60-70) and thermometer(83-88) mid tank. I'll take some pics of him. I thought about just putting a hopper in his tank but I really don't wanna do that, all our snakes feed in a seperate bin and I don't wanna risk changing that.

I have at least 3 snakes that would NEVER eat for me again if I ever tried to feed them in a separate bin. Not all take to it as well as others, and if you refuse to at least try feeding in his enclosure then your risking your snake. I strongly suggest attempting it if he refuses just one more time.

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Originally Posted by nikitajane25

he seems to be looking thin which is what's got me a little worried

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I would also like to add that if he seems to be looking thin, it's for one of two reasons....

1) he was looking thin when you got him.

2) you are just worrying too much.

I would wait until he sheds. My little guy missed a meal because he would not eat in shed, and went right back to it the next week. So he went right at 2 weeks without a meal. I would be concerned if he refuses after the shed.

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...1325875421.jpg

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/v...1325875541.jpg

Babys that size always look skinny as their jut that still BABIES.

Most dont eat during shed. Leave it be till it sheds then offer again.

Looks like a 60 something gram ball ought to.

Yea my husband is teling me I worry too much, but id rather be safe then sorry xP :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by nikitajane25

Yea my husband is teling me I worry too much, but id rather be safe then sorry xP :rolleyes:

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Being overprotective usually is the reason for most snakes problems.

Keep in mind they are a set it up and leave it a lone species, that Tolerates being handled on occasion.

So, if you mean dec 29 which I assume you are? Then it's been only a week since you've owned him. He is probably still getting acclimated to his new home.
As, far as getting the blue in his eyes and the whole shed process. Like other's have said, some will feed some will not. Depending how thick the eye cap's are? If, there really foggy then he obviously won't be able to see anything. And, there for won't be able to strike properly. What was he feeding on before you bought him? F/T or just live?
If, I were you I would just leave him alone. Keep up the humidity and just wait till he shed's. I think that the more you mess with him and his cage while in the shedding process and being new? The more your going to stress him out and he will most likely take longer to come around.

No his eyes aren't too fogged overf at all you can hardly tell. But he's on live. The breeder we got him from says he's a good eater but stubborn. He'll eat but it takes an hour or 2 before he takes lol.

Rich do you know where novi commerce walled lake area is??? Just wondering that's my hometon area. The armys got me in nc right now but I've seen some of your bp and their awesome looking.

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Originally Posted by nikitajane25

No his eyes aren't too fogged overf at all you can hardly tell. But he's on live. The breeder we got him from says he's a good eater but stubborn. He'll eat but it takes an hour or 2 before he takes lol.

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Oh, ok. How about this? Was his eyes clear when u bought him? Or, where they more foggy but now kinda clear?
Whoa, an hour or 2 before he even start's to swallow? And, I thought that 40min's was a long time for my female annie (then again it was her first feed with me). Now, she takes it down (haha) in no time. (sick people shame shame, lol) You know what I'm trying to say?

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Originally Posted by keith88

Rich do you know where novi commerce walled lake area is??? Just wondering that's my hometon area. The armys got me in nc right now but I've seen some of your bp and their awesome looking.

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Is that Novi, Commerce, Walled Lake as in 3 separate places or is it one place.

Ive heard of them all as their all over 90 mins+ from me

Yes there three seperate places lol sorry

To the OP - Let him shed, then feed him in his enclosure. Moving him to a feeding bin can encourage refusal through stress, and is completely unnecessary.

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Originally Posted by Gbusiness

Oh, ok. How about this? Was his eyes clear when u bought him? Or, where they more foggy but now kinda clear?
Whoa, an hour or 2 before he even start's to swallow? And, I thought that 40min's was a long time for my female annie (then again it was her first feed with me). Now, she takes it down (haha) in no time. (sick people shame shame, lol) You know what I'm trying to say?

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No, an hour or 2 before he even strkes lol. And no he wasn't foggy or anything when wegot him. I know there's different stages of shed. He got the pink belly a fewdays ago and now his scales look a blueish faded tint

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Originally Posted by nikitajane25

No, an hour or 2 before he even strkes lol. And no he wasn't foggy or anything when wegot him. I know there's different stages of shed. He got the pink belly a fewdays ago and now his scales look a blueish faded tint

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Ok, so you have a few more day's till he completes his process. Like before, I would just let him be. Once, he is fresh and brand new I would then offer the mouse.
So, since he takes so long to even strike? Do you sit there with him or do you walk away and check up on him?
For, me I wouldn't just sit there and stare at any of my snakes for 2 hour's boring lol. And, I definately wouldn't leave a live mouse in with my snake for more then 15 min's. I would just try again in a few day's.

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Originally Posted by Gbusiness

And, I definately wouldn't leave a live mouse in with my snake for more then 15 min's.

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That's generally a good rule to follow, but a 60+ gram bp isn't going to be eating anything larger than a big fuzzy/small hopper, which won't do them harm.

yeah we have a hard time finding rat fuzzies in this area so right now he is on hoppers. This town isn't exactlly huge on the love for herps and the two mom and pop reptile stores are some of the nastiest I've seen. The one guy has tanks that literaly have moldy excrement and when we looked in their store the other day my wife asked where he got his one nice rack system that was holding a retic and two boas. He replied that he'd forgotten about having the rack system... How do you lose track of three snakes!!!???

I do sit there nad stare at him lol. A lot of it has to do with fear of him or the mouse escaping, and just in case the mouse tries to hurt him. But he's on mouse hoppers not rat hoppers. So they aren't too big at all.