Super picky eater, HELP!

So I was given a BP from a friend who told me before hand that he was very picky with his food (also very shy). I was told that he could only get him to eat live gerbil pups that have just opened there eyes. Anything bigger then that and he gets intimidated by it and will not touch it. Now I have tried each week for almost a month now by putting the pups in and he just will ball up and leave it. I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to how to get him to eat. And in a perfect world, if anyone thinks I could get him off gerbils. I'd like to get him eating things bigger then pups because he really is big enough to go for a full size gerbil. I've tried to look things up but I am sort of puzzled with this one. Anything helps, thanks!

You might need to try to feed him a pup instead of a gerbil and he might eat it then reintroduce him to gerbils once he is on a normal feeding schedule. With the new environment and stuff it might be stressful for him so try something smaller than what he usually eats and he will probably eat it. I know that I had to go to live hoppers in order for my snake to eat when I got him because he wouldn't eat his f/t adult. But he did eat it.

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Originally Posted by LuciferPhantom

You might need to try to feed him a pup instead of a gerbil and he might eat it then reintroduce him to gerbils once he is on a normal feeding schedule. With the new environment and stuff it might be stressful for him so try something smaller than what he usually eats and he will probably eat it. I know that I had to go to live hoppers in order for my snake to eat when I got him because he wouldn't eat his f/t adult. But he did eat it.

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That's the thing, I am trying to feed him pups. I have 2 colonies of gerbils but he won't touch the pups even. I've been told he will only and has only ever eaten pups. anything bigger scares him off.

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Originally Posted by Commonground

So I was given a BP from a friend who told me before hand that he was very picky with his food (also very shy). I was told that he could only get him to eat live gerbil pups that have just opened there eyes. Anything bigger then that and he gets intimidated by it and will not touch it. Now I have tried each week for almost a month now by putting the pups in and he just will ball up and leave it. I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to how to get him to eat. And in a perfect world, if anyone thinks I could get him off gerbils. I'd like to get him eating things bigger then pups because he really is big enough to go for a full size gerbil. I've tried to look things up but I am sort of puzzled with this one. Anything helps, thanks!

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How big is he?

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Originally Posted by bondo

How big is he?

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Just under 2 feet, and about 280g

Since you've got colonies of gerbils, try one that's the appropriate size and see if he goes for it. Can't do any harm.

That is a really off-the-wall feeder for him to be stuck on, I've heard of some inconvenient fixations but this is the most specific lol.

You've just had him for a month though? He could easily just be getting used to his new home.

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Originally Posted by DVirginiana

Since you've got colonies of gerbils, try one that's the appropriate size and see if he goes for it. Can't do any harm.

That is a really off-the-wall feeder for him to be stuck on, I've heard of some inconvenient fixations but this is the most specific lol.

You've just had him for a month though? He could easily just be getting used to his new home.

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I mean I have tried pinkies up to the weened who have just opened their eyes. He gets interested checks it out. I have even seen him get in a strike pose, but I walk away and come back he is balled up in the corner, like he got spooked by it or something. I usually try the feedings at night, in a darkish room that is quiet. I don't know, I'll wait him out. The last owner said he when on a hunger strike for 6 months before. Last time he ate was a month before I got him so I am sure he is due. I was just wondering if there was a Cesar Millan of the snake world out there that had any tricks.

clutter up his enclosure. Fill it with more hides and crumpled up newspaper then watch for the day he is in his hide with his nose sticking out. That's a sign that he is ready to eat. I have a major problem feeder too. I got him when he was a year old and only 100g. He didn't eat anything for the first 3 months. I finally got him to eat a mouse hopper but then he went off again. Til recently he would only eat one or two mice every other month and in that time I tried EVERYTHING! One day I just decided to clutter the crap out of his tub and bingo! He's been eating every week for the past two months. I even got him to eat an ASF so this week im going to try for a rat pup

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.

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Originally Posted by Commonground

So I was given a BP from a friend who told me before hand that he was very picky with his food (also very shy). I was told that he could only get him to eat live gerbil pups that have just opened there eyes. Anything bigger then that and he gets intimidated by it and will not touch it. Now I have tried each week for almost a month now by putting the pups in and he just will ball up and leave it. I am wondering if anyone has any advice as to how to get him to eat. And in a perfect world, if anyone thinks I could get him off gerbils. I'd like to get him eating things bigger then pups because he really is big enough to go for a full size gerbil. I've tried to look things up but I am sort of puzzled with this one. Anything helps, thanks!

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How big are gerbil pups (in grams)?

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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.

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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?

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Originally Posted by 200xth

How big are gerbil pups (in grams)?

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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

Tub size is big but that's fine. With a bunch of hides that can work. Temps way too high. We are now learning in the reptile community that most "standard husbandry" actually keeps snakes way too hot and contributes to dehydration.

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?

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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?

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Hot spot of 85-90°