Extremely worried BP first-time owner, feeding help!

Ok, so I made an account on this site specifically just so I could ask this question. If this thread's in the wrong place I'm sorry.

So basically I bought my first (and only) BP almost exactly a month ago, she's a cute little pewter hatched about two months ago. I bought her from an online breeder and had a little bit of communication with him before I actually bought her and he informed me she was eating live small mice, and had fed a total of 4 times before I received her. I got her the day that would have been her 5th feeding but I figured it would be fine to give her a week to settle in and whatnot.

I'm not usually a big fan of live mice, although I had a snake that used to only eat live, I fully intended to feed my new BP totally f/t. So I bought small f/t mice from LayneLabs, and tried feeding my BP a week after I got her by thawing it up, warming it up with some hot water, and wiggling it a little bit to get her to go for it. No luck. So I struck that off and decided to try again the next week. And then she didn't eat again, so the next week and so on and so on.

Essentially it's gotten to the point where my little BP is nearly 10 weeks old, and hasn't eaten in 6 weeks. I've tried everything I could find:

• Small f/t mice
• Small live mouse
• Fuzzy f/t mice
• Combinations of the f/t mice heated with either hot water or a blow drier
• Feeding the BP in 2 different feeding tubs, and in her tank
• Scenting the mouse with tuna juice
• Braining the mouse and leaving it a few inches from her hide
• Braining the mouse and leaving it in her hide
• Braining the mouse and wiggling it around, both in a separate feeding tub and in her tank

She's not afraid of the mouse, she's more just what I'd describe as uninterested! If I grab the mouse by the tail and move it around, she either just goes off and does something else or tries to climb up my arm. If I leave the mouse in the tank for a couple hours/over night she doesn't seem interested either, even when I tried putting the mouse in the opening of her favorite hide (which covered the entire length of the opening) my BP just went over the mouse to climb into her hide! I genuinely have no idea what to do anymore. I've asked for advice from friends/acquaintances with lots of BP experience and I've exhausted all their advice.

I've got her in a 40-gallon glass tank, sectioned into a 20-gallon with a hefty slab of cardboard. We use the other side to store extra substrate and climbing branches. The bottom is lined with paper towels with reptibark on top of it. I have three hides in her tank, a water dish and some tree branches and some fake vines she loves to climb on. She's active and she isn't shy. She's gotten really used to my roommates and I walking around (she's in the living room right now because it's the quietest place for her to be), and doesn't freeze up even if someone walks up close to her tank. She's very active at night and climbs around her tank from about 7:30-sunrise every night. I actually watched her drink water while I was only a few feet away today. She's not skittish and is very curious and adventurous. I heat the her tank with a UTH, and keep one hide right on top of it. The warm side of the tank hovers between 88-93 degrees, and the cool side is around 80-85. The humidity never drops below 50% and sometimes gets as high as 75% depending on what the weather is like outside.

Please, any help would be wonderful. My fiance and I are at our wits end and it's getting to the point that we've started to keep our eyes out for people in the area who would be able to take better care of her than us. But she's an absolute sweetheart, and I don't want to have to do anything like that if I don't have to. I'm sure there's got to be something I'm missing! Thanks.

UTHs do NOT heat the air in the tank well.

Are the temps you stated the surface temps or air temps? How or with what are you taking these readings?

Do you have the UTH on a thermostat? If NOT, UNPLUG THE UTH NOW!!!!

The temps I mentioned were for ground surface. Air temps are between 80-90 degrees, even at night. It's pretty warm here right now.

And yes, I have the UTH on a thermostat (It's set to only heat up to 91 degrees, and I've only seen it top out at about 94 on a really hot day here), and I have three different thermometers for the inside of the tank so I'm pretty sure I have all the right temps. I have two probe thermometers that measure ground temps on the warm side, (one from the thermostat and one from a larger thermostat that also measures air temperature and humidity.) I also have the one thermostat/hygrometer that measures the ambient air temperature. Also I check my apartment's general temperature, just to make sure the readings I'm getting from the tank's setup is right.

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Originally Posted by aluette

The temps I mentioned were for ground surface. Air temps are between 80-90 degrees, even at night. It's pretty warm here right now.

And yes, I have the UTH on a thermostat, and I have three different thermometers for the inside of the tank so I'm pretty sure I have all the right temps.

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Great! Then the numbers seem good.

You may contacted the breeder you got the snake from and run it by them. They should be more than willing to help you out.

One thought I have is security. You may want to make sure the hides are not too large. If they are a bit big or could be smaller you can get a box of moss at the pet store and stick some in them to make the seem smaller. This can also be used to help with sheds as when you see a pending shed you can dampen the moss and it creates a nice humid hide for your snake.

Another thing that may help is covering the pain open areas of the cage to reduce what the snake can see and give the cage a more secure feeling. It may seem the snake is not afraid but you just never know.

The final thing I can think of is light. I always feed in the dark wearing a headlamp with a red or green led bulb. Make sure before you feed the snake has been in the dark for a good time and then feed as quietly as possible with as little light and movement as possible.

I feed 2 of my bp's in a covered tub cause they prefer dark hunts. My other I feed in bathtub cause previous owner did that when feeding. And maybe not handle the snake for a couple days before trying to feed.

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KMG: We also always feed her in the dark! And all the sides of her tank are covered with cardboard except for about a foot square space on the front, which is mostly covered by a faux vine that's suction cupped on the wall. And I have tried changing the size of her hides, but her favorite continues to be a flower pot with a hole cut out of the front that I made. It's not close-fitting, but she prefers that one over her others that are more snug! I will definitely go and buy some moss though and try putting it in her other hide that's a bit big. So thanks for the advice!

locolobito: We haven't handled her at all, except for when my fiance took her out of the box we received her in to put her in the tank, and once when my roommate took her out to hold without asking first. Both times were a good 5 days before we tried feeding again. And we've tried both of those methods of feeding too. :(

For 2 days straight my hatchling stayed on cold side cause I had made it more secure than hot side. He did not eat for a week and a half after 1st feeding. After rearranging his tank, he on his 5th meal.

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Well try adding the moss to the hides and leave it be for another week.

You may want to cover the open part in the cage for time being until it starts eating regularly.

I would go ahead and contact the breeder as well. Being their snake they may knew just the trick to get it back on track.

You can also add a pic of the cage and let us help you to make sure things are set up in the best way. To do that use Photobucket or the like and simply copy the "img" code. Then paste it into the text you are going to post here and the picture will appear in the thread.

I'm use to my 2 oldest bp's going of feed for a minute. My normal is going on week 6 without a meal. But my hatchling had me stressed cause it is the 1st one I dealt with. I understand the frustration.

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One more thing, it could be the size of its surroundings. Tank may be too big and a little stressed from that? Other than that, I am at a loss with help.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by locolobito

One more thing, it could be the size of its surroundings. Tank may be too big and a little stressed from that? Other than that, I am at a loss with help.

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They have it in a split 40 gallon tank. Though this can be an issue I have successfully raised baby snakes in large enclosures. If can be done you just have to have it set up correctly with enough hides, cover, and concealment. A pic would help make sure this is not the issue.

KMG, that's true. But just going off of what I've read, heard, seen and dealt with/learned on my own. Tons of trial n errors.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by locolobito

Tons of trial n errors.

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That's the truth.

I believe our snakes do weird things just to drive us nuts.

Nothing better to do than sit n plot all day, right?

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I know the big tank is all pretty and you can show her off, but I would suggest something much smaller - at least till you can get her eating and make sure she's healthy. I have hatchlings in a smaller sterilite tub until they're above 150g. The 6 qt shoe box size is perfect. It gives them a small space so they can feel secure and has just enough room for a small hide and a small water dish. Since its been a while since she's eaten, I would also suggest maybe giving her a smaller prey item such as a hopper if you prefer mice or a small fuzzy if you want her on rats. Remember these are animals that being out in the open could mean death for. If there's a lot of open space in her enclosure she likely feels stressed even if you don't realize it.

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Since you've successfully been able to contact the breeder before, see of you can talk to them again. This time ask about your baby's prior living arrangements. If you can duplicate them even a little bit, give it a try. My boa as a baby wouldn't even poop unless it was bedding similar to what was used before I got her.

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Go and buy a 6qt tub...put aspen shavings with a flower pot saucer hide and a small water bowl...hot spot 88-90 wait a week...put a live hopper mouse in at night..this should do the trick...I guarantee you this is probably how the breeder had it set up...20 gal is far to big for a stressed out hatchling. Remember a hiding ball is a happy ball...if its out Cruzing the tank all the time good sign that its stressed.

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Dont even attempt f/t until it eats quite q few meals to

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Thanks everyone, I got right on it and switched her over to a storage tub!

https://40.media.tumblr.com/5aae1549...uvpo1_1280.jpghttps://41.media.tumblr.com/d52443b8...uvpo2_1280.jpg
Inside I have her water dish, one of her hides that's a little too large but stuffed with a couple paper towels, and an overturned bowl that's propped up a little bit to let her under it (she's inside that one right now, I'll work on getting her a better hide soon but I have to work all day today and tomorrow so It'll have to wait till after that unless I can convince my fiance to go for me). The heat mat covers most of the floor, but the weather is so warm here right now the temperature was going to be at least 87 anyway, so I have the UTH set to top out at 89 just so she can't hurt herself. Set up a cardboard blocker in the back, and the towel to block out sun because it's very sunny outside right now and she's used to a little bit more darkness.

If I'm missing anything or doing anything very wrong please let me know, but thanks for the help! I really hope this will work out.

Also now I have a question, since I've seen her in the tub. She actually has a lot more ground space now, compared to her tank she was in before. The tub is much shorter of course but is that most of an issue than ground space? If not, should I just keep her in the tank and stuff some moss in her hides?

We actually suggested a 6 qt tub, which is literally the size of a shoe box and would be giving her far less room.

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My humble bee is in a 10 gal tank. The hatchling honey bee I recently got rid of was comfortable in the same 10 gal.

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http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-...of-30/44787644

That's the tub I use in my hatchling rack, you can buy singles at Walmart for $1 each, they are Appomattox 14 inches long by 6 wide by 5 tall, you can find a similar one with a more secure latch on the lid at target for a couple extra bucks. I can link that too if you'd like.

I say feed it a live mice hopper. If you got tongs grab live mice hopper by tail and hang it in front of him. Just be very patient...

Alright, I'll grab a smaller tub when I can!