Not eating

Hi everyone. I feel bad posting this because I know theres so many posts on hognoses not eating.. I've spent hours looking through old posts on getting them to eat and so I'm not sure where I'm going wrong exactly.

I got my male hognose (3 mths old) on the 24th October this year and the breeder said he was eating really well on unscented (she gave me a piece of paper with all his feeds on).

If u read my other post, u will know she fed him the day before I picked him up and so he regurgitated that on the way back home. So I put him in his enclosure and left him 2 weeks to recover. (His enclosure is a 3 litre RUB, heatmat on one side set to 31 degrees C, ambient temp of 24-26 degrees C, a toilet roll tube, a small water bowl and a few inches of aspen).

I first offered him a pinky by showing it to him first (he hissed) and so I left it in there on a plastic lid so it was off the bedding. He didnt touch it. I bought him a feeding dish which I now keep in there. I offered again 3 or 4 days later but this time I just put it straight in the dish so he didnt see me. Still didnt touch it. This time, I waited a week to try again. So i put it in the dish today but he was out exploring so he saw me and hissed. Last night I stuck paper round the outside of his RUB so he couldn't see any movement but hes now just been buried all day after putting the food in.

Also, I did handle him in the first week of having him (2 or 3 times, 1 time was to weigh him - 14g) but since then Ive completely stopped.

Should I try scenting? Surely if he was eating F/T unscented before, he would be fine? I cant try feeding live as I'm in the UK and live feeding is illegal here.

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You could have a go at the tried and trusted way for fussy eaters ...

Feed evenings , dark / dim light , get the viv/ rub door open and blast with a hairdryer for 5 seconds.. offer using TONGS :)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

You could have a go at the tried and trusted way for fussy eaters ...

Feed evenings , dark / dim light , get the viv/ rub door open and blast with a hairdryer for 5 seconds.. offer using TONGS :)


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I tried using tongs the first time when I showed it to him, I think he was scared of it! And I've had his rub mostly covered over all day today so it has been dim lighting :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sophieg

I tried using tongs the first time when I showed it to him, I think he was scared of it! And I've had his rub mostly covered over all day today so it has been dim lighting :)

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Many feed better at night , many including Royals feed better from within their hides ( security)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Many feed better at night , many including Royals feed better from within their hides ( security)


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I leave the mouse in until after it's dark:)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

You could have a go at the tried and trusted way for fussy eaters ...

Feed evenings , dark / dim light , get the viv/ rub door open and blast with a hairdryer for 5 seconds.. offer using TONGS :)


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Juvenile Hognose typically won't feed off of tongs until they get some size on them.

Obviously still use tongs, but don't try to feed him off of the tongs. Just get the pinkie in there so he knows it's there, then leave it. More often than not, in my experience, they usually eat after hissing, they just don't want you there watching.

Apologies.. I have no experience of Hoggies .... just passing on what works for me in getting snakes to feed ( in general) .. we don’t feed live over here ( UK)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Juvenile Hognose typically won't feed off of tongs until they get some size on them.

Obviously still use tongs, but don't try to feed him off of the tongs. Just get the pinkie in there so he knows it's there, then leave it. More often than not, in my experience, they usually eat after hissing, they just don't want you there watching.

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Yea I've just been putting it in there and then leaving him but he hasn't shown any interest.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Apologies.. I have no experience of Hoggies .... just passing on what works for me in getting snakes to feed ( in general) .. we don’t feed live over here ( UK)


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No worries at all. I figured it was nothing more than an oversight. I just figured it was worth pointing out for OP.

This species happens to be a bit of an "exception to the rule". They are definitely "all bark and no bite" so to speak.
They'll put on quite a show, but when push comes to shove they spook pretty easily, so seeing that big hand and arm connected to the tongs can scare them off and lead to a refusal.

Otherwise, Zincubus's feeding method is tried and true. :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

No worries at all. I figured it was nothing more than an oversight. I just figured it was worth pointing out for OP.

This species happens to be a bit of an "exception to the rule". They are definitely "all bark and no bite" so to speak.
They'll put on quite a show, but when push comes to shove they spook pretty easily, so seeing that big hand and arm connected to the tongs can scare them off and lead to a refusal.

Otherwise, Zincubus's feeding method is tried and true. :gj:

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I've been warming it up already but he still doesnt show interest which is why I was wondering if I should start scenting? :)

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Another thing I noticed with my boy Cosmo...

He seems to be more eager to accept prey that's a bit cooler than what all my other snakes seem to like.
He's backed off a few times when the prey was really good and warm. This was back when he was still on pinkies, so since correcting I got to troubleshooting and wondered if the prey was actually starting to cook since they were tiny pinkies. I honestly don't know though. And that's just limited to my one snake.

Not sure if this helps you out at all, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Another thing I noticed with my boy Cosmo...

He seems to be more eager to accept prey that's a bit cooler than what all my other snakes seem to like.
He's backed off a few times when the prey was really good and warm. This was back when he was still on pinkies, so since correcting I got to troubleshooting and wondered if the prey was actually starting to cook since they were tiny pinkies. I honestly don't know though. And that's just limited to my one snake.

Not sure if this helps you out at all, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

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Yea, I leave the mouse in for quite a while so it cools off too :)

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Never had a hoggie before, they are cute though. I have read that it is common for male hoggies to be difficult feeders. Some breeders and keepers would have a Pac man frog or lizard and scent the prey by rubbing it against their back. They claim to have success with that and then transition back to no-scenting over time. Not saying you should go this route yet, but it is an option should he continue to refuse food, so don't give up! The worry and anxiety of trying to feed a baby snake... It will be all worth the hard work and patience when he eats for you.

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Originally Posted by Cheesenugget

Never had a hoggie before, they are cute though. I have read that it is common for male hoggies to be difficult feeders. Some breeders and keepers would have a Pac man frog or lizard and scent the prey by rubbing it against their back. They claim to have success with that and then transition back to no-scenting over time. Not saying you should go this route yet, but it is an option should he continue to refuse food, so don't give up! The worry and anxiety of trying to feed a baby snake... It will be all worth the hard work and patience when he eats for you.

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Thank u! Yea, it's very stressful [emoji23]

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Male are typically more difficult than females when it comes to food, and it's true until they get some size tongue feeding does not work leaving the prey in the enclosure until the morning works best.

You don't really have to worry about the prey being warm, I feed all mine adults, juvies and hatchlings without re-heating the prey and they don't care.

Right now being a male and with the weather changing (cold, low pressure etc) feeding can become more difficult.

If your hognose was well started meaning at least 10 unscented meals and or 10 f/t meals you should be able to get him back on food.

In the event you do not y ou can use one of the following scent (I do not recommend toad or lizard since they can carry crypto which is fetal)

In order of what works for me

Vienna Sausage
Tuna
Hard Boil egg, you can even leave a piece in the cage
Chicken water from chicken in a can
Anchovies
Sardines

Did you mention that you have the RUB dimly lit/ covered? I'm wondering if your hoggie might be taking that as another seasonal cue to attempt winter brumation. My guys are strong seasonal feeders despite my best efforts and it seems to be the reduced natural light that cues them. Maybe try a convincing day-type light on a timer for 12 hours each day? In the past I worried so much about my guys (male and female) but now, my third season in, I just offer infrequently while they are refusing and when it's "springtime" for them (usually April) they just start ravenously eating again like before. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Male are typically more difficult than females when it comes to food, and it's true until they get some size tongue feeding does not work leaving the prey in the enclosure until the morning works best.

You don't really have to worry about the prey being warm, I feed all mine adults, juvies and hatchlings without re-heating the prey and they don't care.

Right now being a male and with the weather changing (cold, low pressure etc) feeding can become more difficult.

If your hognose was well started meaning at least 10 unscented meals and or 10 f/t meals you should be able to get him back on food.

In the event you do not y ou can use one of the following scent (I do not recommend toad or lizard since they can carry crypto which is fetal)

In order of what works for me

Vienna Sausage
Tuna
Hard Boil egg, you can even leave a piece in the cage
Chicken water from chicken in a can
Anchovies
Sardines

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Thank u! What time in the evening is it best to put the mouse in?

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