BP killed mouse but did not eat it

Some quick background on my setup:
20 gallon tank
Temps are normal (82-84 cool, 89-91 hot)
Humidity ~%56
Digital Thermometer + Digital thermocouple
2 identical hides

Pretty standard I think.

Well he hasn't eaten since I bought him 3 months ago. No real stress there, he seems active and healthy and acts like 98% of BPs out there. Well I tried F/T rats, live rats, and F/T mice to no avail. Well yesterday I went and got him a live mouse and he killed it within minutes. . .but that's the end of the story. He looked like he was swallowing it but when I came back 5 mins later, it was just laying on the side of his tank. He just ignored the dead mouse and began his evening routine of trying to escape.

Is this normal.

Some bps are extremely shy eaters, if they see any movement in the room they will "spit" and run. They are extremely vulnerable when eating in the wild, so it's a natural instinct. Next time you feed him, wait till its almost dark out and put his food in the cage. As soon as you see him take the mouse, leave the room slowly. Don't go back in for at least 30 minutes and see if that works. ;)

a picture of your setup is best. Are there no fake plants? mines didnt eat until I made it(tank) more secure. Correct me if im wrong, but pretty much fill the tank up. That helped for me. let us know. Was there still daylight out? Try the evening if you havent yet. Hope this helps. But yeah post the setup and im sure members will help you out.

Oh another thing that would help is placing a background and a sideground i guess. I got a black poster board cut it to size and taped it to the back, sides and front. The front so I can turn on the light in the room and not disturb my snakes.

After 3 months, I would think the nightly escape attempts should have ceased. Sounds like something is keeping the snake stressed out. Are you handling him a lot, or daily?
Krazy has the right idea. If you don't have foliage, you could wad up some newspaper and toss it about the tank, until the snake feels more secure. Also, try not handling at all for a few days before the next feeding attempt.

If that doesn't work, I would suggest getting a fecal done, maybe he has internal parasites.

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Some bps are extremely shy eaters, if they see any movement in the room they will "spit" and run. They are extremely vulnerable when eating in the wild, so it's a natural instinct. Next time you feed him, wait till its almost dark out and put his food in the cage. As soon as you see him take the mouse, leave the room slowly. Don't go back in for at least 30 minutes and see if that works. ;)

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bingo :sunny:

one big thing i suspect you are doing wrong is watching the snake eat. in a lit room. if i were you i would put the mouse in there turn the lights off/ and leave the room. bp's are verry private sometimes. i have a few that will only eat if i am no where in sight or smell range. try it and i bet you it will eat after it kills. i have only ever had one snake that killed something and did not eat it and it was because i was standing right there. so lesson learned. give it a try in a few days and let know how it goes. if you see the snake hit it and coil leave the room and dont check till the next morning.

same thing happened with my guy... so i turn all the lights off, cept for a little black light so i can see what im doing. then once he takes the mouse i shut the light off and leave the room. this is how i have to feed my guy all the time, if i try and watch he won't eat. sometimes i leave the black light on and hide behind the couch, and he will eat that way. but most of the time he drags the mouse back to his hide and eats in peace.

what kind of hides are you using. if they are too big that might be why he is always looking to escape.

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Originally Posted by Krazy99CL

I got a black poster board cut it to size and taped it to the back, sides and front. The front so I can turn on the light in the room and not disturb my snakes.

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I forgot to mention that. But yes, I have the black poster board covering 3 sides. Aluminum Foil/Tape covering the top.

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

After 3 months, I would think the nightly escape attempts should have ceased. Sounds like something is keeping the snake stressed out. Are you handling him a lot, or daily?

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I don't handle him alot. At most once a week. He is kept in our study away from people traffic.

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Originally Posted by MATT FISHER REPTILES

one big thing i suspect you are doing wrong is watching the snake eat. in a lit room.

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Lights are off and I fed him at night. Although I DID accidently turn on the light for a second when I went back to check on him and make sure the mouse wasn't chewing it's way through him. I did not think he could be that sensitive. My previous BP ate during with day and with an audience. Just goes to show that these guys have different personalities.

Thanks for your help cats.

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Originally Posted by Kagez28

what kind of hides are you using. if they are too big that might be why he is always looking to escape.

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I use hollow plastic log-type hides. He uses them sometimes, other times he gets between the hide and the vivarium glass. I was worried that they might be be too big, but I imagine that he would not use them at all if they were. I also thought that it might be too hot because he likes to spend the day in the cool hide but at night he seems very attracted to the heat lamp. I am using a 75W infra-red light but it is lifted up from the screen and it maintains the temps where they should be.

He gets very active at night for a few hours. I figured that it is in their nature to 'roam' during the night hours. He eventually goes back to the cool side at about 3-4am. Relaxes ON the hide, and then eventually creeps back into the hide, or into the crevice that he has made himself between the log and vivarium glass.

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

After 3 months, I would think the nightly escape attempts should have ceased. Sounds like something is keeping the snake stressed out. Are you handling him a lot, or daily?
Krazy has the right idea. If you don't have foliage, you could wad up some newspaper and toss it about the tank, until the snake feels more secure. Also, try not handling at all for a few days before the next feeding attempt.

If that doesn't work, I would suggest getting a fecal done, maybe he has internal parasites.

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escape attempts never quit, when a ball is moving around they are basically lookiing for away out.... there not moving around for exercise..

Oh really? The 19 I have, 17 of which are currently in my home, are usually in their hides, lurking from their hides, or lounging out in the open. Definitely not looking for a way out, nor are they stressed and not eating. Only one little girl gets very excited and falls off of everything in her tub, but that's when I bring mice into the room, and what can you expect her to do :) other than go for my face...

Even the tiny baby I've only had for a week and a half doesn't roam, at all. She may lurk from her equally tiny hide, but no trying to escape/stressing out.

i guess that is the difference of judging 2 different fourms..

you telling me your snake does not go to the top of the tank trying to find away out???

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Originally Posted by KIBPLOVER

you telling me your snake does not go to the top of the tank trying to find away out???

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I will occasionally see one of my snakes out lazily roaming and nosing at the top of the tub, but nightly active roaming would be a huge cause for concern for me, especially with a non-eating ball. All of mine eat voraciously every week now, but my first BP was a stressed, non-eating, active nightly snake until I asked for advice here. Once I got her setup fixed, she started eating and has never stopped since. I'll be posting an exciting one-year update all about her in 8 more days, as a matter of fact! So glad she made it through this year, thanks to all the help I found here! :happycry:

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Originally Posted by aeio540

I use hollow plastic log-type hides. He uses them sometimes, other times he gets between the hide and the vivarium glass. I was worried that they might be be too big, but I imagine that he would not use them at all if they were. I also thought that it might be too hot because he likes to spend the day in the cool hide but at night he seems very attracted to the heat lamp. I am using a 75W infra-red light but it is lifted up from the screen and it maintains the temps where they should be.

He gets very active at night for a few hours. I figured that it is in their nature to 'roam' during the night hours. He eventually goes back to the cool side at about 3-4am. Relaxes ON the hide, and then eventually creeps back into the hide, or into the crevice that he has made himself between the log and vivarium glass.

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Sounds like you are doing your best to get this guy comfortable and eating! :D

Personally, I think you should switch to smaller, tighter hides and throw in a few balls of crumpled newspaper for now, until he gets to eating regularly.
I would also make sure the heat isn't dropping at night.

I think it could depend about when your snake is roaming if it's a problem or not. Generally speaking, I'm in bed by midnight. The few times since I've had Auryn home that I've been up at 2-3AM, I've noticed him coming out to nose around. It isn't him trying to escape--he just kinda moseys around his tub for a bit. He doesn't usually come out of his hides while I'm still awake, though :)

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Originally Posted by SarahMB

Sounds like you are doing your best to get this guy comfortable and eating! :D

Personally, I think you should switch to smaller, tighter hides and throw in a few balls of crumpled newspaper for now, until he gets to eating regularly.
I would also make sure the heat isn't dropping at night.

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Thank you, I appreciate it. I am really trying to do things right with this guy. Even if he is a bit difficult sometimes I think he's the best, but I'm a bit partial ;)

I will try filling his vivarium with crumpled newspaper until I can buy more elaborate plants and branches etc. I will try to take pictures soon and post them up.

Until now I've been following the less-is-more advice with this it. The less cluttered his environment, the easier it is for him to move about. But now you've all given me something to think about.

I have only had my BP for 4 weeks but he never seemed to "rome" the cage other than when I put him in it for the first time. Other than that one time he stays in his cool side hide all day and comes out at night to stretch/get a drink/move to his hot hide. I suspect he goes to his hot hide more than I have seen him. The couple times I have caught him I had woken up during the night to got o the bathroom and he was curled up in the hot side. Like I said though, all day long he is in his cool side hide and almost never just slithers around like he's freaked out.

I guarentee now that you have found this site you will get things figured out. Luckily for myself I found this place weeks before getting my snake, I thank god for that!

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Originally Posted by BostonMacK

I guarentee now that you have found this site you will get things figured out. Luckily for myself I found this place weeks before getting my snake, I thank god for that!

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Yeah, this site is great. I try searching before asking but unfortunately, some topics are harder to research than others.

Atleast now it seems he has an interest in food. This is the first time he has shown any interest in food. I'd like to get him switched over to F/T for safety but it seems it may not happen with this guy.