New PVC enclosure and a few questions About feeding

Picked up a new 36x18 PVC enclosure at Tampa repticon for my young blood python and got a pulse thermometer for my CHE along with his heat mat which is connected to a thermostat as well because I got tired of fighting with the glass tank everyday to maintain stable temps all in all it works great but to my complete dismay he still avoids the hot side like the plague! The ambient on the hot side is 79-83 and about 77-80 on the cool side his heat mat on the hot side sits at 83-84. I’ve tried cutting off the CHE lowering the heat mat etc nothing seems to convince him to go to the hot side my humidity is between 55-70% consistently. When I got him he was on live mice I got him to take a f/t hopper the first feed and then a f/t weened rat pup the second, that was about 2-3 weeks ago and he has not been out of hiding since then I check on him every so often to see if he’s shedding and I don’t see any signs yet he doesn’t seem very interested in eating what so ever and I’m starting to worry any advice would be very helpful I tried to get feeding him and leaving it in overnight he struck it on Tongs but I think it was more of a fear response then a hungry response I’ll post a pic of his current set up this problem started before I moved him to his new PVC so I don’t think it’s an acclimation problem. Thank you in advance

https://imgur.com/gallery/XldjSsh

Actually after a little investigation, does it look like he is shedding? Maybe I’m just crazy? If he is shedding he gets significantly less blue then my colubrids here’s a pic



https://imgur.com/gallery/ix3Aj2y

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Originally Posted by Shake_down94

Actually after a little investigation, does it look like he is shedding? Maybe I’m just crazy? If he is shedding he gets significantly less blue then my colubrids here’s a pic



https://imgur.com/gallery/ix3Aj2y

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The way his skin wrinkles- the texture- suggests to me that he's in shed. Maybe you missed his bluest time, or he's just getting around to it? I usually use a small flashlight in dark room to shine across a snake's eyes- that's the best way I know to make the "fog" show up ;) unless bloods are different from all other snakes?

You might also be crazy? but that's a separate issue, lol. :rofl: (joking)

That could totally be it I have been trying to give him his space he’s very well mannered but he extremely nervous around people doesn’t like to be seen much. And yes that is definitely a topic for another time lol! I guess I didn’t notice at first his eyes were blue his skin has a sheen to it but not like my bull snakes or hognoses hopefully that has something to do with his appetite because he has taken f/t for me after being fed live mice since he was born which I am very happy about!

Maybe GoingPostal will chime in here, he's got experience with bloods (I don't). Some snakes are slower about shedding too, especially if you happened to feed them just as they were heading that "direction". And when snakes act "afraid" of their food (but were previously eating) it's usually about them being somewhere along in their shed cycle. If only they could hold up flash cards to tell us, eh? ;)

Awesome thank you! I’ll take any and all advice I can get as far as he is concerned. I really enjoy my STP but they are especially finicky in comparison to my other snakes who basically need a temp controlled heat mat and a few hides and their basically waiting for dinner at that point lol! And from what I’ve heard short tails are on the less finicky end of pythons.

Is he a T+ alibino? If you just put him in that enclosure, leave him alone. Your temps look good, but I'll be honest, that is a lot of space for a young blood/shortail. Does he poke his head out of his hide at night. If he does, that is when you should feed him. A few years ago, I started my first shortail, a sumatran, off in 36x28x18 vision cage. He never moved around and only stuck his head out of his hide at night to eat. I had to put the water dish next to the opening in his hide so he would drink. I got him out of that cage and into a rack, he was much more comfortable. Moved around at night, soaked in his water bowl etc. Mine at that age hardly ever sit on the heat either, only during shed or after a big feed. The older they get, the more comfortable they get, and the more mine move around. My oldest animals are in cages and they do really well. They are 5 years old however.

Yes he is a T+ I may have got a little over excited with the large PVC enclosure I had him in a 15 long short tank and I was having an absolutely nightmare wrestling with temps in FL it’s either to hot or my AC was running he didn’t move much at all in that tank either, I wonder if I filled the PVC with enough enrichment and furniture if he would feel more comfortable? I was a little hesitant to throw him in their it’s 37.5x17.5 and I built a shelf to snuggly place the enclosure I think he may be shedding but I’m not entirely sure to be completely honest. He had a healthy interest in eating up until a few weeks ago and from checkin in him the last few days I’m hoping it’s a shed

He could be shedding, and that takes longer with these guys than other snakes. It can be a couple weeks from start to finish with mine. Give him some time to adjust or shed before trying to feed him. He doesn't look under weight to me.

Thank you very much guys I appreciate the advice a lot! just trying to do everything as perfect as possible, I’ve left him to sit for a about a week now in his new enclosure aside from checking to see if he is shedding. I’ve increased his humidity as well in hopes he is shedding I’m going to try and fill out the tank with as much clutter as I can In hopes I can accommodate him better in the size enclosure he is in or worst comes to worst I’ll get a smaller PVC and move him when he gets bigger.