Help me get my BP to eat!!

[elijahosiris]

A friend of mine recently decided to move and was no longer able to take care of her 5 year old BP so now have had him for about a month and i cannot get him to eat anything. I've tried frozen thawed, leaving mouse in tank over night, feeding live, he just doesn't seem to be interested. He checks it out real quick but doesnt pursue the meal. I have just recently changed one of hides and his water bowl but besides that I haven't been bugging him for the most part. I've read that BP's have been known to go up to a year w/o eating so I'm not super worried it just bothers me a little that hes not eating. He did just shed so I did allow a few days before i tried to feed again. All the temps and humidity are dead on. Please any 1 have any tips to help??

[dragonboy4578]

What size and type of enclosure is your bp in? I know you said that your temps and humidity are dead on, but what are you using to measure them, and what are they. What type of heat source do you have how do you regulate it? The better you can explain your set up the more informed answer you will get.

[elijahosiris]

I use a fully enclosed tank with a front locking window. Approx. 2' deep by 3'wide. It has a ceramic heat plate offset to one side. I measure temp with a heat gun. Hot side runs 88-90 colder side 80-84.

[sookieball]

Ceramic heat plate?
First time I've heard that....
Adults in new places take longer to adjust as opposed to youngins...
He/she may just not be comfortable yet.
Try offering a smaller sized meal.

Sent from my MB611 using Tapatalk

[elijahosiris]

I'll give it a shot. He's used to eating live so should I stick with that?

[LizardPants]

Please describe 'ceramic heat plate'.

[Homegrownscales]

First DO NOT ever leave live prey with a snake for an extended period of time. When I'm feeding live if they haven't grabbed it within 15 min they aren't going to. I think he's still stressed from the move. It sounds as if the offering if different things and the prey being left with him overnight is stressing him. Which it will def does. Leave him alone for a full 2 wks. Offer prey 1x every 5 days no sooner and start with live. But again if he doesn't take it with in 20 min take it out. Ck your temps if you arr using a ceramic your belly temps probably aren't right. Measure the temps at the bottom of the tank where he is. Chck all your husbandry. And most of all leave him alone.

[elijahosiris]

Its a rectangular "tile" that heats up. It has a digital gauge that monitors the temp for me via probe that feeds back into the tank. Pretty nifty

[elijahosiris]

First DO NOT ever leave live prey with a snake for an extended period of time. When I'm feeding live if they haven't grabbed it within 15 min they aren't going to. I think he's still stressed from the move. It sounds as if the offering if different things and the prey being left with him overnight is stressing him. Which it will def does. Leave him alone for a full 2 wks. Offer prey 1x every 5 days no sooner and start with live. But again if he doesn't take it with in 20 min take it out. Ck your temps if you arr using a ceramic your belly temps probably aren't right. Measure the temps at the bottom of the tank where he is. Chck all your husbandry. And most of all leave him alone.

I never left live prey with him for longer than 30 mins. I left z thawed mouse with him over night. The belly temps are fine I use a temp gun to check under hides and other spots around the tank. I'll tell you if he starts eating again after a couple weeks.

[seeya205]

You also should cover the sides and top with black paper to make him feel secure! I would change his hide and water bowl back to his old ones because that is what he is familiar with. Sometimes a change in the environment can have a snake go off feed! I would leave him alone for two weeks then offer food only once a week! If he doesn't eat then leave him alone for a week then try again! Keep repeating until he eats a couple of weeks in a row! Feed live as that is what he is used to. You need to try to feed as close as you can to how the previous owner did if you know that info! Good luck!!!