BP Handling and feeding

[steez]

It's been nearly two weeks since I got my new BP home, and I have a few questions about him. I tried leaving him alone as much as I could, but I decided to swap to a tub (which didn't work out because I can't keep the ambient temp. at 75-80 in the room he's in) and then put him back into a tank. The first week or I was intruding on him at least once a day checking temps and what-not. So far this week since Monday he has been left alone to just get comfortable. I've held him a few times, but very brief and mainly just to move him. I offered him food yesterday. Petsmart has a sheet which marked what days he was offered food, and what days he ate / refused food. He was last fed on 7/7 and accepted the food (frozen fuzzy mouse). Yesterday I tried to offer him a fuzzy and he just seemed more irritated that I was bothering him with something bouncing around him.


1. When can I start (short, brief) handling sessions?

2. Should I just continue attempting feed once a week? Is it worth leaving the mouse laying in the cage for 30 minutes, or should I just bounce it around for 5 min and if I don't get a reaction, put it back in the freezer?


I have read a bunch of caresheets and used many google searches on this subject and it really seems like there's multiple opinions on these questions. I do know from experience with reptiles and fish that every different creature has a different personality and toleration level.

HUSBANDRY: 20G Long tank. Two accurite thermometers (85 on hot side, 80 on cold side ambient temps). 30-40G UTH with thermostat, tank glass stays at 88-90 on hot side and 80 on cold side. Humidity ranges 45-55.


Thanks!

[Rickys_Reptiles]

I would stop playing with him completely, even for short spurts. Give him somewhere to hide. In fact, you may want to cover the entire tank so that it's dark 24/7.

Feed every 5 days, and until he has eaten 2 times, don't touch him.

[Annarose15]

I second Ricky's comments. Also, what do you mean by "bouncing around him"? My hatchlings don't require much of a zombie dance. I just warm it up and hold it in front of them with tongs. You may be waving it around to the point that it's intimidating/spooking him.

[Kaorte]

Don't handle him until he eats. I know its hard but you must resist!

How old or how big is he? You might be able to feed him larger prey items, or move him to a smaller enclosure. 20g is pretty big for a hatchling.

Leave him alone completely. check temps without disturbing him. You can pick him up and move him to clean, but that is it.

I would try leaving the prey item in the cage with him overnight. He may or may not eat it with some privacy.

[C&H Exotic Morphs]

I agree with what everyone else has suggested as far as handling goes.

Does he have 2 hides in his enclosure, one on the warm side and one on the cool side?
And the half log things they usually sell at Petco/Petsmart are garbage!

Also, he should be eating something that is quite a bit bigger than a mouse fuzzy.
Probably atleast the size of a hopper mouse or rat fuzzy. Possible even bigger depending on how much he weighs.

[satomi325]

20 gallons seems really big for a Petsmart baby. Make sure he has lots of cover and hides to feel secure. Maybe even cover 3 sides of the tank w/ dark paper or drape a sheet over the tank for extra security. Or think about sectioning off the tank to a smaller space until he grows into the full 20 gallons?
It sounds like your little guy is stressed.

It's hard, but for the well being of your snake, do not handle him until he starts feeding more consistently. Just do the bare necessities of changing water and cleaning.

Try leaving his f/t in his cage for 30 minutes. Overnight if you have to.
Some snakes just like to eat by themselves. Two of my snakes will never take prey(live) unless I give them their privacy. And those particular two can take up to 30 minutes to finally strike and coil.

Trying live prey can help jump a feeding response too. And I agree with a previous poster that fuzzy mice sound too small.

[steez]

I would stop playing with him completely, even for short spurts. Give him somewhere to hide. In fact, you may want to cover the entire tank so that it's dark 24/7.

Feed every 5 days, and until he has eaten 2 times, don't touch him.

Noted. I have most of the 20g blacked out with black cardboard, with the front left open for viewing.

My issue with this would be if he got too used to being left alone and had no interaction or wasn't able to see anything and then I opened it up to feed him, wouldn't this scare him?

I second Ricky's comments. Also, what do you mean by "bouncing around him"? My hatchlings don't require much of a zombie dance. I just warm it up and hold it in front of them with tongs. You may be waving it around to the point that it's intimidating/spooking him.

Okay great, I'll just put it in front of him and see what he does. Oh and the 'bouncing around' was my try at a zombie dance haha.

Don't handle him until he eats. I know its hard but you must resist!

How old or how big is he? You might be able to feed him larger prey items, or move him to a smaller enclosure. 20g is pretty big for a hatchling.

Leave him alone completely. check temps without disturbing him. You can pick him up and move him to clean, but that is it.

I would try leaving the prey item in the cage with him overnight. He may or may not eat it with some privacy.

I feel that it would be hard to get a good temperature gradient in a 10g, so I use the 20 so it's long enough to make the gradient. Am I mistaken in thinking the AMBIENT air needs a gradient too? Or does just the substrate need the gradient?
I really don't know how old! I'll get a small scale in the next few days and weigh him.

I agree with what everyone else has suggested as far as handling goes.

Does he have 2 hides in his enclosure, one on the warm side and one on the cool side?
And the half log things they usually sell at Petco/Petsmart are garbage!

Also, he should be eating something that is quite a bit bigger than a mouse fuzzy.
Probably atleast the size of a hopper mouse or rat fuzzy. Possible even bigger depending on how much he weighs.

Yes he has two hides, here's a picture of my setup.

The probes weren't superglued under the hides yet, so ignore the big number.

20 gallons seems really big for a Petsmart baby. Make sure he has lots of cover and hides to feel secure. Maybe even cover 3 sides of the tank w/ dark paper or drape a sheet over the tank for extra security. Or think about sectioning off the tank to a smaller space until he grows into the full 20 gallons?

It sounds like your little guy is stressed.

It's hard, but for the well being of your snake, do not handle him until he starts feeding more consistently. Just do the bare necessities of changing water and cleaning.

Try leaving his f/t in his cage for 30 minutes. Overnight if you have to.
Some snakes just like to eat by themselves. Two of my snakes will never take prey(live) unless I give them their privacy. And those particular two can take up to 30 minutes to finally strike and coil.

Trying live prey can help jump a feeding response too. And I agree with a previous poster that fuzzy mice sound too small.

I have the three sides already covered, if you guys could give me some advice to help fill in the area inside my 20 I would be grateful, check the pic above. Also I could board up the front too, which would make all 4 sides covered and only minimal light coming in through the top.

I'll try leaving the f/t fuzzy in there longer next time. He really isn't very big yet, but he ate a fuzzy one week before coming home with me.





Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate all the advice and I'll keep working towards taking care of him!

[Daybreaker]

And just a quick note if he doesn't eat the feeder - don't refreeze it since it was already totally thawed out, just toss it.

[steez]

And just a quick note if he doesn't eat the feeder - don't refreeze it since it was already totally thawed out, just toss it.

Oh shoot, my google searching failed on that one. I've read the opposite, that they can be refrozen a few times.

[Daybreaker]

Oh shoot, my google searching failed on that one. I've read the opposite, that they can be refrozen a few times.

Refreezing can cause the feeder to fall apart due to freezing, thawing, heating, refreezing etc. as the skin becomes weak - I just toss them and start with a "fresh" feeder next time. If the feeder is left overnight then of course toss it, be kinda gross to refreeze a feeder that's started decaying for several hours.