Feeding Frustration - Help?

[kiwitwist]

Alright guys, I'm here again. With more details on what has been tried, etc. Maybe you remember I intro-ed my snakes, and that I hadn't gotten my new male to eat... I got an infrared laser temp checker now, I know the temps in all my enclosures are fine (they were previously on the little too hot side, but I have one of those dimmers for the headpads so I lowered it).

Male Hognose - I have officially tried everything anyone has told me to do BESIDES scenting with a toad. He is an adult male. He HAD been feeding on F/T hopper mice before I obtained him. So I really don't want to go find a toad to be scenting his food with. It has now been close to two months since he last fed (I was told he fed probably around 9/2, I purchased him about a week after his supposed last feed). How long is too long? I've heard them going off food for months, but how many months before you start to worry? He's been so hissy/pissy at me, I can't get him to stop striking long enough for me to take him out and weigh him to make sure he isn't losing any weight. It just makes me think he isn't comfortable and doesn't "trust" me. Maybe that sounds silly, but my female, she rarely hisses at me, only when I've really surprised her accidentally, and it's even rarer for her to strike at me. Yesterday, I put a tuna-soaked F/T small mouse (just a little more fur than a hopper) on a lid in his tank. I didn't remove him to a feeding tub like I do with the other snakes, I didn't disturb him. Left it there hoping the smell would make him come out. Left it there for about 4 hours. Nothing. When I moved his hide to make sure he was okay under there, he hissed at me. I immediately left him alone. Left the mouse in there for another 4 hours. Nothing. Gave up on it and gave the mouse to the female, and she could barely unhinge her jaws before she was swallowing it down (as per usual for her, lately). Should I try the tuna thing again but put him in a feeding tub so that he doesn't have a choice of retreat? Someone mentioned that that wouldn't be a good idea because he'd be even less comfortable.. But more focused on the fact that there is food there... I have tried several different types of feeding containers, I have tried leaving food in his tank with him, all he does is hiss and strike. Most of the time he stays in his hide (on the cooler side of the tank), but I have seen him wandering about his tank on occasion. I don't know if he's just going off feed because it's October, going into November, or if there is something else going wrong. I find it a little strange that he was eating just a week before I got him and now I can't get him to take anything. Could a change in environment really cause this drastic a change in feeding behavior? Also- additional info, when I purchased him at the show, he was in small plastic breeding enclosure with another female. Could being around a female and then removing him cause a male to go off feed?

Female Kenyans - I know this isn't the place for this, but maybe someone has some input. My anery has now taken 3 F/T brained pinkies for me (yaaaaay!). Sometimes, with a little more effort than I would like (It's not like feeding my male at all- he's a pro, no braining required), but I have been able to get her to take them. The normal, however, has not taken any from me. I use the same tactics, brained, hot water, sometimes multiple soakings (after noticing she hasn't eaten it after leaving her alone for 2-4 hours, I will re-warm it with hot water), and I've left her alone with it over night. I did the same last night, and by morning, anery had eaten her brained pink, normal had not. And of course, after a night of stinky brained pinky, I just throw it out, because there is no re-freezing that, it's just nasty... Any suggestions for getting the normal Kenyan to take F/T besides periodic re-warming and braining? Last she fed was 10/5/12 on a live pink. She doesn't appear to have lost any weight. She should be hungry by now, I saw both of them crawling around the enclosure yesterday, so I had assumed they were hungry, which is why I tried to feed last night. Added info- these two are sisters and were born 9/7/12.

Let me know if you have any suggestions/advice/info for either of these situations. Thanks!

[S.I.R.]

Our green phase hognose was a little finicky at first. We finally put in a live hopper mouse and instant hit. This is after we tried prekilled, F/T, scenting of various sorts. Hopefully this will help. Our little guy is now a super strong eater, but occasionally he does get a little hissy.

[kiwitwist]

Was this when he was a baby? Or do you mean your green phase went off food so you tried live? Because this is an almost full grown adult male, he's at the very least two years old, probably older than my female.

[kiwitwist]

Also- anyone know what would cause him to have become so aggressive towards me? I can't get anywhere near him without him hooding up, hissing and striking. I don't know wtf I did to provoke him, but he did NOT act like this when I first got him. Ridiculously cranky snake? What the heck? I can't even handle him now! When I first got him, he would get a little jumpy, but once I held him he was fine. Now, nope, can't even let him crawl on me on his own- he hoods up AS HE IS MOVING ON TO ME from another surface! What is up with this? I really don't want to get bitten, here (And I know it's "unlikely" but I've heard some stories, and he is just being really aggressive like I've never seen). But it does me no good to be afraid of my own snake =/

[reptileexperts]

Is this an Eastern or Western Hognose? can you post a picture so we have some more information. Easterns usually are more agressive, westerns can be agressive, but I have 5 and all are extremely docile animals. Only my eastersn were hissy on a lot of occcassions.

As far as feeding, adult male Western Hognose will go off of food starting in October for the winter cool down. DO NOT worry about that. They will normally go from October - March with no food before locking up in April - June. If you do not plan on breeding him, it does not matter. His body is just possibly telling him what's going on.

You can try offering a smaller than normal prey item. Frozen or live fuzzy mouse would be a great place to start. If you got the snake in Mid September. It will go 2-3 weeks usually before feeding once you acquired it. This puts it at a start time in the intro of October which would be when the hunger strike starts for hibernation.

Just my two cents.

[kiwitwist]

He is a Western. I posted pics in the intro thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-to-my-Hoggies

If it's normal- when should I expect to start trying to feed him again? Could he just be pissed that I'm disturbing him while he thinks he should be hibernating?

[reptileexperts]

It will probably refuse food until february or march in some cases. You can continue to offer it food on a weekly basis, but keep handling times very limited and let him stay secluded as much as possible. My adult hogs are currently in hibernation and have been off food for 3 weeks. Mine are pigs, so when they refuse their meal, I offer a smaller item and they will take it, and then stop feeding from then till Usually first week of march. It's perfectly normal.

[TheWinWizard]

Indeed, my male is doing the same as yours. No food and leave him be offer every 2 weeks.

[TJ_Burton]

Guess what? My adult male is currently refusing food as well!
Adult males do this, it isn't that big of a deal, especially if their body weight/mass is still looking appropriate for their length. If he still looks the same as the photos you posted before, I wouldn't be so worried.

If you want to brumate him properly, he will likely come out of it with an appetite like you've never seen. If you have a wine cooler (which is what I use) drop the temp to 54.F and leave him with a dish of water and substrate for 60 days without disturbing him. Then bring the temps back up over the course of a week - and he should start eating again like clockwork.

[kiwitwist]

Should I just go ahead and turn off his heat pad?

I know males go off food- and it's reassuring that all your males have done the same- it was just worrisome because he hasn't eaten for me since I purchased him. Which I guess was just so close to when they would start refusing food anyway...