Is it time to switch to live Mickey Mouses?

[BigKenjDogg]

Hey everyone.

First off, I want to thank everyone who's been answering my questions. I know I have a lot, but I'm new to this whole snake as a pet thing. You all have been extremely helpfull.

So here's my question. I've had my python for about a week now and he hasn't been interested in the least in eating a f/t mouse. I wouldn't be too worried about this, however, before I bought him, the lady at the store said one of the pythons that she's been working with (mine and another) wasn't eating. So, I guess my question is whether I should be worried or not? When should I worry? Should I switch to live feeders? Thanks

[BigKenjDogg]

Whoa, sorry about the rapid fire postings.. my internet is kind of screwy sometimes.

[JamminJonah]

hmmm. tricky question... I'm no expert but this is what I would try. I would offer a fresh killed.... Well to back track a bit-

Generally if there is no noticeable weight loss your snake can handle his fast- some snakes have gone up to 6 months without eating though this is very rare and unless the snake is of a relatively good size potentially dangerous. If there is not noticeable weight loss I would wait five days and try offering a fresh killed mouse of appropriate size. Also as soon as he poops I'd take him to a herp vet to be sure there are no internal parasites - you're gonna wanna bring that poop with ya - here is a place to find a herp vet near you ... http://www.arav.org

Okay I would try a fresh killed (buy live and put in bag and smack is one method) make sure you are using tongs or something to dangle the prey as BPs tend to have poor aim when striking sometimes. Live feeders are generally a last resort - unless the snake was previously fed on live feeders - then you'll have to try to make the switch to f/t. Almost all snakes will eventually take f/t but a rare few will go their whole lives without accepting an f/t. If you are trying to feed back to back to back you may be stressing the snake out. Double check temps humidity and basic husbandry stuff and leave the snake in a quiet room to adjust to its surroundings with NO handling (unless absolutely necessary for some odd reason) for about five days, then attempt to feed a f/k (fresh killed). That's my advice but many people on this forum know more than I.

[gozetec02]

You need to add up there Fresh Killed which is what i feed exclusively. Even my baby ball python eats fresh killed and I have never had a problem. Sometimes if you feed frozen it doesnt quite get warm enough to look like a real mouse. A live feeding should be the next to last resort the last resort being force feeding.

Good Luck.

[Smynx]

If you've only had the BP for a week, I wouldn't get too worried. Some snakes require an acclimation period before they'll start eating for you. I recently purchased 3 baby BPs. 2 would not eat frozen/thawed and ended up eating live fuzzies. 1 still has not eaten for me. I've tried F/T, F/T scented with rat, and live fuzzies, but no hits yet. I'm assuming he's still acclimating and will eat when he is ready. As long as you try different food types to make sure he's not just being picky, then its probably safe to assume he's acclimating. I know several people on this forum have been through that. You might want to sort through some old threads, or perhaps they will pipe up and offer their own stories on this thread. In any case, good luck!

[Marla]

Ditto, I wouldn't worry yet, and I definitely wouldn't give up on feeding f/t. A mistake lots of us make early on is thinking of our snake's metabolisms in terms of our own. Don't think of it as not eating for a week, think of it as skipping a meal. You can certainly skip a meal without long-term consequences, and so can your snake. If you wait until his next scheduled meal, he may very well eat for you.

There are also different tricks that work with different snakes. Paul and I have both gotten reluctant feeders to eat by making the mouse zombie "crawl" on or otherwise touch the snake. Tigergenesis superheats her mice because her snake won't eat them otherwise. Some people have had to leave the prey in the enclosure for a few hours in a quiet, dark room. Others feed in a particular container that smells of prey and triggers the hunting instinct. With some patience and trial and error on your part, you'll figure out what will work with your snake. The one thing you should definitely never try is feeding live and not supervising, because that can have serious consequences.

[JamminJonah]

here is a good F/T link - the one that really made me a believer -
http://www.proexotics.com/FAQ_answer...ng_thawed.html