Newbie feeding question

[Terminal]

Hello I'm Dean and this is my first post.

on 2/20/16 I purchased at a local herp expo 2 BPs. One is 114g and the other is 149g and both are males. The larger one seems more outgoing and has eaten both 15g f/t mice offered him while the smaller and timid one has refused both offerings. It's my understanding that the one refusing had been eating live mice. Each feeding I have removed them from their enclosure and I think this is part of the problem with the timid one. They are both together in a 12"x10"x30" vivarium but I will have them separated within the week and then I can feed them without removing them from their enclosure. I also will offer live to the problem eater on the next try.

The tank is set up with a uth on one side and a che on the other. Uth is set for 91 and the ambient for 82. Both are controlled with a herpstat 2. There are 2 hides with one being a humid hide. They are spending a lot of time in the humid hide.

A few questions:

1 - when offering a f/t and the snake is in the hide do you uncover them?

2 - same as question 1 but feeding live.

3 - what temp do you warm the f/t to?

4 - I see only the very tip of the tongue on the timid one and this is rarely. Is this ok?

thanks, Dean

[Stewart_Reptiles]

99% of feeding issue are husbandry related here is what I will suggest

1/ SEPERATE them there is no benefit for them to be housed together, it can lead to stress, stress leads to feeding issues.
2/ Offer the appropriate size enclosure for each 6 to 12 quarts plastic tub (5 gallons tank at the most with 3 side covered up if you go with glass tank) with aspen for bedding, plastic flower pot saucer for hides (1 or 2 depending on the size of the tub), hot side temp of 86/88.
3/ NO Handling until the eat with consistency
4/ Feed in the enclosure, feeding outside can cause enough stress to lead to refusal
5/ Offer the same prey type that was offered previously for 3 to 5 feeding before attempting to switch.

Key word is SECURITY not in a few weeks but starting NOW, the sooner you provide PROPER husbandry the faster you get your animals on track.

[Terminal]

99% of feeding issue are husbandry related here is what I will suggest

1/ SEPERATE them there is no benefit for them to be housed together, it can lead to stress, stress leads to feeding issues. Agreed
2/ Offer the appropriate size enclosure for each 6 to 12 quarts plastic tub (5 gallons tank at the most with 3 side covered up if you go with glass tank) with aspen for bedding, plastic flower pot saucer for hides (1 or 2 depending on the size of the tub), hot side temp of 86/88. 91 for the belly heat too hot?
3/ NO Handling until the eat with consistency. Logical
4/ Feed in the enclosure, feeding outside can cause enough stress to lead to refusal. Ok, but what about questions about the snake being in their hide at feeding time?
5/ Offer the same prey type that was offered previously for 3 to 5 feeding before attempting to switch. Will do

Key word is SECURITY not in a few weeks but starting NOW, the sooner you provide PROPER husbandry the faster you get your animals on track. Will separate as soon as I receive the herpstat 2 that shipped today

[Stewart_Reptiles]

91 in a small enclosure like I mentioned is actually too hot leaving little room for proper thermo-regulation since the space is much tighter, and need to be able to "escape the eat if they feel the need to.

If the snake is hiding it really depends some do fin if you lift up the hide and offer food some do not, which is why I would encourage you to have a strong routine, feed the same day every week and have the food near by their enclosure for 30 min to an hour prior to feeding, this is called scenting and it help entice them and get them in feed mode, which at that point they will either be outside of their hide or right at the entrance.

It seems like a lot at first but it gets better as they settle down and get older.