Getting frustrated

[EL-Ziggy]

Hi all, I'm wondering what to do about this new albino carpet python that I got on on 1/11/17. I've tried feeding her f/t rat fuzzys 3x but she still hasn't eaten. She shed on 2/3/17 and I tried feeding her the next day unsuccessfully. She was 117g on arrival so I know she had to be eating prior to arrival and the breeder insists she was eating f/t rat fuzzys weekly before I got her. I'm not necessarily worried yet but it is frustrating when new snakes don't eat after almost a month. My temps are good 92 hot spot and 82 ambient. I'll try scenting with a mouse this week and maybe even put her in a deli cup with the f/t feeder overnight. After that I figure I'll have to try live. Any other ideas?

[Reinz]

Sorry to hear about your troubles Ziggy.

I was thinking along the same game plan as yours. If your option B and C don't work out, then go to FT mice, then live mice for plan E.

Sure hope you can turn this around.

BTW, have tried leaving the fuzzies in the cage overnight?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Was is eating rat before you got it? If not that could be where your problem lies, carpet are very stubborn when it comes to food and by that I mean when it comes to switching prey type whether it is F/T or to rat.

[GoingPostal]

Acting interested at all or no? You've got a decent plan I think-if nothing else hopefully she will take the live mouse, my picky eaters are that way, super annoying but what can you do.

[EL-Ziggy]

@Reinz- I haven't tried leaving the feeder in overnight. I did leave it in the enclosure for an hour or two last time before giving it to my olive python who's loving all the leftovers the carpet isn't eating. I'm going to try scenting and leaving the snake and fuzzy in a deli cup for the next feeding or two and if that fails I'll have to try a live feeder.

@ Deb- The breeder insists she was on f/t rat fuzzys so I figured the hard part was already done. All of my other carpets have eaten rats from the beginning and with the exception of my Bredli all of them eat whatever I offer. The Bredli was doing well until he developed a preference for mice for a couple of months. I just got him back on rats the last 2 feedings. He'll probably never see another mouse again. Hopefully the albino gets on track soon!

@ Going Postal--She seems semi interested. She'll take a sniff then shy away. After a few attempts she'll give some defensive strikes but that's about it. She's my 5th carpet and 8th snake but my first real picky eater. Like you said, it's very annoying, but what can you do?

[Prognathodon]

My JCP and Bredli are my garbage disposals now (mice, rat, chick, GIMME) but at first they did do better when their prey was presented from below.

One of my sand boas was a problem feeder, and I did close to what Deborah suggests for new and/or fussy BPs - I moved him to a smaller enclosure, no lights, in a quiet room of the house, and changed substrate (sand boas substrate discussions can get pretty heated). I went down on prey size and closed him and the prey in a deli cup (half buried in substrate on the warm side) over night. No handling except to put him in the deli cup for feeding. That finally did it, and after a bunch of successful feedings he's moved to a larger clear Cambro tub that lets in more light, and I can just put him in the open deli cup and offer the mouse with the tongs.


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[Sauzo]

The way I got Allie switched over was to brain F/T rat and leave it on the cage floor on a sheet of printer paper. She too showed interest in rats but would shy away until I brained it. The smell drove her crazy and she ate it. Took 2 times of that before she took rats without doing anything.

[MrBrightside]

Could also try the "nose-tear" maneuver if you haven't yet.

[Craiga 01453]

The way I got Allie switched over was to brain F/T rat and leave it on the cage floor on a sheet of printer paper. She too showed interest in rats but would shy away until I brained it. The smell drove her crazy and she ate it. Took 2 times of that before she took rats without doing anything.

As somebody who is still new to keeping snakes properly, can you please educate me on what braining is? I'm curious and want to soak up any knowledge I can. Thanks !!

[Gio]

Go live.

If you are at all worried I'd try live at this point, and maybe even a small step up in size. My coastal is a terrible eater. She refuses live, she refuses quail, F/T it just depends on the day. Usually I have to wait at least 4 weeks to feed her.

When she was very young smaller prey didn't stimulate her so I used larger and that helped.

I think switching to F/T after she is established is going to be easy. I feel you want to at least get one meal in under your care so you can feel less stressed/frustrated yourself so pull out all the stops with enough time between tries obviously.

My coastal is as frustrating as the royal is here.