Dodgy Irish Breeders at Show

[simon07989]

Can any Burmese Python breeders please advise me on how bestto deal with a picky Burmese Python Hatchling, and or, if this is normal etc?

I bought an Albino Burmese Python Hatchling from theDoncaster Show in July. The Irish breeder told me he was 12 weeks old andfeeding well.

I bought him and took him home, taking him to a localreptile breeding centre for the once over.

The centre told me he was not 12 weeks old but around 2/3 ashis umbilici cord hole had not yet healed. They stated he would not yet havefed and was surviving on the egg yolk.

The centre stated they had received a few calls from personswho had bought snakes from an Irish breeder at the show, and all were in poorhealth and not feeding. They stated the breeder was not actually a breeder butsomeone who had collected all the breeder’s snakes from Ireland that theywanted to sell and sold them for them. So, the snakes had been of heat and inthe back of the Irish man’s van for up to 5 days!

Anyway, it took several weeks before the Hatchling seemed towarm up and start to move and after several PowerAde baths has eaten the following:

6 weeks after birth - 1 x Mouse Pinkie
11 days later - 1 x Rat Fuzzy (left snake andfuzzy in box overnight)
7 days later - 1 x Chick
8 days later - 1 x Chick, 1 x Rat Weiner put inmouth before finished chick
7 days later - 1 x Chick

NOT EATEN NOW IN 21 DAYS
The problem is now the snake seems scared of rats and hissesat them. He will refuse any food (rats and chicks) that are left in his RUBwith him overnight. Though I suspect he would eat just a Chick without a Rat inthere as well .
I have tried braining them, scenting rats with chickgoo/guts. Heating rat’s heads with hot water etc etc.

Should I be worried, and what do you guys advice?
I am sure that I can him eating Chicks but I fear him thennever eating rodents so am being stubborn and waiting out him taking a Rat.

Or, should I try a live mouse to get his feeding/strike feedinstinct going. He has only ever struck once and that was having not eaten for5 weeks.

Thank You

[bcr229]

Until your burm is better established at feeding I would continue offering it what it will eat. Once it's feeding regularly you can convert it to rats - or even rabbits if you can get kits or fuzzies - by chain feeding as you did before. Eventually the snake will associate the rat/rabbit smell with food but it can take a few chain feedings for it to make that connection.

I converted four snakes from rats to rabbits by essentially chain-feeding a small (4 oz or 120 gram) rabbit behind a small rat, the longest holdout took six months but she was an adult BCI.

Otherwise make sure your snake has appropriate heat and humidity and handle it as little as possible until it's eating regularly; baby burms get stressed as easily as ball pythons do.