Problems feeding?

[Stout76]

So I’ve got a new Retic that’s about 7-8 weeks old. I’ve had him about 2 weeks and he’s not very food aggressive at all. He hasn’t shown much interest in eating F/T or live. I did finally get him to take a live mouse today but it took awhile. I’m less worried now that I’ve finally got something in him and I don’t want to be too ungrateful but I’d like a little more zeal to ease my mind. Overall he’s really chill handling him and him hanging outside his tub. Wondering if I’m worrying too much? His my first snake in about 25 years and I’ve never had one not go get food with a purpose before.

[Zincubus]

To be honest I'd stop any handling sessions until he's he's eaten at least once maybe twice.

Many leave a new snake alone for two weeks or so to settle in properly- before offering food . Handling can come later on ..


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[bcr229]

Retic neonates can be slow to start just like any other baby, though once they get the idea they're usually voracious until they mature and get interested in breeding. Did you ask the breeder/seller what your new arrival had been eating and how often?

Since he did eat I would leave him alone except for the minimal handling to change water, ensure his temps and humidity are correct, he has snug hiding spots, etc. Wait for a bowel movement before feeding again and don't fool with him until he's eaten at least three times.

I would also get him on f/t rats ASAP as he'll outgrow mice very quickly.

[Stout76]

Ok sounds good. I don’t really mess with him much. Mainly to clean out his cage but typically when I put my hand in he usually comes towards it and ends up on my arm. He ate about a week before I got him and then today which was approximately 20 days between feedings. That’s what had me worried the most. Temps are good. I did originally have high humidity but got that resolved after a couple of days. I’ll have his permanent home coming next week so I was really hoping to get him fed before I switched his enclosures and had to start over with resettling.

[Sauzo]

Make sure your set up is correct with temps, humidity and he has a hide or two to feel secure. Some snakes just arent food driven. Ask Gio. His retic can go like a month in between feedings where as my retic and JM's retic can go about 10 days before they detonate and destroy cages and their faces.

I personally cant picture a retic who doesnt go completely bonkers for food as my only retic has been the biggest garbage can i have ever seen. As a baby, he was eating every 5 days or he would go crazy.

But yeah, get him on rats. I mean i never had a problem as mine ate rats, mice, chicks, quails and now guinea pigs.

And dont mess with him too much until he eats well. I just started working with my GTP after 3 months of just letting it inspect my hand when i cleaned the cage and changed water. Now it is so curious, it comes out to me to see whats going on and i have to be careful when i leave a door open as i might come back to it poking its head outside lol.

Also did you ask the breeder what he was feeding it and how often. I know when i got my retic, i asked the breeder what he was eating and how often and his response was 'anything, anytime. That snake is a garbage can.'

[Stout76]

Breeder said 4-6 days, F/T rat pups. So I’ve got some of those but like I said no zeal. I only have one option for live around here, which is why I’d like to keep him on F/T. I was looking for a rat but the rats they had were too large so I went with appropriate size mice. Just hoping to get him to eat before I move him in his permanent enclosure. Although he ate around one and he’s out and about moving around already. Guess I’ll take that as a good sign. I’ll lay off handling him till the move and try feeding him again either before or after the move

[Sauzo]

Stick to rats unless you cant find them. Not sure about retics in general but i know Caesar was not picky on his food. Like i said, i fed him mice, rats, quails and chicks and he was not picky at all.

And stick to FT. If that is what he was eating when you got him, no need to change it up.

Just give him time and once he gets more comfortable, he will probably get more of an appetite.

[Stout76]

I think I’ve solved the problem. I’ve given him small live mouse followed by a FT rat. Now he took just the FT rat. Although maybe I should wait to claim succe until after five or so frozen ones?🤔

[Stout76]

So he is feeding really well now at about every 6 days. i have learned that he likes F/T warmed up to 101-103 degrees, anything under and he isn't haven't it. I'm wondering if that was my problem in the first place since I wasn't actually temping them the first few times? Did have a very gross experience this time though. He struck at the rat and hit it just right that it split open the belly and guts went everywhere. So I had to get another rat to feed him because he was in food mode and looked like he was biting anything that came in the cage. On a side note, he is a slow eater. I just got a Blood and when I fed both of them, with the Retic getting his food first, the blood was 3/4 done by the time he decided the dead rat was really dead and started eating.