Baby BP hasnt eaten after shed!

[Ronniex2]

Hey all, hope yawlare well,

My issue is with my new addition "Lambeau", he is a about 157gs orless rn but when I got him almost 3 months ago, he was 178.. He has eatenbefore with me but only once. I am feeding F/T adult mice ... now that I amthinking of it I may want to go smaller but that is what his breeder wasfeeding him.

I will admit getting his husbandry in line took a few days as I had to re -research what having a new snake requires... his enclosure was tooo big at 1stthen I got him in his current "shoe box" tight with new paper aroundto keep him feeling snug and secure.
Temps are allhovering at 87-90 in hot where his UTH (88 on the gun this morning), and ambientreads 83-85 on my inside readers and humidity is coming down as he has justgotten out of shed last week.

My issue iswith feeding... his hasn’t eaten - I’d have to check my records but I believeit will be almost 1.5 months... but when he did eat it was the 3^rdfeeding attempt after I waited the 1^st 2 weeks for him to settle in,then I tried him, no eat.. I tried the following week, he hit and wrapped, wentinto the hide, no eat. The same time same size mouse, he hits, wraps, and eats.Then he went into shed the next attempt.

I have not handledhim except to move him in the 1st week or so and between the 1st eaten meal... andthe remaining 4-5 meals "defensively" strikes but no wrapping. I cleanedhis cage 3-4xs but just a quickie as he is snippy

I did get him to hit and wrap last week but he got caught up in the tongs and unwrapped..I tried him few mins later with the same mouse and no dice... I tried again Mondayand still just hissing and strikes with no attempt to wrap

so I guess I’m asking is:

- Feeding - I’m sure the size may be my problem with such a small snake
- should I trylive if he doesn’t take a smaller F/T mouse?
- Or just tryeven smaller F/T?
-Feed in enclosurev feeding in separate tube… my spell ate just fine her 1^st fewmonths eating in a separate enclosure, but now that she is in the rack she hasnot skipped a meal

Any suggestionsor advice would be helpful.. I am slightly relieved as I read a post just nowwhere a guy had his noodle on a 5 month fste .. Yikes I probably would’veposted 50xs by then lol .. But thank again guys.. Hope you al have a great Father’sDay Weekend..

[bcr229]

Feed in the enclosure.

Hot side 87-90 with low/gradient 83 may not give him enough of a gradient to cool off.

For feeding I would try a live rat crawler/pup with its eyes still closed rather than a f/t mouse. Offer it at dusk and leave it in overnight; it's too small to hurt him.

[Bogertophis]

And don't offer food too often...that just adds stress (to both of you, lol).

I'd try somewhat smaller prey too, and bcr229 (above) suggested, exactly. (mice or rats with eyes closed do not bite/defend themselves)

[Ronniex2]

thanks guys.. i just emailed his breeder and it was live rat pups.. i will make this correction ASAP .. the rat pups near me have to be ordered week in advance so i will hit John up today lol