Non-Feeding Baby

[embers]

Hi All,

I'm fairly new to the forum -- I had an account years and years ago when I got my first spider girl, but now couldn't remember the username to save my life. Some of you may have already read my introduction thread that I posted a few weeks ago, but the short version is that I got a baby BP 4 weeks ago from a friend. She had bought it from Petco for her son, and it had bitten him and wasn't eating, so she gave it to me. She'd had him for 3 weeks. So it has not eaten for a minimum for 7 weeks.

Her setup wasn't very good, and I have since transferred the baby into a better setup: 10gal tank with two secure hides as well as foliage for extra cover, under the tank heat etc. When he came to me, he was already skinny and he has now lost visible weight since then. I think his temperatures are okay: ambient is 84-85 and his hot spot is 89-90.

I have tried f/t mice and a rat pup with all the methods I can think of: hair-dryer, braining, zombie dancing, leaving it in the tank overnight. Then last week, I bought him a live fuzzy mouse which he still did not eat. He literally sniffed it and crawled all over it, even laid on top of it at one point -- but still did not eat it, even when left in a dark room for HOURS with it. Today, I tried to assist feed him. He started swallowing and then regurgitated it. I have not been handling him basically at all, other than once to clean his tank 2 weeks ago.

I've raised two baby BPs before. I had a spider female for many years who I got at about 90g and who grew to about 2.5kg before she passed. I also had a lesser pastel male who I had from 150gish until I sold him to a breeder when he was 3. Both of them were from breeders and were eating f/t when I got them. The spider was a terrific eater, and the lesser, while occasionally quirky, never went more than 2 weeks.

I do not know what else to do

[Stewart_Reptiles]

This is what need to be done to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101

,10 gallons tank do not always work especially for an animal that may or may not have been started (obviously it does not with this animal), ambient is also too high if a hot spot is provided either 85 ambient overall should be provided or 78/80 and 86/88. Live fuzzy are also not adequate.

And PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ASSIST ANYMORE, have the husbandry adjusted.

Getting this animal on track ASAP is very important if this is a 2019