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  1. #1
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    Exclamation 3 months not eating. HELP!!!

    I got my pastel ghost morph when he was about 3 months old from a pet store. Got him, two weeks later I moved and thought, okay so he osnt eating that's not a cause for alarm maybe it's because if the stress of the movie and a new environment.
    But now it has been nearly 3 months and he still refuses to eat! I have tried everything from putting him in a bag with food, leaving him alone in a tank in a dark place with it, even leaning him overnight with it but to no avail.
    I'm getting worried. I know they can go about 6 months without esting but he is a baby and I keep reading different things about babies and adults feeding habits.
    He is active and drinks his water. He is friendly and very sweet but shys away any time I try to feed him with tongs.
    He is in a 20 gallon tank with it being 90 degrees on the warm side and about 80 on the cool side with the humidity between 60 and 70 (80 when misted). There isnt any noticeable weight loss and he pooped a little but he hasnt eaten at all despite my best efforts.
    Am I doing something wrong?
    Does anyone have any recommendations?

  2. #2
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    If you can answer the following questions it'll help us help you.

    What size prey are you offering?
    How often are you offering?
    Are you handling the snake at all?
    How are you heating the prey (if F/T)?


    Also, you want to be consistent with what prey you offer and how you offer. You're all over the place trying different things and thats not helping.
    Simply feed INSIDE the enclosure. Don't bother with trying all the other stuff.

  3. #3
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Does he have hides (cool & warm side) that offer him a sense of security? (only one opening, & snug feeling for his size)

    Is his cage in a quiet location? Is there enough overall privacy? (clutter in cage? Or have you tried covering over part of the outside?)

    Have you tried feeding a live mouse-hopper?
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-01-2020 at 12:42 AM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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    What's his weight?
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  5. #5
    Registered User Absololol's Avatar
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    Re: 3 months not eating. HELP!!!

    You should leave the snake alone for minimum of 5 days if it doesn't eat. Ideally 7.

    Ideas that helped me:
    * Feeding in the dark
    * Hairdrying the f/t rodent and paying attention to the head
    *Using the tongs to grip the rodent by the midsection, not the rear or tail
    *Keeping my heat signature out of view

    I allow the rodent to defrost on top of her viv, then I open her door and start Hairdrying the rodent to waft the smell in. Mine then just perks up and comes looking for it, but it might get the ol' hunting instinct going. Then just being patient and reheating a few times.

    Check your husbandry. What does your snake spend time doing in the day? Do they sleep? Do they display any kind of distress like near constant roaming?

    Edited, removed info was replying to diff post. Sorry.
    Last edited by Absololol; 04-03-2020 at 09:37 AM.

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  7. #6
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    Re: 3 months not eating. HELP!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Absololol View Post
    *Using the tongs to grip the rodent by the midsection, not the rear or tail.
    This is an interesting suggestion that I've never heard of but definitely going to try since I have a picky eater as well. I've always held the rodent w/ tongs by the tail.
    1.0 Motley IMG BCI - (Venom)

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    Re: 3 months not eating. HELP!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by ckuhn003 View Post
    This is an interesting suggestion that I've never heard of but definitely going to try since I have a picky eater as well. I've always held the rodent w/ tongs by the tail.
    It's best to hold mid-body so you can control the motion...a rodent swinging around by the tail can scare off quite a few snakes. You want to imitate a live rodent, & they don't swing from the trees like Tarzan, lol. I usually offer rodents nose-first to make it easier for snakes to eat from the tongs (for those that will, anyway) but I have a few "free-thinkers" that no matter what end you offer, they only want the OTHER end. I can only say how glad I am that they're snakes, not human teenagers...
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-03-2020 at 12:41 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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    Also, some snakes are drawn to the rodent's rear presumably because there is more scent, so if you're holding that area with tongs, it can be counterproductive & cause the snake to shy away from eating. What I do to help snakes target the nose of f/t rodents is to pinch/damage the rodent's nose with my feeding tongs...that actually releases more scent so the snake is more likely to find the best & easiest way to swallow it.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 04-03-2020 at 01:19 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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