Snathan wont eat

[twiztard]

Hey guys I bought a irian jaya carpet python on oct 7th at a reptile convention, since I brought him home he hasnt eaten yet. He is 25' long and I have been trying to feed him rat pups, when I put the food in the bin I use to feed him he just tries to get out and moves away from the food. Any suggestions on something that would help would be muchly appreciated

[Shelby]

A lot of carpet pythons have an aversion to rats.. try mice, and you may need to try live at first too. Mine will only eat live, though she will take rats.

[bhmorrill]

Did you ask the person you purchased him from what he was feeding on previously? If not, if there is any way you can contact the seller and get some ideas from them that would be a big help. After raising a few I have seen some that have very particular personalities and specific ways they want to eat. I even have one that refuses to eat in her cage, but if I take her out of her cage and set her in the middle of the floor and hold a rat up to her, then she takes it?!? How weird is that!!! So anyway, asking the breeder/seller would be the first thing I would try. If you don't get any help there, then I would do as Shelby suggested and try mice next. If mice still are a no go, then try chicks or some type of fowl. Try live and dead, try warming up FT so that they are really warm, there are all kinds of tricks... but hopefully the breeder/seller can save you some time by telling you what worked in the past.


Good luck!

[Schlyne]

Definately try and contact the seller. Your carpet may be feeding on mice, or will only take f/t or something.

My carpets will not take p/k or live. I also feed them in their cages btw, I don't move them to a seperate feeding box.

EDIT: Also, none of my snakes will take food unless it's being offered from forceps or hemostats.

[twiztard]

I tried a pinky mouse last night and he wasn't interested in feeding. I think next ill try feeding him inside his encloser. I always use tongs to feed my snakes. I did find the breeders email so I will send him a message and see if he can give me any tips. Thanks for the help everyone

[Topher]

At 25" s/he should be able to take a small adult mouse. I've read several care sheets that state that carpets don't usually take hairless prey. I've also read that many will only eat mice. I would recommend a young adult mouse. I really lucked out with mine. I open the cage, she comes out of her hide looking for a fight, I dangle the mouse, and wham. When I first got her, I tried just lifting the hide and offering it to her and she still took it no problem.

[bhmorrill]

I too have noticed that carpets don't like pink mice. I have had some of them start on pink rats, but never pink mice. For sure try at least a fuzzy, if not larger mouse. I bet you will get a feeding response that way. But ya, whenever we start hatchling carpets we always try fuzzy mice first. Seems like a large prey item for them, but they take it down fine.

[Colin Vestrand]

for what its worth, my carpets seem to be 10x more comfortable eating in their cage rather than out of it... it does not affect their disposition or handlability at all.
and i second the whole hairless prety item thing... and carpets dont have a problem eating prey 1.25 times the width of the thickest part of their body.

[BPdad]

I'm out of my league here (but I like read and learn) since I don't have any Carpets, but I know my BP absolutley refused to eat a pinky when we first got him. We moved to fuzzie mice and he would slam the live'n :cens0r: out of them.

Good Luck!

[bhmorrill]

BPdad, love the censored emoticon, hadn't seen that one before...made me laugh!!!