Received my 2013 Male White Phase (born 4/22) mid-week last week. Normally I will let new acquisitions settle in for a few days then feed. The breeder stated he was feeding on live adult mice and last weekend would have been feeding time so this would be perfect to get him into our routine feeding schedule. Wanting to try to get him switched to F/T I offered a brained F/T rat pup on Saturday night. Not even remotely interested. So Sunday morning, I went and bought a couple live adult mice. Offered a live mouse Sunday evening. He did strike but missed. After that, not interested. I tried again Monday night, and again...not interested. I do tend to over worry a bit with my babies but just want to give them the best...
Prior to coming to me, he was in a 6 qt. tub. The quarantine enclosure I put him in is 2'x18"x1' (I ordered his forever home from AP last week w/ divider so I could expand his area as he grew). Being a baby and his QT enclosure being a bit larger than his usual tub, I covered 3 of the 4 sides, gave him a hide and placed a few plants inside to make it seem less intimidating for him. He hasn't really used the hide and have seen him on both sides of the enclosure and meandering about when I check on him before bed. Hot spot is Flexwatt on a Herpstat reading 90 with his cool side 80-82. Ambient is around 84 and humidity is nailed in around 55%.
Though I have kept many other pythons and boas over the years, he is my first retic. I am learning retics are a whole different animal all around so I "try" not to compare him to the others I have owned or currently own. Thus my perceived anxiety with my "first" "first"....
My question is this: Am I over worrying about his first meal with me (others in my collection have normally had no issues feeding after a few days of settling in)? Is this just a matter of just letting him be until this next weekend to settle in more? Would he be better suited back in a tub for the time being?
Many thanks ahead of time...
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