biting and spitting it out

[tweets_4611]

in the wild they have more than 20 gal. as long as there are good hides i dont see why not. a super large tank 70-100 gal came to me and my 1.5/2 year old loves it. he utilizes all of the space and explores every inch. i had to have him in a smaller tank while i was doing some work on it and for those 3 days he spent all his time in his hide when in his normal space he climbs a lot and is more active.

Is this the same snake?? If so, he is definitely not trying to eat. The snake in this post is stressed. The exploring is a sign of stress. A comfortable ball will stay in their hide most of the time, sometimes coming out at night to look around a bit. When he stayed in his hide in the smaller space, he was feeling more secure.

If this is the same snake, I would suggest putting him back in the smaller container, leaving him for a week, then trying to feed him again, once he is acting more comfortable. Once he is eating reliably, then you can try to use the bigger tank again.

Whereas in the wild they do get more than 20g, they don't often leave the termite hills they live in. It's possible to use a tank that large, but keeping the temps and humidity in the correct ranges is not only going to be hard, it's going to be expensive. Your also going to need a ton of stuff to clutter the tank so your bp doesn't get so stressed. Personally I would give up on the huge tank until he is eating well at least.

[rayann]

his belly just turned pink so he may have not been eating because he is about to shed....

[Patricia]

Is this the same snake?? If so, he is definitely not trying to eat. The snake in this post is stressed. The exploring is a sign of stress.

Good catch!

As for not eating due to a pink belly, mine doesn't shed until about 3 weeks after I notice the pink, and it's not going to go without eating during all that time. I would err on the side of caution and get your snake feeling totally secure rather than assuming the non-eating is due to a pink belly. Especially with a pinky every other week, he probably needs to catch up (which is what mine has done).

[rayann]

his eyes went milky a few days later... he has been spending lots of time in his hides these days and in the humid hide so i think its shed time, but i will try to give him more eating privacy.

[sg1trogdor]

Normally a strike without a coil is defensive. He probably would rather be left alone then eat.

[Aiion]

If it happens again, you might want to try re-warming the mouse. I had a Colombian Boa that was very picky about temperature. After trying for so long, I would re-heat the mouse, making sure that it was just slightly warmer than body temp all the way through. (happened when I was impatient and didn't allow enough time in the warm water bath) She would then find it acceptable and snatch it right up. Also make sure that the mouse is not too warm. That could also be a reason that he is grabbing then spitting it out. Another thing is if it is too warm the mouse will start to cook, which is not good for the snake.