One of my snakes wont eat.

[Chewy]

I have a Butter Ball Python Born June 2010 I was told. Bought it off craigslist, 580 grams. She was always a mouse eater, occasional rat. Old owner wanted the snake to be small for his daughter. I'm trying to put some weight on her so 5 days after I purchased her and her being in her new 32qt sterilite tub with 1 hide I put a small rat in like the previous owner said, pretty sure it was too big and I took it out and tried a week later with a rat crawler. ALOT smaller, she was not interested. Later that day I tried a adult mouse, she started to taste the air but thats about it.. Tried again 2 days later after I switched her into a 16qt tub with no hides hoping its due to the size of the tub. Old owner had her in a 15qt tub.

What do you guys suggest I do? I was hoping to get her weight up so once my hatchling mojave is of age and weight I can toss them together :/.

Thanks!

[Daybreaker]

Make sure your husbandry is spot on firstly, and here's some additional suggestions:

~ Give her two identical hides instead of just one so she can pick and choose. Put in lots of fake brush for her to hide in.

~ Leave her alone at least for a full week in between offerings: you may be offering too quickly and it is stressing her out.

~ Is she only on live or will she take F/T that you're aware of? I would try a F/T overnight, leave it right at the entrance of her hide (when she's in it) or just somewhere where she can get to it easily.

~ Leave her in the 16qt and see how she does, switching all these tubs probably isn't helping her settle in as well. When she's an established eater I would then bump her up to a larger tub.

[Homegrownscales]

For some of my more picky brats I have what I call a black out tub. I always have a few of these in each size on hand. It's a regular tub that I've just spray painted the outside black. I find some of the more bratty ones like the pitch black darkness.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[Chewy]

I cannot fit a hide in with her in the 16 qt tub, she's about the size of half the tub! I really did not want to put her in there but the previous owner had her in similar tubs so I thought it was best since the bigger one was stressing her out. All my hatchlings are in the same 16qt tubs and are feeding like champs!

[Daybreaker]

I can fit two hides in one of the 16 qt tubs I have: they're the little plastic bowls from Walmart that they sell for $1 for 4 w/ an entrance cut out. She probably won't fit all in them but it may be something to try with her (some of mine like to use them for hats and they're great eaters). Maybe even adding more fake brush or crumpled up newspaper for her to hide in would give her some more security?

[Chewy]

Okay, I'll try 2 small hides. I also have a corner water bowl thats pretty low down so it'd leave more room for her to get around as well. I guess that would be best.

[Chewy]

I currently have 1 hide in a 16 qt tub with the snake. Also the water bowl, kinda big. So its cramped. Kinda worried about her not being comfortable to strike because of the tight space... I have the mouse in a box right next to the tub, gonna leave it for an hour and then introduce the mouse to the snake.... wish me luck guys! Any other suggestions?

[Chewy]

SHE ATE!!!! I put in a small 28 gram mouse in with her, went to the bathroom. Came back, mouse is gone and there is blood, guess it was a tussle. Pretty sure it was the mouses blood. The meal is so small though, 28 grams for a 581 gram empty snake? Should I go ahead and toss in a rat in there right now?? I have a crawler it didnt eat it last week.

EDIT

Well I just tossed in a 69 gram rat crawler in after it, startled the snake. Hopefully she still grabs it!

[Chewy]

no luck with her tagging the rat! She was interested then backed off.... since the mouse was only 28 grams I'm thinking of grabbing another tomorrow. Would that be fine?

[Wes]

I would just give her a full week after she ate the mouse. If she is already stressed out then over feeding her could cause her to regurgitate or if the rat stresses her out even more it could cause her to go off feed for even longer.