I had gotten a 2 week old hatchling carpet python last week in a trade, I didn't know it was so young and hadn't had its first meal until after the trade. So I had left it over night in a temp setup with a pink ASF, didn't eat it. So got it into a 10 gallon setup, left if for a couple of days and than tried a small mouse, seemed to big, so tried a rat pink, still seemed to big. So left it a lone for 48 hours. I had some fresh pink ASFs born last night, so I am trying the paper bag method tonight of putting the hatchling in a paper bag with a pinky ASF, and put the bag in the tank under the light. Plan to leave it over night. The bag has 1 staple to keep it closed, but shouldn't be to tightly closed. I would try pink or fuzzy mouse, but I don't have any right now, waiting on some to be born and raised up a little. I know I am probably more worried about it than I need to be. If I had know that it wasn't a started hatchling I would of turned down the trade. But I have him now and just want to get a meal in him. How long can a hatchling go before taking its first meal? I know I am probably stressing him out more by trying to feed him, so if he doesn't eat the pink tonight is it safe to leave him a lone for a week before trying to feed him again? And if he doesn't eat tonight and I can wait a week, what would the best method be to try and feed him next time. I don't want to stress him out to the point of hurting him, but I don't want him to die from not eating either. All he does during the day is sit on his branch under his light. When I use the temp gun to check temps his body reads temps read around 86 to 90 degrees. I have a UTH on a thermostat under his tank, but he is never on the ground so I don't know how helpful that is for him. The bulb in his lamp is 75 watts I believe, and it is sitting about 3 to 4 inches above his tank, right above his favorite spot to sit on the branch. Thanks for any input.
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