Not eating

[Chilli lover]

Hello I'm new to the forum and I need some advise I bought a Bp from a guy on Craigslist and he said she ate live small rats so I got her one but when I put her in her feed ing tip with the rat it smelled it and showed no more interest in the rat and I left it in there for close to an hour but nuthin is there anything I can do but keep tryin every couple of days

[Daybreaker]

Can you describe your setup and temps and how you're measuring the temps?

I'd give it a week to settle in then try again, it might still be acclimating. I wouldn't try to feed more often than every 7 days: offering too often may make it not want to eat.

Also never leave a live rat that's bigger than a crawler in with the snake unattended: keep an eye on the rat/snake while the rat is in with the snake.

[Chilli lover]

Alright I have it in a 55 gallon tank and I got it Saturday and its been in the since then but I have the biggest zoo med heat pad and a basking light but I don't have a thermostat yet but I have a thermometer in there reading 85.6 on the hot side and 80 on the cool side

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Alright I have it in a 55 gallon tank and I got it Saturday and its been in the since then but I have the biggest zoo med heat pad and a basking light but I don't have a thermostat yet but I have a thermometer in there reading 85.6 on the hot side and 80 on the cool side

[Chilli lover]

Here are some pics

[Daybreaker]

Some quickie suggestions:

Clutter up the tank with lots of fake plants or crumpled up newspaper. Black out the three sides of the tank with construction paper - maybe the extra clutter will make the snake feed more secure so it will start eating.

If you don't have a thermostat pick up a lamp dimmer (~$10 from Home Depot) asap as the heat pad will get hot enough to burn your snake. Some here can recommend a good affordable thermostat (the kind I use is $115 and I can't remember the cheaper one that others recommend, but I believe you can find it on Amazon. It is not a rheostat: it's an actual thermostat).

Get another hide for his cold side so he has a hide per hot/cold side. Many recommend having hides that fit the snake very snug so it also feels more secure.

If the tank is in a high traffic area I'd move it somewhere quieter.

I don't use tanks for my BPs but I may look into a tub setup if your snake keeps refusing food: once I put my first bp into a tub (from a tank) she became an eating machine. Though it's not as pretty as a tank setup I have much more success with tubs and fully recommend them (some are free standing and some in racks). You can fancy them up too (with decor) if you please too.

[Chilli lover]

It is in my room so there's not that much traffic and i heard it was bad to feed in there terrarium so I fed it in a little ten gallon were I keep my rat before it eats

[Daybreaker]

^ Feed in the enclosure, there's nothing bad about it. Just monitor the feedings.

[rocknhorse76]

Like Angelica said, the snake is probably still acclimating to its new home, so just leave it alone for a week or two before trying to feed it. I'd also recommend switching to frozen/thawed or freshly killed rats as soon as possible too. This prevents injury to your snake in the event of a sloppy strike/constriction. My snakes have always eaten f/t rodents.

The cheap thermostat she is referring to is made by Hydrofarm. You can get them from Amazon or Ebay for around $30 shipped and they work just fine. You can also sometimes find them at greenhouse supply stores or hydroponics shops. If you're using a heat lamp, secure the probe from the thermostat at the hot end of the tank under the lamp, down at the bottom. I'd also recommend that you replace the bulb with a ceramic heat emitter, as they heat up a little more gradually, and won't burn out quickly due to repetitive on/off cycles. If you really want the cage lit up, use a flourescent fixture to provide light without added heat.

Definitely do like she said and provide a hide on both ends of the tank, and use some plastic sheeting (black garbage bags work great) to cover about 75-80% of the screen top as well as covering 3 of the sides of the tank with that or the aforementioned construction paper. This will accomplish two things.....locking in the heat and humidity, and providing more security for your snake. Misting the enclosure a few times a day will help with humidity, which in turn will help keep your snake healthy and happy. A happy snake is a good eater!!

Ultimately, your best bet is to house the snake in a properly set up tub or an actual snake cage, but the info we've given will help make the tank you have work a little better than it does now.

[rocknhorse76]

^ Feed in the enclosure, there's nothing bad about it. Just monitor the feedings.

And yes, definitely feed in the enclosure. Its very stressful to a snake to be handled immediately after a feeding and can lead to regurgition. Avoid handling the snake at all for about 48 hours after it has fed.

[Chilli lover]

Alright guys thanks for the help and the previous owner told me she wouldn't eat f/t I would love to feed her that but she won't do it lol. But I have always hear bad stuff about grading snake in their terrarium because it will associate your hands going in as food and you will get bitten.