New bp still won't eat! Not settling in ? Scared/shy ? Pics ...

[Smith123]

I'm trying to feed rat pups I think they are called , I got a few with the snake. I tried dangling the rat, he goes towards it in the strike position then changes his mind? I then left it in the cage for two hours but never touched it......

Those temps are interesting in your rack, how long have you had them at that temp, people usually get shot down quickly when anything below 75-78f is mentioned, are yours healthy at that temp ? I can achieve probably 73-74f if I use the tub aswell as the 88-90 hotspot .

[Viol8r]

We hold ours a lot. I particularly hold the ones we get in that are more skiddish at least twice as much as the others. I hold them at least 2 times a day for about 30 minutes each time (morning and evening). That probably won't be a popular answer either but all my snakes are healthy, eat weekly, and are not shy by any means...

[Smith123]

Would more handling make him more confidant in the viv though? I was going to leave him until he has eaten, but at this rate he isn't going to be handled for a good while!

[calmolly1]

I handle mine a lot too. Not popular but they start to accept your not going to eat them and relax generally


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[Fireproof]

I'm trying to feed rat pups I think they are called , I got a few with the snake. I tried dangling the rat, he goes towards it in the strike position then changes his mind? I then left it in the cage for two hours but never touched it......

Those temps are interesting in your rack, how long have you had them at that temp, people usually get shot down quickly when anything below 75-78f is mentioned, are yours healthy at that temp ? I can achieve probably 73-74f if I use the tub aswell as the 88-90 hotspot .

I usually have best luck feeding exactly the same way the breeder was feeding, before switching to something else. For example - if they were feeding mice hoppers, I feed mice for a few feedings while they get settled in. If they were on live rat pups, I would feed live rat pups.


Are you trying dead rat pups and dangling in front? If so - I would try a live rat pup. Sometimes hatchlings are finicky and the "right" temp and behavior of a live rodent will do the trick. Also - if they haven't been eating rats, try a live hopper or small adult mouse. Mice have a different scent than rats and can often help. You can convert over to rats or frozen/thawed later, once they are regularly eating in their new home.

[Smith123]

Yes they were feeding him rat pups so that's what I'm sticking with, defrosted , warmed up rats yes dangling then leaving. I'm not prepared to feed live really . Interestingly when I handled him at the breeder before purchase there was a rat in with him that he obviously hadn't eaten the evening before but they assured me he was not a 'problem' feeder.

[Fireproof]

Well, if you aren't ready to try live yet (though i do encourage it - especially rat pups, since they don't bite or chew like mice), then here's something you might try.

Feed at night time. Make sure the rat pup is thoroughly thawed. Then heat it up with a blow drier and use a temp gun to make sure he's about 100 degrees or warmer on the head. Put the rat pup in their den or hide and leave it over night. You can either have the BP out of it's hide, where he'll find the rat pup when he goes back in it later. Or you can gently lay the rat pup inside the opening with the BP already in it.

Bps are ambush hunters and the above will often work (and has often worked for me). So has putting a fresh killed or thawed pray and the snake together in a paper bag inside their tank...check in the morning, and the food is gone.

Also - if you haven't read this article - it's great. I wouldn't consider yours a "Problem Feeder" yet, but this offers some insights and temps that might be helpful...
http://jkrballstreetjournal.com/2014...-eating-again/

[Smith123]

A very interesting read thanks! The advise about moving them to a different tub bigger or smaller each week if necessary, cleaning the whole tub out etc.... A lot of that goes against many things I've read about bp's being upset if you move them, touch them even look at them too much! I would of thought moving them around to get them to feed would make the problem worse ? Maybe not?
I think I will try the leaving to prey in over night next week when I try again .... To be honest there that many options I don't know what to try for the best!

[Smith123]

He was kept on kitchen roll/paper towel substrate but I put aspen down , would that make any difference? If I leave the rat in overnight on floor I worry he may ingest aspen too ?

[Fireproof]

As long as his current tank and bedding isn't dirty (pee and poop in various places), I recommend leaving him where he is for now. He's not a sub-adult or adult that has become a problem feeder, so I wouldn't go to those extremes yet.

But I would definitely try feeding at night, placing the rat in the hide, and leaving it over night. Snakes are fed on aspen shavings all the time and occasionally ingest some, and it's not a problem. Their digestive system breaks down bone and fur and feathers and what not, so it can handle a little sliver of aspen that might get in there.

If you have a frozen rat pup - some people also recommend letting it thaw on top of the cage where the snake can start smelling the scent. Then later, it finds it and boom - it wants to eat it.

Just some ideas based on experience. While we recognize patterns and certain things tend to work, every animal is an individual, so we just have to be patient and work with them and see what works for them...

Good luck. Hang in there. He looks healthy still and they can go quite a while without food, so no need to worry yet.