Snake also won't eat

[JessicaK]

So I got my snake right around a week and a half ago. I had him for a week and he went in shed so I had to wait to feed him. Now that he has finished shedding, I'm trying to feed him. Placed him in a cardboard box and then added the baby rat and now he won't eat it. The lady at the petstore said that they don't sell babies until they've eaten 4 times for them so I'm lead to believe he's eaten plenty of times. But he won't even try to strike the mouse. He acts a little scared of it, but won't actually try to strike. What should I do?


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[Eric Alan]

Assuming the mouse is an appropriate size for him (about the same girth as the fattest part of your snake's body), I'd chalk this one up to him being a little stressed still and put him back in his regular enclosure. Leave him there (and don't mess with him) for the next week. Don't handle him, try to feed him, etc. Pretty much the only thing you'll be doing is making sure your husbandry (temps and humidity mostly) is dialed in, ensuring he has clean water, and cleaning up any messes he might make. Then, in a week, try feeding him in his regular enclosure. There's no reason to feed in a separate enclosure (for many reasons). Let us know how it goes!

Best regards,
Eric

[SmoothScales]

There's no reason to feed in a separate enclosure (for many reasons).

This. I can't help grinding my teeth every time I hear a new keeper moving to feed because a pet store employee that knows next to nothing about the animals they sell told them to. Yes, there are tons of experienced keepers that will swear by it, and the occasional snake that absolutely will not eat unless moved, but it is completely unnecessary. In the wild, do these snakes leave the rodent hole they've selected to hide in, in order to hunt rodents? No, so by moving them to a separate container for feeding purposes you are yanking them from the hunting ground you've provided and dropped them in a strange environment with the expectation that they'll feel comfortable enough to eat. Instead, you're stressing them out and creating a situation that could cause regurg.

If I sound as though I'm jumping on you, I don't mean to be. It is quite frustrating to see the same thing every day.

My advice would be to let your snake settle, make sure there's fresh water and places to hide available. Also, double check your husbandry numbers. Do not do this with a dial gauge - those things are horrible. Maybe provide a picture of your set up - if it is to big or there is to much open space, that could also stress out your snake and make them not want to eat.

[jimmysmom]

I was told the same thing by the pet store where I got Jimmy, to move him to another container to eat. I did so for several weeks, and he ate fine, but I would have to leave him in it over night as not to disrupt his digestive process. One day he was acting a little strange so I was sorta afraid to pick him up nad move him to eat. I just dropped the mouse in there and he hunted it and ate it . I have since left him in his house to eat. I was told by the pet store to move him so he would not think me sticking my hand in his house meant food, but since feeding him in his own house, he seems to be a little happier and has never done anything to make me think he thinks me hand is food.

[ballpythonsrock2]

I was told the same thing by the pet store where I got Jimmy, to move him to another container to eat. I did so for several weeks, and he ate fine, but I would have to leave him in it over night as not to disrupt his digestive process. One day he was acting a little strange so I was sorta afraid to pick him up nad move him to eat. I just dropped the mouse in there and he hunted it and ate it . I have since left him in his house to eat. I was told by the pet store to move him so he would not think me sticking my hand in his house meant food, but since feeding him in his own house, he seems to be a little happier and has never done anything to make me think he thinks me hand is food.

So many have learned the same thing youv'e learned and more will continue to learn. Seems the only ones who never do learn it are the people who sell snakes in most chain store pet stores. The Petco I go to does have some snake owners and they probably know better, and even have knowledge of this website and other sites. But the manager there, who I am pretty sure doesn't have a snake, had given me the advice about feeding outside of the enclosure, which I first tried too with no success and she said I would get bitten if I didn't. Never have gotten bitten and have fed in the enclosure quite a while now. She gave me other bad advice like plastic tubs give off harmful fumes with a UTH. Thankfully we have Ball-pythons.net and snakebytesTv and other places, (plus now our own experience) so we know better. And hopefully we can continue to help others find a better way. And while I am at it I want to say THANK YOU to the people like Reptile Basics and others who sell us the things we need to do proper husbandry. And even though I don't always agree with some of the people who work at Petco and Petsmart, etc. I am glad these stores are there and sell some of the things we need to do this. And even Walmart has been a help.

[Sauzo]

Well on the good side, at least these pet shops don't sell retics or burms. I can see it now...."Oh yeah, you need to move your 12' retic into a bucket before you feed him that rabbit"

[blue roses]

Until my daughter started working for Petco , I had no idea that all their rules were set up by corporate. From what I have found out, all employees go through about 40 hours of video training, but its just general animal care. The problem seems that they hire people with animal care expairence, but don't use them in where their strengths are. For example my daughters strengths are in dogs and cats and snakes, but all to often she'll be asked to help someone in fish. Not the smartest use of her knowledge. Also they have rules that say only a manager can feed certain animals, even if they have never done it before. Thank goodness the manager of my daughters store happons to keep snakes so she is expairienced, but not all stores are so lucky. She is so overworked that she would love to have my daughter do some of the feeding but when she told her manager about having another expairienced snake keeper in the store, he said no, cause their would be hell to pay if corporate found out. I don't blame the customers of these stores, but the stupid rules of the higher ups who don't use employees effectivly. This is because Places like Petco and Pet smart are too big and the bottom line has become the top line, and too make matters worse, Petco is negotiating with Pet Smart to buy them out, and become one big chain. Not a done deal yet, but it could happen.