BP looks interested in food but not eating... possible mouth injury?

[vmachina]

I don't THINK he's fasting at least. Here's the latest feeding attempt where you can see him following the prey around with his head and tongue flicking.



Anyway this persisted for over an hour and the mouse started getting scared (vibrating it's tail) so I gassed it and offered it pre-killed hoping he was just too shy to kill it or something. My bp had 0 interest in the pre-kill... he didn't even recognize it like it was food (same with f/t). orz

I didn't catch it on video but he is also yawning a few times during the process of watching the mouse run around. I've never seen him do that before. Usually he only yawns once after swallowing food, so I'm worried he might have some jaw injury preventing him from wanting to strike.

The last food he accepted (4 weeks ago) was a live small rat and the feeding looked unusual to me because he struck the rat so hard it started bleeding http://i.imgur.com/sAvySUH.jpg I've been feeding this guy live (though mostly mice before) and have never seen the prey bleed before so I'm not sure if he just struck it extra hard or something. He then refused a rat the next week so I started reoffering large mice again. Still no go.

It could be a possible husbandry issue, I use ambient heat only (83 deg) since it's very warm where I live but recently upgraded to a 50% larger tub as he was growing to be half the size of the last one (you can see where he's eating the rat)

Any tips? I'm pulling my hair out

[Crowfingers]

When he was yawning, was his mouth nice and pink? Did you see any discoloration, thick saliva, or bubbles? I have read that sometimes snakes yawn more often when they have respiratory infections or mouth rot and other snakes just yawn a lot for no apparent reason.

Also, did he start refusing when you uped him to the bigger tub? From the video it does not look like he has a hide (I know that some people don't use a hide in racks/tubs), but maybe with more room he is feeling more exposed. You could try putting a cereal box or Tupperware hide in and try and feed again in a few days.

[Albert Clark]

Too much light and his cover is blown. Try to feed him in the darkened room and after you give him a hide.

[vmachina]

Hmm I'll try the darker room.

The refusing food definitely seems to be related to the bigger tub... he hasn't eaten since upgrading tubs.


I actually have a couple of hides (http://i.imgur.com/ZnasdsO.jpg) that I take out for feeding because the rat hides in them as well. Should I just leave them in? In his smaller tub I alway took out the hides for feeding and he ate just fine.

[chrid16371]

Keep the hides in there when you feed and as said above make sure your feeding in the dark. It very well could be related to the bigger tub but keeping the hides in there while feeding will give him more security and he may eat, if not put him in a size in between or old one.

I have to ask since I see it in the pic, are you using that analog to take your temps? I'm assuming your using a uth and you should use a temp gun or thermometer with probe, best IMO is the acurite 00891. Those analogs are really inaccurate. If you are using a digital with probe or temp gun then disregard this.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[Albert Clark]

Even if the rat goes into the hide and the snake wants him, thats what they do, ambush their prey. Thats hard to do without cover. I think if he was out of the hide and the rat was spotted coming out of the hide he would be more apt to strike it. These guys know how to kill but they need to feel secure first. If you really feel that it's the bigger tub then just give him more time to become established in the new tub.

[cchardwick]

You may want to try a smaller mouse, sometimes my snakes won't go for the big ones and they will take a smaller one.

[vmachina]

Small update: I tried giving him a small rat (the size he should be eating anyway) with the hides in the enclosure and he finally ate! I'm so happy XD Thank you!

I was originally a little worried he wouldn't have enough room to strike with the hides in there, but as soon as the rat crawled into the hide he was in there was a loud snapping noise and the hide popped up!

[Crowfingers]

Glad he finally ate for you! At least he was just nervous without somewhere to hide while being fed. That is much easier to remedy than an injury or infection