First BP / First Shed / Stressed Behavior Question

[fadingdaylight]

Also, you've only had the snake for 2 & 1/2 weeks...sexing the snake should wait, eating is FAR more important & sexing the snake may further inhibit the snake
from eating. Likewise, it's best not to handle a new snake (of any kind) until they've fed easily for you at normal intervals at least 3 times. Sexing a snake is like
handling times 10...it's "rude" and snakes don't appreciate it much. Since BPs can be hesitant feeders, your focus should first be on that, gender can wait.

I also do NOT feed in shed...some will take food, many will not. Of those that take food anyway, sometimes it messes up their shed, so that it sticks & only comes
off in a million pieces...so why chance it? The reason is that both digestion and shedding requires good hydration from the snake's body to accomplish- not all
snakes are healthy & hydrated well enough to "multi-task".

I agree, I have put the sexing off in favor of acclimation and feeding, and tried to even keep handling to a minimum during this early stage. We have had three successful feedings, all strikes while dangling from the tongs, on F/T mice (will be switching to rats in about another week or so, couldn't find the right size locally). This one (during shed) was the first missed meal, and the snake actually struck at the food, just missed, which I am guessing is a combination of blindness and me not getting the mouse warm enough for heat detection to function in place of sight. However, I don't think I will attempt to feed during shed anymore, I really only did it this time since it was the first, to see what the response would be. Trying to learn this particular snake's normal behavior patterns and all.

But yeah, I don't imagine I would appreciate being probed either, so that will continue to wait for now. I am planning on having a nearby (an hour away) reptile vet do a basic health check to ensure I am not missing anything. To be fair, I did get the snake from the dreaded Petsmart, and being a beginner, it seems the most responsible thing to do. I will have them do the probe at that point.