My Bioactive Arid/Desert Enclosure for Trans-Pecos Rat Snake

[Bogertophis]

Oh, so, just fyi, he did eat today! I left it in overnight. He still had not eaten this morning, though, and I think he ate around midday. That is kind of gross, and the mouse/rat creature I created was sitting out probably 16 hours at least. I hope he doesn't get sick from it? May be a discussion for another topic, but I'm glad he ate at least.

Great! And I wouldn't worry about it. That's probably what he's used to doing. It's possible that the person you got him from thawed rodents in ways that allow more "ripeness" before they were handed out to the snakes, & as I recall, you said he was taking either fed live or drop-fed, right? And he probably PREFERS live, but if nothing live was forthcoming, he's used to eating the funky stuff as a last resort.

At least he ate for now, & I hope you can get him eating when it's a little fresher- I wouldn't offer food again for at LEAST 2 weeks, & see if that helps also. He's still settling in, & the older a snake is, the weirder (more stressful) it is thought to be for them when they're re-homed. I wouldn't worry or hold it against him, & since you're not willing to do fresh-killed (which he'd probably be happier with) just be patient.

When I've raised TP hatchlings they take f/t prey easily, but if they've been raised for a while on fresh-killed or live, it makes them harder to convince. It's no different than changing our own food "tastes" from what we grew up eating. He's still an adorable & in the future, he might start eating it faster, especially when "what he ordered" never materializes.

When you offered him prey previously, it might be that you picked it up too soon when he didn't seem to want it right away, lol. I've seen a few snakes in the past that did the same thing, & each learned to eat faster with subsequent meals. TPs are not known for eating carrion either- they're NOT like king snakes that way. I'm so glad that he at least ate.