All Reptile Shops in Area Out of Live Rats, Snake Won't Eat Frozen, Help!

[camilleon]

All of the reptile shops in my area, even so far as 50-70 miles away, are out of live rats. They've been out for several weeks now, and every time I call around they say they don't know when they'll get a new shipment in because they're between suppliers. In the weeks they've been out, I've tried to feed my snake frozen rats, even in different colors hoping it'll bring out some appetite, but no luck. I'm getting really concerned for my python's overall health, I hate seeing him this skinny.

A shop 50 miles away says they should be getting in a shipment mid to late next week, so hopefully the problem should be solved soon, but do you guys have any tips for getting him to eat between then? Or helping him gain weight? It would be nice to switch him to frozen but I'm not sure how as he's been fed live since he was a baby from the place I got him.

Thank you for your time!

[Bogertophis]

How old (what size?) is your snake?

Have you tried mice? or chicks? Most BPs like those too, enough to tide you over. While I don't recommend feeding any live prey (both for the safety of the snake & also humane treatment for "feeder" animals) I realize some snakes are hard to switch. But it's exactly for supply chain issues that switching all snakes to pre-killed (either fresh or f/t) is the best idea- & something I hope you'll work on.

It's up to you, but if you at least provide what area you're in, someone here may also know of a local supplier & might even be able to help you out- it's a slim chance, sure, but you never know. (I'm one that raises my own rodents, but I no longer do any kinds except mice. )

I'd also suggest that you remain calm- it's unlikely your snake is truly starving- & remember that in the wild, they do not eat as regularly as they do in captivity- at least not without enormously good luck. Snakes often fast, either by choice or by necessity. Do make sure his hydration is good though.

Another thought- & also a way to get your snake switched over to f/t- try offering him a live hopper mouse, which is not enough on it's own- & then see if he's pumped up enough to take a f/t rat right immediately after he eats the mouse. There are multiple techniques for doing this- one is "chain feeding" the nose of the f/t rat right into the snake's open mouth, JUST as he's almost done swallowing the first item- you'll need to be slow & sneaky about this, otherwise your snake will close his mouth & coil his neck so you cannot do this. You'll NEED to use tongs & a steady hand. But this can work if you're not so obvious or pushy. (be a "ninja"- present but not noticeable)

As far as "multiple techniques"- your snake might even be willing (without all the subterfuge) to accept the f/t rat- IF it's thawed properly AND properly warmed to simulate a live rat. I suspect that when you tried previously to get him to accept a f/t rat, maybe your technique might have room for improvement? If you elaborate, maybe we can help you figure out where you went wrong. How did you thaw the rat? How did you warm it before offering? Time of day? What was your snake doing when you offered prey?

Remember IF you offer any kind of live "appetizer" that the sum of the appetizer plus the rat you're trying to feed must NOT be too big of a meal. And any time you feed 2 items, they should be back to back so your snake can digest them well (& not barf them up for lack of digestive enzymes, as can happen if too much time elapses).

[Argentum]

Everything Bogertophis said, and just an additional assurance. Ball Pythons can literally go months without eating, usually with no negative effects, so long as they aren't hatchlings. I've known of one adult that literally went an entire year of voluntary fasting, without dropping much weight or being unhealthy. Then it abruptly started eating again, without any particular urgency, like it had never stopped. They will sometimes choose to fast voluntarily like that, and nothing short of force-feeding - which is way too detrimental unless it's an emergency for the survival of the snake - will change their mind. Unless the snake starts to lose too much weight and it becomes a health hazard, don't panic.

[Gio]

O/P,

How old is the snake?

I very much doubt it is starving or even close unless it is very young.

I have a Royal that would only eat live. It was nothing I particularly enjoyed because she could refuse live on any given day and then I was stuck with a live rodent that I would have to feed to another snake that I really didn't want to feed that day.

If your snake is not a baby or a young juvenile, it is not in any danger.

I waited almost a year the past season before the Royal ate. She took a very large, large F/T rat and was insane a couple weeks later and took a medium. The species is known for feast and famine style feeding. Many other boas and pythons are wired the same way.

I'm assuming you are aware of this, but if you are not, you missed a key part of researching the common characteristics of keeping Royals.

From research, listening to other keepers far more experienced than I, and my own experiences, I can say that almost all Royal pythons will eventually eat F/T prey.

There are some exceptions I'm sure, however, most people can't wait out their snake and they stress over feeding issues that aren't issues in the long run.

I see you only have 4 posts here. You probably aren't aware of this so I will give you a tip.

There are a lot of helpful, experienced people on this board. If you are looking for help it is generally a good idea to give as munch information as possible about your animal, your setup and feeding schedule.

It sounds like you feed somewhat frequently as you mentioned "weeks".

My advice is to wait the snake out even if it is months.

A healthy, hungry Royal that is housed properly will normally make the switch when they are ready to feast.

[bcr229]

If you are on Facebook search for a reptile group specifically for your state or local area. Private feeder breeders sell off their excess and you might find someone producing more than his snakes will eat advertising in that group. They usually charge less than the retail pet stores.

[Alyazisr]

Oof i feel you it’s been around a month and i still haven’t been able to find any rats or mice.. ever since Covid it’s been very hard finding them in my country.
I’ll search for rat breeders somewhere there HAS to be one!
I’ve only found hamsters and no way in hell am i gonna feed him one, even though in desperate times i tried to feed him a dead one once but he refused to eat it lol

[camilleon]

When I said live I meant pre-killed, for whatever reason I didn’t type that and I should’ve clarified, oops. He ate live pinkies/fuzzies up until I was concerned about them getting big enough to hurt him, then I began getting pre killed. He’s around 2 years old now, and nearing 3 feet. The frozen rats I put in hot (not boiling as I’m told that’s not good) water and let it sit for about an hour, and then switched the water to hot again and let it sit for another half hour before using tongs and putting it in his tank at sometime after dark. I also felt the rat through the bag it was in and checked for any still possibly frozen spots before putting it in. The second time I tried frozen I put my snake in a separate warm Tupperware bin with a towel and the rat and put it in a dark room, rather than directly in his tank. After 30 minutes he still wasn’t interested so I assumed he wouldn’t want it and I didn’t want to stress him out by keeping him in there.

I feed him every other week, as that’s what the reptile shops told me for his size and age to do. So twice a month. And I roughly knew that snakes, specifically BPs, can go on feeding strikes for several months and it’s pretty normal, but I still feel really bad because I feel like I’m making him go unnecessarily hungry and not finding solutions.

My snake had almost always had a big appetite before, and was a consistent feeder, but I know that was during his growing stages so that’s likely why. Up until now I’ve only had him go on one 1 month strike. Prolonged periods of no eating are still relatively new to me 😅

His tank has two separate water dishes, one for bathing and the other much smaller for drinking in case he decides to use the bathroom in one (which he does frequently) and I’ve not noticed a change in his urine/urates or their frequency.

If this problem happens again with rat suppliers I will try the methods you suggested for chain feeding or using other feeders. It seems like I’m just stressing. Thank you so much for your help!

[camilleon]

He’s a 2 1/2 year old Candy Banana and nearing 3 feet. I feed every other week as that’s what the reptile stores told me when I took him in with me. If that’s too frequently for him I will start feeding less. But I still feel like he’s dropped weight as his spine is a lot more prominent than it was and his body’s becoming more of a pointed triangle than a softer one. I’ll try to provide pictures but the site keeps telling me the action failed.

Thank you for your help!

[camilleon]

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[Argentum]

Others will have better advice, but to start with, you shouldn't thaw the rat in hot water. Either thaw it in cold water, or put it in the fridge until it's thawed, then warm it up just before feeding. The rodent needs to be completely thawed, but thawing it in hot water can cause the tissue to start decomposing - the same reason you don't thaw frozen meat for human consumption in hot water. Even if you can't smell the rotten meat, your snake can, and usually won't eat it. When it's fully thawed and warmed up to a 'life-like' temperature, shake the rat slowly where the snake can see, using a pair of tongs so you don't accidentally get bitten, to trick the snake into thinking it's still alive. With snakes that hunt by scent, such as kingsnakes, you can just set the thawed rodent inside the cage and they'll find it, but with heat-sensing snakes like ball pythons they need movement as well as warmth so they think they're seeing something that's still alive, especially with a rodent that's been frozen.