Yet another feeding question

[elocina]

I posted here before about feeding issues, and got answers that quickly got my BP back on a regular feeding schedule, so I thought I'll try again.

Normally, he eats one large mouse every 7-10 days, but he has not eaten for the past 9 weeks. I've alternated trying a live and a f/t every 2 weeks, but he just will not eat. He completely ignores the f/t and stays curled up in a ball despite all my dangling attempts. With live mice, he seems somewhat interested, and gets close to the mouse, but the second the mouse moves he just draws back and curls up in a ball. He has not been bitten by a live mouse- this I know because I watch the tank like a hawk when hes feeding.

The humidity is around 80-85%, cool side of his tank varies from 82-85 degrees, warm side 91-94 degrees. Nothing in the tank has changed except for a bimonthly scrub with boiling water and fresh bedding, which is coconut bark. His water dish is always refilled daily with fresh water.

He has no signs of mites or mouth rot. I don't know about URI because I've read that most of the symptoms are a wheezing type of sound, and I cannot hear so I can't listen for it. He has taken to "yawning" a lot lately, which is one of the only different things he's been doing. He used to hang out on both cool and warm sides in the hides, but now he has taken to staying under his water dish which is in the middle of both sides, and actually cold under the dish. I don't handle him daily, most of the time at the most it's once a week for a hour or two. He has grown 2 1/2 inch since November, but has dulled in color. His last shed was 3 1/2 weeks ago, which is the same time as his last poop, his last urniate was 2 weeks ago. I have noticed when I handle him that his flap "down there" has started to open and close a lot more often now, with reddish tissue-type looking thing coming out of it, which I assume is his penis?

Pics included so you can see the difference in his size/colorage between November and today. The first picture is from November, the last one is today.

[dr del]

getting ready to shed again maybe?

the bum opening up while handling could indicate stress so it might be worth holding off totally on the handling for a week or two.

On the hiding under the waterbowl thing he may just feel it is a more secure hiding place - they will often choose security over thermoregulation ( i read that on here recently so respec to the op ).

A quick test of this might be to replace the two existing hides with waterbowls (dont bother putting water in them) so that all his hiding places are equally secure - be aware that he might need to settle into the tank after every change you make. Sometimes they can be right nervous nellies.

your humidity seems a little high as they normally recomend 50-60% with 70% during shed. So i would see if i could improve ventilation to drop it down to at least 70% if possible. Your temps seem bang on though.

Basically you seem to have everything pretty much worked out though and the only thing i can think of is maybe trying rat pups if you can get them or putting crawler mice in a deep stable tub with a hole in the lid and some mouse bedding in the bottom - a fake mouse nest really.

this stops the mouse crawling up to him and bothering him but would mimic him exploring a burrow in the wild and finding the jackpot.

You could also try scenting with gerbils or rats if they are available.

next time he yawns try and peek in his mouth to check for mucus just in case to help you rule out or spot an r.i.

just a few things i could think of - hope some of them help you solve it.


dr del