If he's not eating on his own, I don't think force-feeding is going to help. That is an extremely stressful event. I would only consider force-feeding for a snake too starved or sick to actually eat on its own, and then it would be under the advice and supervision of a qualified vet.


Rather, take a look at your husbandry and let's see if we can figure out WHY he won't eat. It he had ticks when you bought him, chances are he's wild caught and therefore even more difficult to get established than a captive bred snake that has only ever known captivity. In this case, it's even more critical that your husbandry be spot-on and directed toward the snake's feeling SECURE, rather than any keeper's enjoyment of watching and/or handling them.

So...that being said...if you want to give us a detailed description of your set-up, we'll see if we can help you get him eating.

  • What size/type enclosure is it?
  • What temps do you maintain in there?
  • How do you achieve those temps and how do you measure them?
  • Same for humidity...what is it and how do you measure it?
  • What sorts of hides do you have in there?
  • Is the enclosure in a high-traffic area or near any loud speakers?
  • Do you handle the snake often?
  • What are you offering it to eat, and how often?
  • Has it been checked out by a vet for internal parasites?

Those are just a few questions that will help us get started.