won't eat??????

[kojak81184]

I have a little problem I think. I have had my red tail for five weeks now and cant get her to eat. I had her fro about two or three weeks then she started to shed all thats left to be shed is part of her head and one ring around her body. I have tried pinkys and fuzzys she just wont eat anything. When I bought her the seller told me she had eaten two fuzzy hampsters 4 or five days before that. She doesn't have mites, her mouth closes fine, and she defacated once so I know she's not regurgitating. Why won't my baby eat?

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[toker]

how about a little information on your setup?

What is this critter being housed in?

What are you temps and humidity levels, and what are you using to measure them?

[AMOS]

shes probabley addicted to the hamsers try taking hamster shavings from a pet store and put it in a zip lock bag and put the rat in that bag and shake it that way the hamster scent will be on the rat

[Sponger05]

.... so your saying its been 2 weeks since she started to shed and it is still not complete? Obviously your humidity levels aren't at the proper level. What are the temperatures of the cage, hot and cold- and what are you trying to feed the snake and how. The more answers you give us, the more answers we can give you-

[CruiserMaiden]

Fill this out completely so that people can best analyze the situation to help you out:

Species:
How long have you had this animal?
Ambient Temps:
Basking temps:
Size:
Diet within the past year for snakes--the past 6 months for lizards:
Last time this animal ate:
Frozen thawed/ live/ stunned/ freshly kiled?
Bulbs if any utilized (be as specific as possible--look on bulb to get make and wattage):
Heat sources (makes and wattage):
How are you measuring temps?
Cage size and type:
Substrate:
Symptoms:
Can you upload any pics?
Comments:

[Brandon28]

Even though we haven't received a response on the cage setup and other details, I can tell you that you shouldn't be too concerned about it not eating just yet. They can go a while without a meal and it'll eat when it's hungry. What you need to be worried about is why it's having problems shedding. You should soak your baby in luke-warm water for about an hour and then try to GENTLY rub the retained shed off with a rag or towel. After that, keep the humidty around 60% to avoid future complications.
As for the feeding, I believe the hampsters are the source of the problem and it may take a few tricks to get him/her to make the switch. Ma Reptile Lover has a good idea with the hampster shavings, but you could also try dipping the prey in chicken broth. That rarely fails. You could also try using a razor blade to cut the prey's skull open (braining) to expose the smell of brain....it's like snake-crack! Right now, you should concentrate on being patient. Offering food constantly will stress your little guy out. Wait a few days and let him chill before trying it again. Good luck and keep us posted!
BTW...welcome to rtb.net! If you have any more question, feel free to let us know!

[JuliusSqueezer]

pinky and fuzzy what? mice? Pink or fuzzy mice are likely too small. Most boa constrictors start out on pink rats for the first meal. How big is this snake?

[BWSmith]

They were fuzzy hamsters.

I replied to your email.

[TammyJamaica]

Your snake has a shedding problem. The advice to bathe him in warm water (not too very warm!) is good. Make sure the humidity is right.

My first bci would not eat after having eaten for me in the pet shop. I eventually had to tube feed him, but I also learned that the tank was too dry,and after I corrected the humidity everything got better fast and he started eating again (fresh killed adult mice).

Keep a large bowl of water in his enclosure for drinking and complete soaking. Mine spends days soaking and then sheds perfectly. Make sure he does not have parasites, inside or out.

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.