Diamond Yearling wont eat

[ghostcorps]

Hi Guys

This is a bit drawn out, but I figure best to give the full story, bear with me


Ok, so I bought a 10 month old Diamond Python 3 months ago, it had only eaten live mice by that point. I could not get live food (baby mice are illegal to sell in stores) so tried thawed fuzzy mice, thawed pinky rats, but to no avail, nor did it take a live pinkie rat that a freind gave me (we suspect its a smell thing).

So after three weeks I took him back to the breeder to be weaned onto thawed mice. After 2 months I picked him up and was told he was happily eating thawed hopper mice. But alas I have had him back for just on three weeks and he is fasting again.

Specs:
1yr old diamond python.

Tank 18inch x 12inch glass tank, w/water bowel, a bunch of rocks a marble tile for cooling and a heat rock w/surface temp approx 30C(88f)

Heat gradient about76-88F.

Neon light on a timer (14hr on 10 off) provides both uva and uvb spectrums.

Alot of handling and a cat that is very adept at breaking into my room though he has never managed to actually get at my python (Squee). These make me think it is a stress thing.

Feeding method: I hold the mouse with tweezers infront of his face, lightly tapping his nose with it, but he simply turns his head and moves away. A freind has suggested setting a night to feed and just leaving the mouse in the tank over night and removing it in the morning. He says that by doing this on the same night every week will get him into a feeding rhythym and he should eat it eventually, so far this had not worked either.

I thread mentioned mouse maker, I will have a look around for this.. but can anyone suggest anything else?

Thanks

=^_^=

	Ultra Violet Radiation B Ultra Violet Radiation B

[schmelkdog]

how big is the snake? I don't like the idea of hotrocks and would look at another way to heat. The thinking seems to be that when not eating cut back, or cut off the handling. I know some people do sort of bang the snake with the prey to elicit a strike. We have a couple snakes and they seem to do fine either with just laying the thawed prey in there or just dangling. It might be scaring him.
I have a BP that was a pain (hopefully that is over now) converting him from live to f/t. I tried the mouse maker and got nothing. It didn't even seem to register with him cause before when I live mouse would simply enter the room he'd go nuts, the mouse maker nothing. However rolling him in some used mouse bedding did perk his interest. That's my 1 1/2 cents.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

	1.1 One Male and One Female

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[ghostcorps]

Thanks schmelkdog

I actually only just bought the heat rock after my $10 heat lamp blew after the first three weeks I figured its just cheaper to pay $50 (autralian$ BTW) and be done with it.

Either way the results were the same.

I will defintaly cut out the handling untill he is eating.. i know that should be obvious.. but hes such a sweety I cant help myself LOL...

I'm thinking of going back to the breeder and buying his old box as a feeding box.. though im sure its been cleaned by now

[themoononastick]

Have you tried warming the mouse thoroughly under a heat lamp before offering it?

I have a very shy feeder - a male BCI, 2 years old, and he'll only eat if

a) he hasn't been disturbed at all, ie: open door quietly and then hang mouse near him.

b) the mouse is nice and warm from a heat lamp

c) if he's being particularily fussy, he'll only take it if he can smell its bum... that means holding its bottom end near his face, now this may seem stupid, but he's a stupid snake. I think there's more pheremones at that end or something.

he'd never eat if i banged the rat against his nose. no way. he'd move away feeling threatened for sure.

basically, eternal patience is the key - i fed him a few days ago, took me half an hour alternately dangling the rat near him then back under the heat lamp to warm it - my arm was killing me.

oh yeah, if you have a REALLY steady hand try holding the warm mouse by the tail with tongues with its bottom in your snakes face and just let it very nearly touch his nose - but don't bang it. my BCI literally just opens his mouth and takes it - eventually - he never strikes.

hope that helps.

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

[CC]

Get rid of the heat rock. They can short out and burn the snake. If you don't want the heat lamp, buy a undertank heater. You can buy the ones specifically made for reptiles, or just buy a human heating pad with out the timer. Do not feed live if at all possible. The above advice is good. I do not recommend tapping the head of the snake with the mouse. It can stimulate a feeding response because the snake thinks its being attacked, but if you snake is skiddish it may scare him into not having a feeding response at all.

[ghostcorps]

skiddish.. thats an understatment.. LOL.. so no tapping.

Heat rocks are really that dangerous?? Damm..


some very interesting advice.. will give the bum thing a go.. LOL


What about the feeding cycle? am I on the money as far as that goes? ie, try once a week on the same night? What of leaving the thawed mouse in there over night?

[schmelkdog]

yeah, the heat rocks really are bad. I'd say keep him on the schedule. They don't get set like a gecko does but it's a good way to do it. I bet he had a lot of privacy at the breeders in his box so see if that works. I know some folks pythons won't eat if there is anything else going on in the room. leaving a f/t overnight is no problem, it's the live ones that give you the idea that you shouldn't do that. if it's still there in the morning just get rid of it. good luck!

[Shadrach]

Ghost if hes been eating live then he will eat dead just a matter of finding out what and how he wants it. First off lets stop the tapping thing (nose) this will only cause him to turn and try to flee. Give him a good week to settle in then try feeding him again. Offer a mouse thats been thawed in a plastic ziplock bag in hot water straight out of the water offer the mouse, don't touch the snake with the mouse let him get a good smell of the mouse and hold it right in front of him if he acts courious then gently touch the mouse to the side of the neck. Usally this temp one into feeding. Also you may want to try feeding him at night after his light has gone off for a while and he is out crusing if he has a branch to climb on the better let him eat from the perch of his branch. If he shows no intrest you may want to hold a lamp or hairdryer to the mouse a bit to heat it some. If he still acts like hes not rellay interested then leave in tank over night and check in morning.

[CC]

if he acts courious then gently touch the mouse to the side of the neck. Usally this temp one into feeding.

I don't recommend this...if hes interested chances are that he will strike at it anyway. Especially since you said skiddish was an understatement. If you touch my female BP with the rat, even if shes about to strike, she heads back to the hide with no dinner.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.