My Python won't eat

[user 41856]

Thanks Jamie, I will get two additional Hides for them, this sounds the best option for them to either stay warm or cool as they need. I have turned off the Heat Fan so I will mover the current Hides until I get the others. I have been scared to keep them away from heat but it seems my concerns are not warranted, I will wait a while and see if she eats when the weather get warmer.

Thanks people.
Noel

 

[pythoninfinite]

Increasing ambient temps and longer days stimulate the reactivation of normal activity for these guys - when I was a dealer in WA it wasn't unusual for adult Stimmies to remain off food until Nov-Dec, and then only eat half a dozen mice until they shut down again in May. I think this is quite normal actually. As others have said, fan heaters are probably the worst heating tool ever invented for herps - they dry out the air and they don't allow any cool spots in the enclosure. Heat cords between tiles are probably the best way to go for pythons, waterproof and as long as they don't get damaged, last for years.

You don't need to get anything fancy for hides - small cardboard boxes into which the snakes can fit tightly are very suitable temporarily - may not look all that great but the snakes don't care about that.

Jamie

 

[pinefamily]

You can pick up a cat litter tray from the cheap shops for a few dollars; turned upside down with a hole cut out they make great hides.
And Jamie, the fan heater might tie for the worst heating tool with heat rocks.

 

[user 41856]

What do you think is a good product for lifting the ambient temp in the enclosure? I was turning the heat fan off at night to try and simulate day and night temps. I have heard that heat rocks are pretty ordinary as the can burn the snake, so they are out. I will dismantle the heat fan and leave her be. Both snakes hides are now off the heat source, I will get some hides setup soon.

I love my babies and want to do the best I can for them, I won't be breeding them at all because I would end up keeping all the babies. I am glad I found this Forum, it is very hard trying to get information. Thanks a lot, you have put my mine at ease.

Noel

 

[pinefamily]

See Jamie's reply #20 : raising the temps can do more harm than good. They will become more active in their own time. Stimson's are possibly the worst for going off their food in the cooler months.

 

[cement]

Hey Noel,
If they have a warm spot that gets to 35 degress, you don't need to worry about the ambient temps, in the wild a snake regulates its own temperature by shuttling in or out of the sun, this is called thermoregulation. So in captivity, this is what we want the snake to do too, have access to a warm spot and a cooler spot so it can get heat when it wants it, and cool off when it wants it too. A lot of snakes will get under the substrate (most people use newspaper) and this way they also feel safe and secure because they are out of site and they can go on or off the heat as they wish staying under cover. Sometimes a young snake won't thermoregulate if it feels insecure, choosing to stay hidden rather then risk exposure by travelling between two hides. This leads to stress.
Only time you need to be concerned about the ambient temperature is when it approaches 30 degrees, because add your heat source to that and then you run the risk of over heating the enclosure and the snake can't cool down. Thermostats are used for this reason, when the ambient temps get to high they cut off the heat source.

 

[user 41856]

Thanks Cement, I have a thermostat for the heat mat, I have a tile for her to be on if she wants. I have observed that she climbs a branch I put in the enclosure, she wraps herself around it and hangs. She runs around the enclosure looking out the glass doors so she is not always on the heat mat, now I know why, so this is pretty cool (Pardon the pun).

 

[cement]

Thats right, wild snakes have to move to find prey or mates at this time of the year, but they get tired easily, by warming themselves they gain the energy they need to be active.

 

[miss_mosher]

Hi there,
You've got some awesome advice going here. One of my spotted pythons took her first feed yesterday after 9 months, another one I have will eat through winter if I allow her, same temps. Everything will be fine

 

[pythoninfinite]

Hi there,
You've got some awesome advice going here. One of my spotted pythons took her first feed yesterday after 9 months, another one I have will eat through winter if I allow her, same temps. Everything will be fine

Like humans, they're all individuals. Youngsters seem more keen to feed through the cooler months. Once they reach adulthood, and growth slows and the hormones kick in, then feeding becomes a bit less predictable. But just be aware of the fact that if a snake was feeding regularly under one set of conditions, and (barring ill health) it stops feeding, you don't need to change things to get it feeding again - it will start feeding again when it is ready. There is a tendency for newbies to try and feed their animals very frequently and regularly - this is quite an abnormal circumstance for snakes - they get a meal when it becomes available, and it might be months between feeds in the wild, and then they might get another the next night. Healthy snakes go off food for many reasons, not all of them known to us.

Jamie

 

[user 41856]

Phew.... you will be happy to know that she took a pinki rat, I felt like a proud dad. She fed last weekend and I will feed her again this weekend, she looks a bit hungry so I am moving her to Hopper mice to try and get her feeding properly again. By her size, she would take an adult mouse but I just thought her tummy might have shrunk a little whilst not eating. What do you think?

 

[Prof_Moreliarty]

Phew.... you will be happy to know that she took a pinki rat, I felt like a proud dad. She fed last weekend and I will feed her again this weekend, she looks a bit hungry so I am moving her to Hopper mice to try and get her feeding properly again. By her size, she would take an adult mouse but I just thought her tummy might have shrunk a little whilst not eating. What do you think?

Hey mate good to hear, just feed her the adult mouse next time she will be fine.

 

[Dopamel]

my Ball didn't eat for about four months one time so i soaked her rat in chicken broth and bam, she loved it.....i hear thats rare though but i'd still try soaking something in chicken broth. i like the above comment about leaving the mouse in there because she could be shy....also make sure the mouse/rat is warmed up when feeding

 

[Smurf]

Hey mate, I'd be offering her a bigger mouse than pinkies. Just wondering if you've tried leaving the mouse with her overnight? She may want to eat in her own time in privacy. I have a couple stealth eaters.
Also. Is there any potential that she is gravid? My female is still off food but has retreated to the lay box and gets really jumpy when I do anything now. She's real close to dropping I think.
Adding more hides is a good call, I have multiple options for all my pythons.
Also, I've heard chicks aren't actually a great feed, but can be very handy for scenting stimmie food.

 

[user 41856]

Hi Smurf,

I have her eating Pinkie Rats, she doesn't seem to like Mice. I am going to get her some Fuzzy Rats and see how they go. She eats only once a month at present, my boy eats weekly and probably more if I gave them to him. Last Pinkie I gave my girl, she hit is so hard, I couldn't get the tweezers out, I had to leave them in there until she released them and snuck them out.

I tried leaving the Rats in the enclosure but she would never eat them, I find that they seem to go to heat when they get hungry. They come out at night, my girl is very active but my boy comes out when it's dark or when he is hungry. Our snakes live in different enclosures so there is no chance she is pregnant.

Now she is eating again, I will try her on a couple of different types of food but soaking in chicken broth sounds good, we sometimes do this for our cats when they don't like a particular food.