Childrens Python Help

[Diakos]

Just wondering if this is normal.

I have a 2 1/2 year old childrens python and he will eat only rats and will only take one every 3 months. He looks healthy and is active and drinks his water but acts weird when I try to feed him. Most times he will get really excited when he can smell the rat and races all over the cage but when I present it he will strike at it repeatedly but not latch on and consume it. He has to be almost starving before he will take thr rat which is usually 3 months between feeding. He has always been like this but i thought he may get better. Is this behaviour common? He has always been like this so maybe its just his nature? How big should a healthy 2 to maybe 3 year old chilrends python be? at what age are they fully grown? Should i be worried? Any advice is appricated

 

[tenacres1100]

maybe he doesn't like the taste of rats, have you tried adult mice?

 

[Diakos]

hates mice more then rats, havn't tried a mouse for awhile though.

 

[Joker]

How long is he? & maybe try day old chickens or quail.

 

[JasonL]

Yeah, I have one similar, though it eat's more often than three months so I'm not concerned by it. It smells rodent and freaks out and goes defensive, though after a few belts around the head usually get cranky enough to hold and coil, and usually ends up eating it.

 

[coz666]

nah mate it isnt normal. mine eat 2 weaner rats a week during summer.
try live adult mice,at that age or even smaller.
maybe he likes the thrill of the kill, and needs to feel he has killed his prey.
or maybe your prey is not warm enough, sometimes defrosting is not enough and i have found a slight heating from being on top of a light fitting will be accepted more readily.
you would want to get some food into him soon.

 

[Diakos]

He is about 50cm, where would i get the chickens from? i'm going to feed him now. i have a mouse and a rat so will try both

i generally leave the rats near his heat source to defrost and give them a blast with a hair dryer to give them an all round heat.

 

[Diakos]

he took the rat straight away!! i just don't get him sometimes.

i guess the real test will be if he takes on in a week? should i try to feed him the mouse too?

 

[funcouple]

this may seem a silly question, but are you sure you warm the rat properly and that theres isnt any cold spots?
just read your post about leaving the rats near the heat source then using a hair dryer to heat it. i think this is your problem

 

[Noongato]

Ever tried defrosting the rat by soaking in a cup of hot water? The hot water makes the smell of the rodents skin and fur really strong.
And as fc said, make sure 100% that its fully defrosted or you will have alot worser problems than him not feeding

 

[dickyknee]

Hey Nick
He still a fussy eater I see ...
I would drop the food into a cup of warm water to defrost it ...

 

[dickyknee]

he took the rat straight away!! i just don't get him sometimes.

i guess the real test will be if he takes on in a week? should i try to feed him the mouse too?

If you can give him another one while he's in the mood to eat ...
What did he turn out like ?

 

[GSXR_Boy]

Try what Dicky said, or if he is okay with you being near him whilst he is eating, perhaps try pushing another one behind it as he just about finished the first.

 

[Diakos]

Hey Brett,

Yeah i did drop them in hot water this time, had tried this in the past with no luck though, i might just stick to this method from now on. He's really great, great temperment, seems happy and active. I've got him in a sweet tank with a few nice hides and some vines he likes to climb. Just need to get him to eat more then once every 2 months. How old do you reckon he is now??

 

[dickyknee]

Nick , he was born December 2006 , good to hear he is going well apart from the eating thing , but if he is growing and active he should be fine .
I would offer him two items of food next time he eats , just to make sure he gets a good feed .

What temps are his hot end at ?

 

[tenacres1100]

he took the rat straight away!! i just don't get him sometimes.

i guess the real test will be if he takes on in a week? should i try to feed him the mouse too?

you can alway give it the rat first and then follow up with a mouse if you want, just see how it looks after it taken the first one, see if it has a good size lump if not give it the mouse.

it does sound like the food has been to cold, don't be afraid of feeling it after it's been in the water, you'll soon know if you can feel cold spots in it.

 

[jamesmcinherny]

Your snake sounds a bit small.. I have a Childrens, she's only 4 months old and is already 45cm. Just seems a bit odd. It is most likely the reluctance to eat thing, I agree to try and feed it more.

 

[Diakos]

The hot end is about 45C. I’ve got a thermostat regulating the upper middle of the tank to 40C so at the very hottest its about 45C. Tried to feed again last night. He stared and posed but wouldn't stike. Will try again tonight with a smaller rat

 

[cracksinthepitch]

How have you measured this temp(with what )and where is it actually 40oC. You appear to have some issues here.
I would recommend you purchase Keeping Childrens pythons by Greg Fyfe and Darren Green from your local reptile supplier.
Most books list 32oC at hot end (on the substrate,ground) and gradually dropping off towards the cold end to no lower than 22oC(substrate temp). Air temp closer to the heat source will be higher but i beleive your temps are excessive.
I hope that most people will help you here, good luck

 

[cracksinthepitch]

In regards to feeding, food must be at room/body temperature with no cold spots of frozen parts. in my opinion the safest way to make sure this happens is to defrost in SEMI boiling water.ie chinese container with a bit of cold water then add boiling water not directly onto rat and allow to defrost over a 10 minute period, then remove rat and dry with paper etc. feel the rat and make sure it is all defrosted and if so feed.