Jungle python won't eat

[DecayingCorpses]

Hi guys I'm new to owning snakes and my first is a julatten jungle carpet python.
I was told she was eating adult mice and occasionally a rat but she won't eat at all.
She's a year and a half old and she's roughly 4 feet in length.
Her temps are between 27 and 34 depending on the weather outside her tank, time of day, etc.
Her tank is also glass so it has a black sheet draped across the top to cover the sides and back. She also has two hides and a climbing stick.

I've had her since 17th of September and while she has shown signs of hunger on multiple occasions including tonight (such as making an s shape and waiting or striking for no reason at the tank, herself and us), no matter what I do she just won't take.
I was also told she was fed a week or so before I got her.

If anyone has any tips that could help, please let me know.

I've tried warming under the tap after defrost period, dipping head of warm mouse in boiling water for 10 seconds, splitting the head open, both adult and hopper mice (at different attempts) and I've even tried assist feeding. All of which have failed, so maybe I'm doing something wrong? Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[pinefamily]

Welcome to APS.
Don't stress if your python isn't eating, as long as it still looks healthy. Has she eaten for you at all?
Why is your temp fluctuating that much? What are you using to heat the tank, and what kind of thermostat?
The striking could be a sign of her being stressed, or defensive which is a very common jungle trait.

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

This info has been pre prepared for problems exactly like this.

Try this link........https://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/threads/my-snake-wont-eat.220560/#post-2501210

 

[Yellowtail]

Welcome to APS.
Don't stress if your python isn't eating, as long as it still looks healthy. Has she eaten for you at all?
Why is your temp fluctuating that much? What are you using to heat the tank, and what kind of thermostat?
The striking could be a sign of her being stressed, or defensive which is a very common jungle trait.

I agree with pinefamily, why is outside temp influencing the hot/basking end of your enclosure? Make sure your temperatures are right (get an IR thermometer)
If the snake was feeding ok before you got it what has changed, how was it being kept before, you seem to be overcomplicating things with an 18mth old animal that was an established feeder.
Just thaw a mouse in a bowl of hot water (out of tap) , remove excess water with good quality paper towel and offer to the snake while mouse is at normal body temp.
Are you sure of the snakes age, history. An 18 mth old Julatten will not be as large as 4 feet, they are only 1.2 - 1.4 metres fully grown and generally very good feeders once past the defensive hatchling stage.

 

[DecayingCorpses]

The heat is a working progress, the heat lamp I was given with her was only getting her tank to 26 so I've had to incorporate a heat mat, I'm trying to get it right but it depends on how cold or hot it is outside the tank to if the temp stays at the right range or not, if its 10 outside the tank it drops a bit, if its 40 the thermostat turns my heat sources off so it can try to cool down.
Problem is I don't know, I've asked questions but I always get very vague answers off the guy, hence why even the age in not definite on.

 

[pinefamily]

Well at least you're in the right place now to get the right answers.
Do you know what wattage the lamp is? To get the right temps you might need to get a higher wattage.

 

[DecayingCorpses]

Its a 75Watt globe but I don't know what type of globe so I've ordered a 75Watt ceramic heat emitter instead as I know snakes can be stressed by too much light too. The warm side has been steadily between 32-34 Celsius since incorporating use of the heat mat as well.

 

[pinefamily]

Steady temps are good, although 34 might be a bit warm. How long has the temp been stabilised? And is your snake settling down, not being as defensive?

 

[DecayingCorpses]

Its only been stable for maybe a week. She's always been pretty good, bit us when we first got her and only bit us again two days ago (hence the thought that she may have finally been hungry). She's always been good, we get her out daily for some sun and she's always happily curled around our neck or hand, occasionally She'll slither into one of our pockets and stay there for a bit. She's never been really snappy since we got her.

 

[pinefamily]

OK, that's a slightly different picture. So out of the tank she handles fine, which means there could be something not right in the tank setup. That could be why your snake isn't eating.

 

[DecayingCorpses]

Its only been stable maybe a week. She's never really been snappy, only snapped at us the other day which is why I thought she was hungry.

 

[pinefamily]

Give the stable temp another week or so, then offer it prey. Looking back at your original post, have you tried just leaving it in there with the python? We've had pythons that wouldn't strike, but would eat it if we left it in there and went away.

 

[GBWhite]

Its only been stable for maybe a week. She's always been pretty good, bit us when we first got her and only bit us again two days ago (hence the thought that she may have finally been hungry). She's always been good, we get her out daily for some sun and she's always happily curled around our neck or hand, occasionally She'll slither into one of our pockets and stay there for a bit. She's never been really snappy since we got her.

One of the biggest mistake that new snake keepers make is to start handling the snake before it has time to adjust. If you've only had it for a little under a month and your handling it that much it suggests to me like that it's not eating and having the occasional snap at you because you're stressing the snake out. I know that it's hard not to want to get them out and handle them when you first get them but when snakes are moved from one place to another they need time to be allowed to adjust and settle in to their new home. You're not doing the snake any favours by hassling it to try and get it to eat and have probably made things a little worse trying to force feed it.

As hard as it is just try leaving it alone for a couple of weeks and let it get used to its new surrounds and then try feeding it. 34 is a bit hot for it. You should have a gradient of between around 30 - 32 at the basking spot to the low 20's in the cooler end and have the heat turned off at night. Provided your temps are right and you've got a good hide for it to chill out (and leave it alone) then you might find it will take a feed in a couple of weeks.

Cheers,

George.

 

[DecayingCorpses]

Give the stable temp another week or so, then offer it prey. Looking back at your original post, have you tried just leaving it in there with the python? We've had pythons that wouldn't strike, but would eat it if we left it in there and went away.

Yea I've tried both laying on the newspaper and hanging from the top of the enclosure (she wasn't interested at all with it on the newspaper, that's why I tried hanging by its tail the next time), both times I covered the enclosure completely with a black sheet doubled over for extra resistance to outside light and both times she just left it. I still leave it in overnight just in case (on the newspaper) but I've had no luck.

One of the biggest mistake that new snake keepers make is to start handling the snake before it has time to adjust. If you've only had it for a little under a month and your handling it that much it suggests to me like that it's not eating and having the occasional snap at you because you're stressing the snake out. I know that it's hard not to want to get them out and handle them when you first get them but when snakes are moved from one place to another they need time to be allowed to adjust and settle in to their new home. You're not doing the snake any favours by hassling it to try and get it to eat and have probably made things a little worse trying to force feed it.

As hard as it is just try leaving it alone for a couple of weeks and let it get used to its new surrounds and then try feeding it. 34 is a bit hot for it. You should have a gradient of between around 30 - 32 at the basking spot to the low 20's in the cooler end and have the heat turned off at night. Provided your temps are right and you've got a good hide for it to chill out (and leave it alone) then you might find it will take a feed in a couple of weeks.

Cheers,

George.

Thanks George, I've actually stopped handling her as much now that I have her by a window. The main reason I was handling her a lot is the fact I don't have a UV lamp on her and I know a little UV is essential for snakes. I also now have her lamp and mat set on a timer so that heat is on from 7am-7pm and her thermostat is set a 30 degrees (which can differ a little on hot days but the heating turns off when its over 30, but the outside temps can elevate it, hence the up to 34). I've also added a smaller hide so now she has a double story hide (over heat mat/under lamp), a small hide in the middle, a tissue box size hide at the far end of the cool end, two branches for climbing and half a brick to rub against if needed (for the texture). These have all been thoroughly washed and sterilized with hot water.
Her scales have gone brownish and when handling, a few have rubbed off on me so I think she may be coming up to shed so I'm keeping an eye on her.
Anything else?

 

[pinefamily]

Once you have the setup right, it should only be a matter of time before she eats. When the weather settles into warmer days, that should help too.
Keep us posted how she goes.

 

[SpottedPythons]

Try upping the humidity before the shed - sometimes animals will just not eat, but after a nice, clean shed and a shiny, fresh skin they seem ravenous!
The record for a carpet python voluntarily refusing feed is just over two years - that was a large coastal so a Jungle's limit would be less, but still considerable.

 

[DecayingCorpses]

Just to update, her eyes have finally started going foggy so I'll be keeping an eye on her even more over the next few days

 

[Wilfred]

Make sure 100% what the temp is in the hot spot where in the house is the enclosure? Is it in a high traffic area are you handling it a lot try leaving it a week then offer it a feed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DecayingCorpses]

So it had been 4 days since her eyes stopped being cloudy and she still hadn't shed, I was told to try a pinky rat (and given one) to see if she'll take it, at first she wouldn't but I left her be and this morning I woke up to no rat and had to clean up dedication and urination, I also woke up to her starting to shed

 

[pinefamily]

Some snakes take longer than others to shed.