Recalcitrant Darwin

[SteveNT]

My little Darwin (who lives in Darwin) hasn't eaten for nearly three months. Temp cant be a factor.
She has not lost condition and will strike at the food but quickly drops it. If I leave it in there she will move it around a bit but not eat it.

She had mites a while back (came from the pet shop with her) but that is all fixed. We've tried different size mice from different breeders but nothing doing.

I wasn't worried but it just seems a bit too long.

Any suggestions?



This is her peeping from under the coils. You can see she is not really skinny.

Oh and she ate regularly for the first two months.

 

[Wally]

The juvi Darwin I picked up a couple of months ago will only feed in almost complete darkness, and will spend anything up to three hours perching above food before striking and taking it. I just leave him be in peace and he seems to do his thing when he's ready.

 

[pythonmum]

You might think about moving her into a little feeding enclosure a day before feeding with a little, snug hide box. Let her grab the item, then pop the lid on, cover the little enclosure so it is dark and leave it over night. Let her out the next day. If this doesn't work, you could try not showing her food for 2 or 3 weeks before trying again. Sometimes absence seems to increase the appetite.

 

[cement]

Its possible that it doesn't feel secure.
Baby snakes hide. throw in a real leafy branch and heaps of places to hide but get heat at the same time.

 

[SteveNT]

Its possible that it doesn't feel secure.
Baby snakes hide. throw in a real leafy branch and heaps of places to hide but get heat at the same time.

cheers, she has a stubbie holder she hangs out in sometimes and plenty of other hiding places (limestone with hollows, hollow timber, etc) and if she is shedding she goes under the astro turf, so she can hide anytime she wants. She handles really well and doesn't seem stressed. Heat is not an issue, it's always warm to hot here.

Thanks everyone, I'm taking it all on board.

 

[kawasakirider]

She looks fantastic!

Brain the rat and also roll it in some tuna brine/oil and make sure bits of tuna are all over it, and then leave her in a TINY box (they become overwhelmed with the scent of food in theory) with it and cover it with a dark sheet. Leave the room for an hour or so and see if she's taken it.

That's how I got my really fussy fella eating, and he is unstoppable now.

 

[SteveNT]

thanks cobber, I'll give it a go.

 

[souldoubt]

I've had good results from letting the rat defrost near the vents of the enclosure. Usually takes a few hours then I heat it up before feeding. The scent being present for a long time often has them going crazy for it by the time you come to offering the food.

 

[SteveNT]

I've had good results from letting the rat defrost near the vents of the enclosure. Usually takes a few hours then I heat it up before feeding. The scent being present for a long time often has them going crazy for it by the time you come to offering the food.

Good advice, I'll give it a go too. Nothing takes 3 hours to defrost in Darwin though!

 

[kawasakirider]

Lol, it would probably have maggots on it in 3 hours. How warm are the days up there lately?

 

[SteveNT]

bottoms out at 18 on a cold night and around 28-30 in the day in Darwin, Not far inland you can -2 or 3 from the low and + 2 or three for the high. It's a big part of the reason I live here. I brumate in cold conditions.

 

[TaraLeigh]

I brumate in cold conditions.

:lol:
Good luck with your Darwin man.

 

[SteveNT]

:lol:
Good luck with your Darwin man.

Cheers. I opened her door a bit earlier and she cruised out, her usual confident self, investigated my pockets and half hour later popped back in. I'll be food experimenting with all the good advice I've recieved on the weekend. Tomorrow is my last day at work so I'm trying to to tie off all the loose ends. Then a holiday, then the new job!

I hate suburbs and cold weather, if sweetie petitee would just fang a mouse my life would be complete.

 

[Kurto]

Doesn't sound all that uncommon for carpets to be off their food this time of year. Seriously, I wouldn't be all that concerned with her off her food for another 6-8 weeks. It's still the breeding season.

 

[SteveNT]

Dont know what happened to a heap of earlier replies to this thread.......?

but SHE EATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The earth has returned to it's axis and there is balance in the universe

Many thanks everyone for your concern and excellent advice. Special thanks to reptileaddiction, appreciated.

Now I'm off to watch her planking on a skinny stick!

 

[pythonmum]

Yay! What a relief for you. I guess spring has sprung for the little girl. Lucky she is not in cold, rainy Sydney :|

 

[SteveNT]

Yes, very happy! And today we have a 0.09 meter low tide so it's off for a walk on the ocean floor to collect new corals and fish for the big saltwater tank. life is GOOD!

 

[pythonmum]

Ooooh I am so jealous! My big excitement for the day was washing the car during a break in the rain. I discovered that it is actually white all over - I had been wondering about that...

 

[reptileaddiction]

I was so happy to hear that it's feeding again for you Steve.

 

[SteveNT]

SHE EATS AGAIN!!!.....and again.....and...

SHE'S A BIG FAT PIG!

I'm worried she might have worms :shock: