Slightly comcerned for my lovely pets health.

[Amy-Louise]

Hi Guys,

My 8 month old Central Carpet Python recently escaped from her enclosure, about 2 weeks ago.
I was absolutely distraught, but relieved to have my partner discover her, lounging next to another enclosure we own about 9 days after the escape artist set on her journey. This was about a week and a half since she returned.
Slight issue - she hadn't fed for about a week before she got out, and still hasn't fed since she returned.
We try and feed her fuzzy mice once a week, as she still rejects pinky rats. I'm worried she's unwell as she's having issues holding on while I'm handling her.. Is this her getting weak from not feeding or a completely new issue?
She's my first pet snake and I am still learning all the ropes.

 

[mysnakesau]

I don't think that would be the case. Reason she wouldn't be eating is probably still recovering from the stress of her adventure and then being caught and placed back in her enclosure.

But all the same it would be worth keep a close eye on her. 9 days is a long time for him to have been gone. Having to find her own warmth, she probably didn't and if it has been cool, that will slow her metabolism. Not an issue, just keep her on her heat and let her temps come back up to normal. Give her a couple weeks to settle down and then try feeding her.

Do you have rat baits down in your roof or around the house? Is it possible she could have eaten a mouse that had eaten baits? Don't let me scare you, it most likely isn't the case and most likely just you thinking she is weaker and she probably isn't. But watch for signs of weakness - lack of co-ordination, star gazing are both symptoms of illness from eating baited food. That is about the only thing I can think of, that could come to harm an escaped snake.

 

[tenacres1100]

where are you ? has it been cold at night? this may be the problem as mysnakesau said, get her warmed up again don't handle her for a week and try feeding her again then, but keep an eye out just incase.

 

[Amy-Louise]

Wow, thanks so much for the great advice.
I never even considered those two things, I understand she would of been relatively stressed after escaping from her enclosure(over the coldest weekend in Melbourne in December), but it never occurred to me that, that could be why she wasn't feeding.
Luckily though, we headed down to the reptile store and decided I'd try and feed her pinky rats, which amazingly, she ate..So perhaps she'd just lost her taste for mice?
I'm not sure, but I am relieved.
Thanks again for your advice.

 

[tenacres1100]

that's great news , hasn't it been cold for summer in Melb? don't worry if she doesn't eat the rat next time they don't sometimes take them in the second try

 

[Amy-Louise]

It's been freezing in Melbourne.. Which can only mean Summer will be going well into March this year.:shock:

If she doesn't take a pinkie rat again, should I try switching back to mice? Or just wait until the next feeding?

 

[sevrum]

keep her nice and warm(hopefully she did not get a respiratory infection from being out of her enclosure)dont handle her for a couple of weeks.A 8mth old bredli should easily be able to eat a fuzzy rat to small rat,better to feed them food items with hair

 

[pythons73]

Thats great she ate for you,if possible try to leave her on pinky-velvet rats,its better if they take rats at a earlier age,when shes bigger enough you wont have hassles trying to convert her onto rats,if she only eats mice....good luck..

 

[tenacres1100]

It's been freezing in Melbourne.. Which can only mean Summer will be going well into March this year.:shock:

If she doesn't take a pinkie rat again, should I try switching back to mice? Or just wait until the next feeding?

just see how you go, we have a MD 10mths, Darwin 12 mths, Spotted 5 yo and a Diamond 3yo and they all take rats
try a pinky again next time, then if she ok go up a size, go up to weaner or fuzzy rats (with hair) which are the next size. if you can don't bother with mice as you'll need the bigger food later anyway
I wondered if you were in Melb when you said she was missing, hopfully we'll go into Autum and miss all the stinking hot 40c+ days Just keep her warm now that shes eaten, and good luck, you better get a lock for your enclosure

 

[mysnakesau]

That is great news Amy. It is always a relief when they finally take that feed. I have no more to add to what's already been said, except don't fret whether she takes mice or rats. Try her on one, if she says no, try the other. She may take a mouse and while still in feed response you could offer her the rat. But it really isn't a big deal. The most important thing is that she is eating

 

[Crazy_Snake08]

If she doesn't take a pinkie rat again, should I try switching back to mice? Or just wait until the next feeding?

no, don't go back to mice. stick with the rat.

 

[mysnakesau]

no, don't go back to mice. stick with the rat.

Why? So long as it is eating what does it matter. Starving her isn't going to make her take the rat. I say keep trying but if all else fails let her have the mice and try the rat next time. Thaw them in the same water helps, too. Covers the rat with the smell of the mouse then she might take it. I had to do this for about 6 months with my 3yr old carpet python. She was brought up on mice and wouldn't take rats. Feeding a carpet python lots of mice can be an expensive exercise. Now (3 years later), she takes rats or mice no problems, but she won't eat anything else. Chicken drumsticks, rabbits, guinea pigs - she says NO WAY HOZAY.

 

[Floyd]

8 mths old , i'd b upping the size of the food item, if it's not leaving a noticabell lump after eating the food item is to small.

 

[MatE]

If she took a rat thats great the reason why you want to stick with them is that when they get older it isnt much fun having to feed 10-15 mice to a 6=8 foot carpet,when you can do it with a couple of rats.Plus it costs less lol.

 

[Amy-Louise]

Thanks so much for all this really helpful advice.
Another issue with Evie that I am slightly concerned about is she seems abnormally small for her age.
My partner and I, we bought our snakes together, from the same hatch, and his seems enormous in comparison with little Evie.. So due to her size, I've always been a bit concerned to feed her anything larger than a pinkie rat(at this point I do intend on feeding her accordingly to her size and age). I saw a photo of a python split in half by an alligator and I'm really paranoid Evie will burst open too, but I do often worry that I'm perhaps underfeeding her and this is keeping her from growing at a normal rate like her sibling, or, are there such things as runt snakes(like dogs and cats)?

Thanks again in advance for the helpful advice.

A

 

[tenacres1100]

get your self a set of digitial scales and weigh her, then weigh her food, you should be giving her 10-20% of her bodyweight at each feed. The other way is you should see a good size lump after she has eaten. You also need to start giving her weaner rats, pinkys are no good for her to grow, you need ones that have hair on them, don't worry that shes not the same size now she will catch up.

are they housed together? as they do better on there own.

 

[mrillusion]

no i dont think its got anything to do with food because snakes can go for alot longer than 2 weeks without food and still be healthy so it could be something else but im not completely sure. Have u checked her like every part of her body having a look for anything odd or that you havent seen before.

EDIT: lol i didnt see there was a 2nd page i thought i was the first one lol:lol::lol::lol: