Tips for a Childrens Python Hatchy which has suddenly stopped feeding

[reptileKev81]

Hey everyone,

My little Childrens python who is probably almost a yr old has suddenly stopped feeding

A little background info:

I've had her since April, and she has always been a very good eater. Anyways, I recently had to go overseas due to a family emergency, and left her in the care of my brother. He has a phobia of snakes but like me he is trying to conquer it through the hobby.

Anyways, before I left I let him have a couple practise feeds while I supervised and he seemed to do it right, so I don't know what happened?
On the very last feeding before I left she would not strike, so I left the mouse on the floor of her tub, and covered the tub with a sheet to give her some privacy, and when I checked on her an hour later, she had taken it

But my brother reports it was the last one she took, as she did not eat anything while I was gone.
She tongue flicks the mouse and it looks like she is kissing it, lol, but she will not take it.

It's been 2 months now since her last feed. I know that these things can happen and its perfectly normal sometimes, and I shouldn't be worried, but I'm just looking for tips on feeding her in her finicky mood.

I have read that sometimes annoying the snake and gently nudging her can trigger a defensive bite which should get the ball rolling, but I have failed at this. Just wondering, where should the mouse be bumping her? Her body or her head region? Any other tips to help her get her feed on?

And if leaving the mouse in the tub, how long can I leave it in there before I have to remove it?
On one occasion he forgot one in the tub overnight and he tells me the tub stunk lol. He was too scared to give the tub a clean, so I had to get one of my friends over to do it for him lol

And Oh yeah, I am wasting alot of little mousies haha, I can't refreeze them after thawing them can I? I'm getting my GTP hatchy any day now, and guess I can give refused feeds to the GTP, but I just hate wasting.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can lend.

Cheers
Kev 8)

 

[dickyknee]

Temps , Cage size etc ...
Gently tapping her around the neck might get a response , also try a smaller food item , some of my childreni will stop feeding from time to time and offering a smaller than normal items often works well ..

Maybe you should hold off on a hatchling GTP until you are capable of sorting out an easy to keep snake like your childreni ??

 

[reptileKev81]

Temps , Cage size etc ...
Gently tapping her around the neck might get a response , also try a smaller food item , some of my childreni will stop feeding from time to time and offering a smaller than normal items often works well ..

Maybe you should hold off on a hatchling GTP until you are capable of sorting out an easy to keep snake like your childreni ??

I will check my tub temps and will grab some smaller mice tomorrow.

As for holding off on the GTP, the childreni is not my first python. I have other pythons and other reptiles, and I've done my research so I'm sure I can care for my GTP. I have just never had a python go off its food before.

Also the person I'm getting it from is great with helping, and lives close by. He made a point of letting me know if I have any troubles at all to let him know and he'll come around and help out.

I think I'm ready for my first GTP, I've been looking forward to getting one since 2009 lol

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

I'd think twice about passing a feed to your new gtp that has already been refused by another animal in your collection. It could undo any other quarantine you have in place

 

[reptileKev81]

yeah but after the quarantine period, it should be ok shouldn't it?
As long as they are both feeding on the same size mice?
If not please let me know.

- - - Updated - - -

oh, btw, if I were to leave the mouse on the floor of the cage and cover her cage with a towel for privacy, how long should I wait before giving up and taking the mouse out? And I need to dispose of it right? I can't re-freeze it?
I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I'd just like to double check

 

[Sleazy.P.Martini]

Yes IMO that is fine, however the quarantine period should be at least 6-12 months so hopefully by then your animal will be feeding. And by that time you will still have wasted a lot of feeds lol

 

[Rob]

After the quarantine period it should be OK, but that is 6 months down the track & you'd wanna hope your Childreni was eating by then, eh ?

There is no set rule on how long you can leave the mouse in the tub - Use your own initiative. If the ambient temps are warm, then it will start to go off (stink, etc.) quicker than what it would if the temps are cooler. Generally, overnight should be OK, but only you will know for sure in your environment.
As for re-freezing, there is debate on whether this can be done or not. Personally I wouldn't, but that is my personal choice.

 

[reptileKev81]

Thanks for the info guys I'm finding that they are smelling pretty ripe after a couple hours lol though it was left on the warm side as I didnt want it near her water. Probably doesnt matter but thats just me, haha. I'll eat a hamburger but I'm not gonna drink from a creek with a dead cow in it lol. Anyways, I am beginning to suspect that my thermostat may be faulty. I am closely watching and recording the temps through the night.

As for re-freezing, there is debate on whether this can be done or not. Personally I wouldn't, but that is my personal choice.

I will not refreeze. I am very strict about not refreezing defrosted meat when it comes to preparing meals for the family.
If its not good enough for my family, then I will show my other scaly family the same courtesy

- - - Updated - - -

Success Got her to eat her dinner tonight
Maybe she just missed me lol
I stepped her food size back down to pinkies and she took it straight away with little fuss.