Yes, It's another post about feeding carpets, I know... Sigh. But hear me out.

[AmyDefty]

Okay I'm completely stumped with this one so I'm actually asking what the hell do I do now? Its been two months my yearling darwin carpet has been a great feeder for the whole year I've owned her now at a year old she has went off food for two months now. Here is a list of everything I have tried as in the past I have never had to try this hard to get a snake to feed. 1. Leaving in over night. 2. scenting with a gecko, mouse, quail numerous times. 3. Leaving her be for a few weeks. 4. Covering her enclosure glass front with newspaper, added extra hides. 5. Tried different sized rats and different sized mice and even quail. 6. Tried assist feeding and tried to force once - spat it out every time. 7. tried defrosting in egg, tried defrosting in hot water, cold water, warm water. 8. Tried upping heat. 9. Tried feeding in tub she use to live in.

Now the only thing that has actually changed is I moved house and put her in a bigger set up. She was perfectly fine feeding in a tub when I had her in one. Its been two months since that move and I thought she would have settled since then. Already downsized enclosure once. My only two other options are puttingher back in a small tub she lived in or trying Live. For the first 6 weeks she showed no interest at all now she is showing some interest but not striking. As far as health and enclosure set up go, her heating has not changed and there is no noticeable issues health wise, no bubbles, puss etc etc in mouth, colouration normal, no noise while breathing etc.

WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE? It can't be breeding season as well its not that time of year and also shes only a year old. I'm completely stumped. Any suggestions guys?

 

[Iguana]

My jungle didn't eat for almost 3 months after I moved him to a bigger tank. He is now eating, but I have to present the food a certain way.
I'd try leaving the rat in the entrance of the hide she's inside, preferably around night time, maybe 8-9pm. And covering the front of the tank in a thick towel, and leaving the room.

Also, what are your temps like? is there a gradient? Have you noticed any weight loss? Are there enough hides?

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Hi @AmyDefty I know you have given an excellent summary of the situation, but I am one of those individuals that tends to process things a lot better visually.. Do you have any pics of the setup your python is in?? Perhaps a pic of the setup alone, and take a few steps back and get a pic with the setup and its position in the general surrounding area/room.

We get a sort of similar complaint at AFT quite regularly with turtles that won't bask... it's always error on the keepers part and after a few corrective steps, the turtles begin basking.

 

[Buggster]

My Diamond went 8 months without eating. 2 months is nothing. There is no way you should have tried to assist feed, or force feed at all. You’re just stressing the poor snake out- probably part of the reason he won’t eat!

 

[Yellowtail]

Hi AmyDefty, I assume she was feeding regularly for some time before this current problem, exactly what were you feeding her, how often, how thawed and at what temp was the food and the snake? Is it possible you over fed her and she has just shut down until she instinctively needs to feed again, probably after a shed, 2 months is not uncommon in this situation. It is possible that moving house triggered this, did she get cold during the move?
Buggster is correct in that you only stress her by force feeding and it should not be necessary.
If she was eating thawed mice or rats ok before then scenting is not necessary, it is only of value with young or wild caught snakes that have never taken thawed rodents.
Please post photos of present setup and details of temp gradient and her shedding history, have you checked her body temps with an IR thermometer?

 

[pinefamily]

It could be any of the things mentioned above.
It also could be the matter of putting it into a tank. I know you have said how old it is, but how big/long is it? Perhaps it doesn't feel comfortable in the tank? Or the heat gradient isn't quite right?
We put one of our coastals into a small tank from a tub, and it went off its food. We ended up putting it back into a tub for a bit longer. Fed almost straight away.

 

[AmyDefty]

Hey all sorry for the late reply. She was eating fine every two weeks before hand, sometimes once a week or twice a week. She did get cold during the move she wasn't on heat for about 3 hours. I've since moved her back in the tub she was in. Still no feeding response. She is hiding more now, under the paper. She has two hides in the tub she is back in (she was previously feeding every time before hand in this tub). She had two hides in the enclosure I had her in but as mentioned already she has been moved back into her tub. All my snakes are kept in my bedroom which I'm only really in when I'm sleeping. I cover the tub with newspaper to not allow as much light in, I also keep my curtains mostly closed. I don't think its the traffic as there really isn't much in my bedroom. I go in to sleep then come out and I'm either in loungeroom with my partner or out of the house. As normal. Nothing chanced there. The room I lived in last was a little darker. But due to the extent I'm going to to keep this room dark also I doubt that's the issue. Can't post pics at the moment. She was eating rats (small adult rats previously) defrosted in warm water what I've always done and I don't know the exact temp of the prey items as I have never checked them. She's only ever ate one rat I left in overnight and that's when I fed her two in one night when she was a consistent feeder. Every time I've tried now whether I leave it on top of hide, near water bowl, in hide, at hide enterance she has never cared about it in the past 2 months its now going on three months. Heat gradient is perfect hot spot is 31-34 degrees same as when she was eating. And cold end is usuallya round 26 also same so the heat gradient isn't a issue. Can't post pics yet as I'm not home, never ever had a issue with any of my other snakes and all their set ups are set the same temp wise and gradient wise. Few different logs and fake plants as usual. Maybe I did over feed her. She's about 1.4 metres last I checked and looks fine not to slim or to chunky. Hasn't shed in a while which I thought she would of by now. Last shed was when she first refused her food. So I'd think its been almost three months usually she sheds every 2 months without fail.
[doublepost=1515592391,1515592053][/doublepost]Sorry once a fortnight or once a week. I guess it is possible she may have been over fed but I've always fed hatches and yearlings once a week or once a fortnight until they were two then drop it back to every 3-4 weeks after that then further back when they hit 3 years.