Congratulations!

Sometimes it just takes some time for new snakes to settle into their new habitat before they'll eat, others might need some kind of trigger whether that might be a temperature change, bigger/smaller habitat, more/less light, privacy, etc. The trick is in understanding the individual needs and trying to cater to that individual.

And remember also, males can be notorious for fasting, especially during the breeding season! I've had males go 2-3 months without any desire to eat with no ill effect. Some will calm down once you put them with a female and will sometimes eat after breeding, others, well, they can't seem to get enough I suppose. :D

In my collection, the majority of my hogs have no problem meeting me with their mouths wide open when I open their tub to stick a mouse in their mouth, but I definitely have a few that are a little more shy or specific about how they like to eat. I have a few that like to be under their water bowls and will just poke out as far as their neck goes, that's where I put their mouse and then they grab it and drag it under the water bowl. Others will only eat if I leave the room, and some will only eat if I turn out the lights. Some will eat f/t'd as long as I wiggle it, others freak out if their food moves whether it's live or dead. Again, the key is just paying attention to the individuality, but that's what makes snake keeping so much fun! If they were all the same, that'd be kinda boring after a while.

The interesting thing is that some of those behaviors seem to last with some of these snakes, others can grow out of them.

Again, congrats on your little guy!
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Troy Rexroth
Rextiles

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