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I am the new owner of a P. curtus (thanks R. Crowley for the ID). I have had him for just over a month. He at a live mouse a week and a half after I bought him and again about a week after that. He has now refused 2 tries in 3 days. At first I thought no big deal, I realize that there is a lot of patience involved in establishing a new snake.

When I went to move Leuk, so I could make sure there were no hidden mouse droppings, liquid shot from his nose when he puffed up and tried to act big. It wasn't a ton of liquid, but he isn't a big snake (about 16".

I am currently keeping him in a 20 gal. long with a heat pad installed on one end. I am using ESU lizard litter as substrate. Temp is about 80 in the cold end and 95 in the hot end. He has soaking tub that he uses frequently and I keep the screen top 90 covered with wood. Humidity is between 60-75%.

Please help, I hope it's nothing, but I don't want to risk losing the little guy.
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Your temps are fine, humidity is OK. I'd keep an eye on the "R.I" symptoms for now...he may well feed better if you try him on rat pups. Studies have shown that 93% of bloods prefer rats over mice. (Actually,I just made up the study-part. Makes me sound more expert). But try rats and see; should help. You might also try a "damp" hide box, increasing humidity may alleviate the R.I.-like symptoms.

Ordered some rats for tomorrow and increased humidity to 85%. Thanks for the suggestions.
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95 imo is way too high. from what info ive gathered peak temps should be in the high 80s to low 90's. humidity is also fine at 60-70%. remember, Ri can be acquired from having humidity too high as well as too low. plus, Ive seen snakes refuse to eat for extended periods of time due to the temps being too high.
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Agree with 95 being high...a hot spot. I'll bet the snake spends most of his time in the cool end. With begs the question of hides: what options is your snake given with them and respective temps? That is, can he select one on the cool end and one in the basking spot?
I still think rats may prove a big solution to your problem. Please keep us informed.

Humidity has been averaging about 85% with 2 mistings a day. It is only 95 for about the first 15 min to a half hour.

There is a dog dish with a hole in the side on the hot end of the tank (heat pad) and a big stretched wad of spagnum on the other. He spends about 75 percent of the time in the cool spot.

I just put a rat pup in about 15 minutes ago and covered the cage (he only ate the mice when he knew no one was looking). I'm going to check in another 45 and I'll post what happened. If he left it, I'll trying lowering the temp and go again in 2 days.
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No dice...I've unplugged the heat pad and am going to try again tomorrow night.
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Frustrating! Humm...are you feeding live, pre-k'd or f/t'd? If one of the later, you could leave overnight.

It was an F/T and I did leave it overnight about 2 inches in front of his hiding hole. I think I'm gonna run to the pet store (no easy thing, I live in the sticks) and get a live one and try that. I've read about every suggestion that's been posted on feeding trouble bloods and I'm trying to work through them to find something that works. The hard part is that I feel like I'm fighting time here.

I realize bloods aren't like balls who can go without food for a couple of months. How long before things get urgent? I don't want to try night after night because I feel like he'll never get settled and will just become desensitized or just plain pissed.

Any new suggestions are appreciated.
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Well, at the very least, he is being stubborn.You've had him a little over a month. He ate once (mouse) about ten days after you got him. He then shed (the week of 6-11?), and subsequently he has refused mice 3x and rat pup 1x (last night).

The only observation of any concern other than his "anorexia" is a watery nasal discharge 1x when he puffed-up acting tough.

Was the first food item (mouse) taken on the first attempt? Reasonably, you should try duplicating that event, but I suspect you have. Have you changed any enviromental element at all since he ate? Substrate, Temps, Hides, Etc...? If so, you'll probably want to undo that.

I dont think he's starving yet but I understand your frusration. And I think your are right, if you present food too often, that in itself becomes counter-productive. Nonetheless, I think you done everything as a good keeper that you can...
Here's to hope that the live rat pup proves irresistable...

Now it's been about 6 weeks that I've had him (5-13). He shed about a week and half later ~5-24. He then ate a live small mouse on 5-25, I left in the tank for a couple hours at night and he finally took it. He took another one around the 6th or 7th, same deal, once the cage was covered, no more mouse.

Then under the same circumstances, he started to ignore them. The only changes have been the suggestions given here, raise humidity, switch to rats, and now lower the temp (tank avg. is now 80).

Thinking back, I really should have gotten more info on him when I bought him. I was having a kid in a candy store moment finding him after looking at breeder after breeder and finally finding the only blood in the place and it being a black. I was so excited that I didn't even think to find out if it is cb or wc.

Here's to living and learning and remembering to stick to good buying techniques no matter how great the excitement. I'm not saying that I bought a poor speciment, but since I didn't take the time to find out, who knows?
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