Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recieved a 28" BT via DHL last Tuesday. Tuesday through Saturday it has eaten with no trouble. I have been feeding prekilled mice and alternating ground turkey (this is the exact diet and schedule the previous owner had). Since Sunday it has stopped eating gradually. I offered crickets in the morning, showed no interest. I offered a mouse soon after, still nothing. He ended up eating the mouse that night however, but didnt seem to enjoy it. Yesterday (monday) he did not eat at all. I offered a night crawler, which he loved every other night as a treat, he grabbed it then spit it out. Today I offered turkey, he ate a tiny bit after putting it directly in front of him. He will not eat a bit more. I even tried some smelly canned dog food, just to see if switching things up would help. I should mention he is a hider. I havent seen him bask but once. He has deficated almost daily. The previous owner had him treated for parasites (flagyl).
Someone help!

specs:
cage-6x2x2
humidity-moderate 60%
temp night-77 to 82
temp cool-85
temp hot-95
basking-130 to 140s
substrate-pine shavings (pine is natural no additives/chemicals)

get him warm so he cannot hide from the heat!
if not drinking soak in warm water bucket tub a few hours do not let water get cold

Just a suggestion, give him a chance to hid and heat at the same time.

BT Are eating machines, it’s not feeding because it’s missing options.

Ps, pin is an oil saturated wood, even if it's not toxic it has no absorbing property, any hard wood will make a much better substrata and keep your cage smell free.

Not smell free! But allow smells your monitors recognise, they are olfactory animals.
The saturated oils in pine promote bacterial build-up and ammonia. Not saying you cant grow monitors using pine, just saying it’s a poor choice.

buy the way...
Not being able to scent mark a territory or cage cuts the line of communication between them, for the folks desperately trying to succeed with rain forest species this should ring a bell. Get it? cage to wet = no sent. Hahaha but what do I know! Right?

he is hiding and heating. The way his hide is set up, he has an option to hide within a 15* heat range. I do also soak him every day for a good 1/2 hour.

Stop handling it a few weeks and he should do much better, I have never handled any monitors daily, but I know this can only stress him out.

No need to bath him more then occasionally if ever.

I have replaced his substrate with cypress, what was used in his previous enclosure
I already notice behavior differences, he is basking for the first time in about 5 days.
Im gonna offer food tomorrow and see what happens.