Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need some advice.

I've got one stubborn 2006 hatchling that just won't eat. He was born 7/16/06 and weighed 50g.

I tried f/t, live, pk both rat pinks and fuzzy/hopper mice to no avail the first 4 weeks. At one month without feeding I assist fed him a mouse pinky and every week since while at the same time offering live mouse fuzzys and/or live mouse hoppers before resorting in the assist feeding.

Every morning like clockwork the mouse is still alive and still in the enclosure.

I've switched enclosures, switched hides, added more humidity, changed temps. Nothing.

I also tried placing him in a small snake bag with the mouse fuzzy overnight and still nothing.

What's next? It's been almost 3 months and still he won't eat on his own? He's now down to 42g and looking a bit skinny. Other suggestions? a brained fuzzy?

I'm out of ideas. Any help would be greatly appreiciated.

Thanks in advance!

Braining wouldn't be a bad idea. I thought maybe a baby gerbil.

i would also try to put the snake and a fuzzy into either a paper bag or pillow case at night and see if that works. put them together and secure it so the snake wont get out and put him back in the cage on the warm end. has worked for me with kingsnakes in the past.

How is he losing weight if you are assist feeding him weekly? What are you assist feeding?
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John Vandegrift

I had this same problem with a hatchling this year, now all he eats is F/T rat pinks.

Awhile back someone posted a great way to convert(or get hatchlings to eat).
If you keep the hatchling in a plastic shoebox, make sure it has a little hide box to go into. Put the hatchling in the hidebox and put a F/T pinky in the entranceway..half in half out and cover the whole cage. Every time I've done this he's eaten. It surprised me honestly..but he won't strike at anything, he shys away from live food and wants it dead on the floor. So far I'm absolutely loving it!

I had one that was 64 grams as a hatchling. This guy refused to eat i tried all the tricks. Hids put him in a bag with a pink . Nothing worked. I started to assist feed him, He would wressle and twist around untill he got the food out, sometimes took three or four times untill he would finally swallow. Fianlly i just let him be offered nothind didnt try to assist feed for three weeks. He got down to 42 grams. For the hell of it i threw a fat fuzzy in to see what he would . He took it all on his own and is now eating great and gaining weight. He is 5 months old and is currently 80 grams. It took a while but he did it, I think he finaly got hungry enough to want to eat.
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1.0 Het for pied
0.1 Het for Pied
1.5 normal balls
1.1 bearded dragons
1.3 kids
1.0 husband
To many little critters list

I wouldn't be leaving a mouse of any size other then a pinky in his cage unatended. I learned this the hard way with my first boa, and had to apply cream to his wounds, and antibiotics through his mouth for months to patch him up.(the mouse ate a few nice holes in him)

One thing i would try is tou leave a mouse near the entrance of his hide, i found this works with my snakes. They feel more secure striking inside tight dark places where there safe from us humans.

When did you buy him? How much time did you allow him to adjust to his enclosure. If you bought him put him in his enclosure, then handled him/tried to feed him that day and continued this process then you upset his adjustment time. I always alow at least a week for adjustment with absolutely no interference. When i first put a new snake in an enclosure i shut it and thats it for 7 to ten days. The only case in which i bother them at all is if i HAVE to clean the waterbowl. Then around ten days later they should take food fine, if you didnt alow his to adjust then you might have some problems. If you handled him/tried to feed him before he was completely adjusted then he could be stressed, and might stay stressed. My recommendation would to force feed him one more time, give him a big meal, bigger then usual but not huge. Then put him in his enclosure with a nice sized full water bowl that you wont have to change that often and leave him be for about two to three weeks. Don't so much as walk by the cage if you don't have to. Only change the waterbowl when its really low or dirty and make sure his temperatures dont go below 82 degrees ferenheit.

Then offer him a live mouse of appropriate size, he should eat. I've noticed snakes can be quite spoiled... you can offer them food at every turn and theyll turn it down, but if they get hungry enough they WILL eat. Just make sure you feed him the big meal, provide him with water, and leave him be and hell come around. As long as he goes into this cycle with a full stomache and is able to hydrate as he pleases, not feeding him for a couple weeks shouldnt hurt.
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2.3 Bearded Dragons
1.0 Pastel Ball Pythons (NERD Line)
0.0.1 Water Monitors
1.1 Pastel Red Tailed boa Het. for Albino
1.1 Yellow Ackie Monitors
And Counting...

i couldnt have said it better myself.

Keep assist feeding, but move up to larger fuzzys. once he puts on a little weight, he'll get more confident.
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