Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, i was hoping someone out there could help me with this. My new little BRB is not very interested in eating. I have tried three times, and every time he doesnt eat. I will keep trying, but is there any way to get lil' brazilians to eat? Any tricks or something? Well, i tried putting him in a small tub, and put him in a dark quiet place, but he doesnt seem interested. Advice much appreciated.

Dan

Dan,
. Do you know what he was eating before you got him? If he was eating live it may be too much for you to ask of him to switch to dead prey for his first meals in a new environment. After you get him used to his new home he can easily be switched to dead prey. Little BRBs are more likely to eat at night. Their favorite food is small live hopper mice. They are much more likely to eat a mouse that has hair and runs around than a pinky or small fuzzy. Young Brazilian Rainbows are almost always real chow hounds. If their cage is too hot or too dry they will not eat though. They will also not eat if they are too stressed by too much handling.
Jeff

>>Hello, i was hoping someone out there could help me with this. My new little BRB is not very interested in eating. I have tried three times, and every time he doesnt eat. I will keep trying, but is there any way to get lil' brazilians to eat? Any tricks or something? Well, i tried putting him in a small tub, and put him in a dark quiet place, but he doesnt seem interested. Advice much appreciated.
>>
>>Dan

Thanks for the words of wisdom. My friend brought over a live fuzzy, and i put it in with her and set her in a dark place. I check on her a few minutes later, and shes got it down. It wasnt much of a lump so i gave her a ft fuzzy. She scarfed that too. So i guess i just have to feed her at night, and in a dark place.

Dan

I bought my first snake last November, a young male BRB. The store owner swore he was eating previously frozen mice. Well, I did everything 'right' with temp, humidity box, limited handling, nice habitat, etc... He went about 6 or 7 weeks without eating despite various attempts in light, dark, tank, bag, etc... A Vet $$$ tested a 'small' stool sample and all looked good. She force fed him, and showed me how. My wife was not thrilled with this, but she went along because the guy's life was at stake. During one force feeding with a pinkie coated with egg yolk (for lubrication and added nutrition)the pinkie did not go in well at all, and fell out onto paper on the floor. It was juicy and bloodied from punctures from the foreceps. Well, thats what it took! This seemed to stimulate his appetite, and despite all the unpleasant handling, he quickly slid near and gobbled the pinkie. I found that he is still not interested in thawed, warmed mice by themselves. But it works EVERY time when I cut a pinkie's neck area, rub the blood and all on the mouse's face and neck, and then I lay the pinkie on the mouse's neck with the mouse upside down. He now eats everything in short order! He is gaining weight and looking extremely healthy. He just loves the pinkie appetizer, and if it falls off during the eating, he gets it for dessert. My wife is glad about no more force feedings, though she finds the cutting and bloodying a little distasteful for her liking. But whatever it takes. Also, this is one technique that I did not see or hear anywhere else, but found it by accident. And I'm glad I did. Any thoughts???