Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a pair os snakes 800-900 grams and they have been off feed for three months at least. ones looking a little thin they were eating live rats before they went off feed. the other nite i left a prekilled rat in each of there tubs and prayed they would be gone the next morning but no luck. there temps are correct and i have been trying once a week for the whole winter and no luck. any suggestions is appreciated??

I know its not fun but since they were eating live you may want to try live. Then once you get them eating regularly again make the switch to p/k or f/t.

At those weights a winter fast should not hurt them. If one of them is looking thin after just a few months it might be time to get that one to a vet. Other than that, ratstar is correct, if they have been on live AND you are worried about weight loss, this is not the time to switch. Keep trying them on live but space out offerings to every other week and leave them alone for a day or two before feedings. I have one snake that absolutely will not eat unless she has been left alone for a couple of days.
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"Can't you just feed it vegetables"? No, no I can't you stupid hippie.

If you were feeding live rats before they went off feed, now try a live full-size mouse. Many of ours switch their preferences after a cooling/breeding period. Since I raise rodents and have them available, I can try either rats or mice of any size. I have seen it happen dozens of times where a rat feeder, all of sudden will refuse rats, but feed voraciously on mice! It just might work for you.

Susan Sentman
SSNAKES Reptiles
www.ssnakes.com

get them back on rats after this happens? So far I haven't had this happen and am wondering what to expect if it does.
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"Can't you just feed it vegetables"? No, no I can't you stupid hippie.

Sometimes ours will just stay with mice but will eat 2-4 large mice per feeding! Many times when the appetite returns and they begin regular feeding, you can easily switch back to rats. I first feed a lg. mouse and then the next offering immediately after the mouse is a rat. Ours seem to get into a "feeding frenzy" type of mode and it doesn't seem to matter what it is. Of course I think there will always be those picky ones who will stay on mice. But I feel it's better that the individual is feeding on mice, rather than refusing the rats offered. So continue that one on mice for the time being!
Ball Pythons......ya gotta love 'em!

Susan Sentman
SSNAKES Reptiles