Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 2-1/2 year old JCP that got bit on the lower jaw 8 months ago and had a very bad infection that was treated by a good rep vet. It got better and then 1-½ months later came back. I thought that was the end of her but she has made a full recovery except she hasn’t eaten in over 7 months! I tried taking a whole mouse (dead) and force-feeding her but she regurgitated it. She will strike at them but not old on. I’ve tried F/T, fresh killed, live, and even rats (unfortunately she’s a mouse eater). She doesn’t look thin but she did shed twice in one month!?! The inside of her mouth looks good so I don’t understand.

I am looking at trying tube feeding her to get her some nutrition. The method I would like to try is found at http://www.herpo.com/tubes/index.html Does this sound like a good Idea?

P.S. After her two quick sheds (3 in 2 months) she looks a brilliant yellow and the darkening of the yellow has faded. Her normal black markings are darker than ever. She looks better than ever as far a color. I have never herd of a JCP loosing some of the darkening of the yellow. Weird hu! I will post a picture of her tomarow.

-Thanks

Oh, she's 50" . How far in should the tube go?

I just took a long lunch and went home and tried the tube for the first time. No regurgitation so far. This would be the first nutrition in over 6 months. I hope this stirs her into eating on her own. Next is a live fuzzy.

2 shots of my sick JCP I took at lunch threw the glass. Not great but it shows she doesn’t look like she is wasting away.

Are you sure its a female? Because males are known to go long streches of time without feeding due to being in breeding mode, Your snake doesn't look super thin or emaciated, I personally would not try and stress it to much by force feeding it, or tube feeding...But thats just my opinion...Looks pretty healthy to me...body weight wise...
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Executive Reptiles
Amanda Kingsbury & David Kendrick
www.executivereptiles.com

I thought she looked pretty healthy also. I tube fed her and it was very easy, much better than fore-feeding whole! I will give her a couple of months to try to get back to eating on her own before I tube again.

Maybe, I didn’t probe her but a local reptile shop owner who breeds various pythons probed her last year. I think I’ll check again. She’s 54” and 2-1/2 years old, I was hoping she would have used the last 8 months growing like my two males so I could try to breed her next year.

Two males one female good, three males…oops! I should just look for more females…man I hope my wife doesn’t read this

Thank you for your reply.

I have a wild and crazy question; a snake guy up near Sacramento said to try a baby chick. My snake is so afraid of mice now and is totally turned of to rats (bummer) he said that the chick has different smell from rodents. Is this a bad idea and can it hurt my snake. I have never herd of anyone feeding chicks to a carpet.

Carpet Pythons are Aboreal Pythons, which in the wild Birds do make up a part of thier diet...Many keepers do feed chicks to thier carpets, What I would suggest is try scenting with a chick first...See if that works..Best of Luck, I have personally never fed chicks to my carpets but I know many people have and do..Maybe someone who does will chime in..
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Executive Reptiles
Amanda Kingsbury & David Kendrick
www.executivereptiles.com

I have a female that went off feed for a while, and would not accept anything. I picked up some quail chicks from rodentpro, which she DEVOURED after a few meals, I started scenting rats, and she is now an enthusiastic f/t rat feeder. I just hatched 10 of 11 eggs from her first clutch!

Was she a mouse eater before that and had she ever successfully eaten a rat? I would try the quail just to get my two off mice and on to rats!

PS: She ate on her own for the first time in 8 months! It was barley a fuzzy mouse but she did it! She would need a bowl full of them to make a real meal but it’s a start.

I started her on rat pups when I originally got her, but it required a bit of teasing to get her to feed. She was solid for a while, but slowed down in the fall, which was probably just seasonal anyway, but the quail worked. I also have a fussy male that was a vigorous mouse eater. I just started scenting washed f/t rats w/ live mice which he took. I reduced the amount of scenting w/ each feeding until I stopped scenting all together. Now he's about 2yrs old and will be ready to breed next year, but I still have to wash his rats before he wants anything to do with them. Hey....better than mice
Mike