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Hi I recently bought a captive children's python baby and hes hasn't eaten since i got him. does anyone have any suggestions? he's about 8 inches in length and a little thinner than a pencil?
any suggestions would greatly be appreciated
hognose45

First try to lay a pink in the cage for few hours. IF that is a no go warm one up and try with tongs, the heat helps alot. The just toss in a live pink if the other options dont work. Last resort is assist feeding. My last clutch of A. Childreni was a breeze to get feeding. I only had one pickey eater. I was able to get a pinkie head into her mouth and the she would eat the rest. now i hold a f/t pink and she will take it out of my hand. My body heat does the trick, i have tried a warmed up pink on tongs and that doesnt work for her.

>>Hi I recently bought a captive children's python baby and hes hasn't eaten since i got him. does anyone have any suggestions? he's about 8 inches in length and a little thinner than a pencil?
>>any suggestions would greatly be appreciated
>>hognose45
>>

How are you keeping it? I would keep it in a shoebox with small holes and a good layer of damp spaghnum moss (long fiber) and a water dish. Put a couple inches of the end of the tub on a heat pad. Leave him a week then drop in a newborn mouse, live. Leave it overnight with no peeking.
With the moss to hide in it is gonna make him feel more secure.....along with the small enclosure, then he will be more likely to eat. I haven't had to assist a single baby in three clutches since keeping them set up like this.
Once they get eating a Children's is an eating machine and can easily be switched to F/T.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

hes currently in a five gallon with bark as the material. he has a small hide and a small water dish

>>hes currently in a five gallon with bark as the material. he has a small hide and a small water dish

Can he burrow in the bark or is it too harsh and heavy. If he can get in and under it then he may feel safer and eat.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

try warming the cage up a little more some childreni like it a little warmer at first and it can help induce feeding. try live also its not going to hurt your snake to take a live pink its always better to get a snake eating "anything" then to hold off until it eats what "you" want it too. if that doesnt help then place it in a delicup over night with a pink and see what happens or add more hides to the enclosureand place multiple pinks of differant sizes so that the snake has an option but leave it alone for 12 hours dont even look at it or go near its cage for at least 12 hours with the pink
adam
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hybrid breeders association
1.1 puebladurans
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 hypo corns
1.1 crimson corns
1.1 striped ghosts
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 albino corns
1.1 childrens python
1.3 ghost corns
1.0 butter
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.1 bloodred
0.1 eastern milk (eatin pinks)
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo
0.1 rosy boa

A couple of questions:

(1) How long have you had him?
(2) What temps are you keeping him at?

As for husbandry, baby antaresia need a very secure enclosure to feel comfortable. If the viv is all glass, try darkening at least three of the four side or adding crumpled up newspaper.

The comment about the bark substrate was a good one - my young macs, stimsons, anthills and childreni all like to borrow.

Lastly, the hide should be very snug.

Makehe feels secure and he should eat for you just fine.

Alright I had gotten a baby spotted python and he wouldnt eat for 4 weeks, finallly I got him to eat a pinkie. So as long as you give him a bit of time to get used to his new home he should eat ^^
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Kurama- Male Ball python
Seven- Female ball python
Ginseng- Unknown spotted Python

Shinnie- Unknown Rosy Boa
Hannibal- Male Hypo Boa
Cookie Torment- Female salmon boa

Peanut- Male red footed
Dragon- Unknown Leopard gecko

(7 dogs, 1 cat, 2 birds, 19 bettas, 10 other fish)

Make sure the thawed pinky is warm when you give it to the snake. That means taking out of hot water right before you give it to the snake. That usually gets my spotted python to snap at it. 'cause of their heat pits, ya know.