Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok- I have had this happen more than once.

A friend of mine got her first BP at a reptile show- wouldnt eat, wouldnt eat, wouldnt eat- I have brought animals back from the dead and not once NOT been able to get something to eat- until this snake... he wasn't a fresh hatchling so i know he had eaten before. We talked with the breeder for ideas and tried everything, f/t f/k live, brained, etc...
died after 5 weeks...

She bought another BP from a different breeder at a different show a year later... same crap.... wouldnt eat..
died 2 months later...

I recently bought a 100% het albino male... had him 5 days- dead as a doornail... i bought 4 other snakes from the same person and they are fine....

All 3 of these animals were in a rack system and were put in aquariums. There were screen tops but they were covered. There was a humidistat, temp guage and i use a temp gun on every cage twice a day- especially since we're turning on the heater now...

I've had reptiles for years and years- I've not bought reptiles until the het i got and i just didn't know if there was something about moving from a rack to a tank- that is more exposed and generally a bit bigger that would stress a BP into death...

Sounds crazy but i havent found anything else...
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue

I would check the aquarium they're going into, and the breeder. For the snake to die after five days doesn't sound like starvation, it sounds like some kind of major husbandry error. I don't remember if you said, but unless your friend's ball was a small baby, two months is a really short time for a ball to have starved to death.

Yes, going from a rack system to a tank can be stressful, but if you plan out the tank well then the stress is minimized. Obviously, don't handle the snake while it's getting settled in. Provide at least two hides, more if there's room. Keep the water in the middle, between cool and warm sides, so the snake doesn't have to choose a temperature to get a drink. If there's visible light, make sure it's turned off for at least 10 hours a day. The biggest thing is provide lots of places for the snake to hide and feel covered. A hidden snake is a secure snake.

If you're bringing a snake home from a show, I'd give it a quick soak (5-10 minutes) before putting it into its tank, because babies especially can get dehydrated quick when they're kept in cups at the shows.

I would double check your tank to make sure there's no residue of some kind, and check all the things going into the tank, including water and substrate. If you can't find anything wrong... I'd just keep them in tubs. I'd rather have my snake alive and in a tub than dying in a tank, no matter how pretty the tank is.

Good luck!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

I agree with J3nnay 100%.
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Thanks,
Amy
My Boids

think Jenny hit the nail on the head. One more thing I would consider is how soon are you trying to feed it and how often? I usually give them ten days, (unless of course they desperately need food), and if they don't eat, I give them another seven between attempts. Trying too often just stresses them, and puts them off of feeding even more. As long as they are hydrated and not malnurished, it is ok to let them get nice and hungry. Then they have lots of time to hide and get used to the major change.
Also if the hide is a little big for them, I put in a couple pieces of crumpled, damp newspaper. Makes a tight fit for security, and has the added bonus of adding moisture.
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."