Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone have experience with Pseustes sulphureus going off feed? I've had mine for almost two years, and even though he always needed to be tease fed, he ate regularly each week. He stopped eating about 3 weeks ago. In the past I have fed him f/t mice and chicks. He ate chicks for about two months, and now he won't eat anything. I'm thinking of dipping a mouse in chicken broth. Do they imprint on a food? Temps have not changed much. Temp stays about 85-90 in the hot spot, mid to high 70's in cool spot. Only thing that changed is photoperiod. His cage receives only ambient light from the room and windows. It was about 16/8. Now it's about 12/12. Any thoughts would be great.
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2:3:5 Cornsnake
2:2:0 Red-tailed rat snake
2:2:0 Tiger rat snake
1:1:0 Carpet python
1:1:0 Mangrove snake
1:1:0 Southern copper head
1:1:0 Giant hog nose
1:1:0 Taiwan Beauty
0:2:0 Brazilian Rainbow boa
1:0:0 Giant bird snake
1:0:0 Yellow anaconda
1:0:0 Scrub python
1:0:0 Green tree python
1:0:0 Uni-colored cribo
1:0:0 Albino checkered garter
0:1:0 Pueblan milk snake
0:1:0 Dusky pygmy rattler
0:1:0 Twig mimic snake

1:2:9 Bearded dragon
0:0:2 Nile monitor
2:3:0 Leopard Gecko
1:2:0 Green iguana
1:1:0 Red iguana
1:1:0 Blue tongue skink

5:5:0 Eastern box turtle
1:2:0 Red eared slider
1:1:0 Map turtle
1:0:0 Painted turtle
0:0:1 Sulcata

0:0:1 Dwarf caiman

0:2:0 White-spotted bamboo shark
0:0:2 Saber tusk barracuda
0:0:1 Tiger shovel nose catfish

wsrosser@bellsouth.net

Yes, my adult male has been feeding only occasionally, and when he does eat, he accepts only small meals. He hadn't eaten for nearly two months, but I was recently able to tease him into taking three small rats. He's always preferred rats to chicks (although he would still accept chicks before), but will only accept small rats - some even as small as a large mouse.
I'd like to try some mice, possibly live ones, and see if it creates a response. None of my other Pseustes are problematic eaters.

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Roy Blodgett
Green Man Herpetoculture
royreptile@yahoo.com

1.1 Spilotes pullatus
2.2 Pseustes sulphureus
1.1 Pseustes poecilonotus poecilonotus
1.1 Lystrophis pulcher
1.1 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila
1.2 Crotaphytus collaris
1.3 Crotaphytus bicinctores
2.3 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

Thanks for the reply, however there must have been a deeper seeded issue to the snake sudden lack of appetite as when I awoke this morning and checked water dishes, I found that the Pseustes had died over night. Dunno what happen. The snake was initially treated with fenbendazole and metronidazole. I never noticed any nasty feces to indicate a parasite load. No signs of respiratory illness. Just a sudden lack of appetite. Hopefully when I have some extra money, I'll be able to track this species down again.
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2:3:5 Cornsnake
2:2:0 Red-tailed rat snake
2:2:0 Tiger rat snake
1:1:0 Carpet python
1:1:0 Mangrove snake
1:1:0 Southern copper head
1:1:0 Giant hog nose
1:1:0 Taiwan Beauty
0:2:0 Brazilian Rainbow boa
1:0:0 Giant bird snake
1:0:0 Yellow anaconda
1:0:0 Scrub python
1:0:0 Green tree python
1:0:0 Uni-colored cribo
1:0:0 Albino checkered garter
0:1:0 Pueblan milk snake
0:1:0 Dusky pygmy rattler
0:1:0 Twig mimic snake

1:2:9 Bearded dragon
0:0:2 Nile monitor
2:3:0 Leopard Gecko
1:2:0 Green iguana
1:1:0 Red iguana
1:1:0 Blue tongue skink

5:5:0 Eastern box turtle
1:2:0 Red eared slider
1:1:0 Map turtle
1:0:0 Painted turtle
0:0:1 Sulcata

0:0:1 Dwarf caiman

0:2:0 White-spotted bamboo shark
0:0:2 Saber tusk barracuda
0:0:1 Tiger shovel nose catfish

wsrosser@bellsouth.net

I'm truly sorry to hear of this loss.
I wish I could be of more help in discovering the reason for the snake's sudden turn.
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Roy Blodgett
Green Man Herpetoculture
royreptile@yahoo.com

1.1 Spilotes pullatus
2.2 Pseustes sulphureus
1.1 Pseustes poecilonotus poecilonotus
1.1 Lystrophis pulcher
1.1 Boiga dendrophila dendrophila
1.2 Crotaphytus collaris
1.3 Crotaphytus bicinctores
2.3 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

I had a feeling there was something wrong when the snake stopped eating. Finding the snake dead came as a complete shock since with the exception of an appetite, it appeared otherwise healthy. Sometimes things die and are never fully understood why. I wish I would have had a necropsy done on it, but at the time it was farthest from my mind. You win some and you lose some. I'll try again. Any suggestions where I can get some. They're not very common in N.A collections.

Bill

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2:3:5 Cornsnake
2:2:0 Red-tailed rat snake
2:2:0 Tiger rat snake
1:1:0 Carpet python
1:1:0 Mangrove snake
1:1:0 Southern copper head
1:1:0 Giant hog nose
1:1:0 Taiwan Beauty
0:2:0 Brazilian Rainbow boa
1:0:0 Yellow anaconda
1:0:0 Scrub python
1:0:0 Green tree python
1:1:0 Uni-colored cribo
1:0:0 Albino checkered garter
0:1:0 Pueblan milk snake
0:1:0 Dusky pygmy rattler
0:1:0 Twig mimic snake

1:2:9 Bearded dragon
0:0:2 Nile monitor
2:3:0 Leopard Gecko
1:2:0 Green iguana
1:1:0 Red iguana
1:1:0 Blue tongue skink

5:5:0 Eastern box turtle
1:2:0 Red eared slider
1:1:0 Map turtle
1:0:0 Painted turtle
0:0:1 Sulcata

0:0:1 Dwarf caiman

0:2:0 White-spotted bamboo shark
0:0:2 Saber tusk barracuda
0:0:1 Tiger shovel nose catfish

wsrosser@bellsouth.net

My guess from what you stated is that this was an imported animal. From what it seems by what you said is that the snake was never tested for parasites, only treated for them presumptively because of where it came from. I honestly think this type of practice is insane. The medications going through their body causes risks on its own, so why we would run it through unnecessarily is beyond me.

With Pseustes (from my somewhat limited experience), they can be rather finicky animals to begin with, and loss of interest in food, unless over an extremely long period of time, would not be something I would think it out of the ordinary. My P. poecilonotus are incredibly shy and will refuse meals for things as simple as the lighting in the room causing me to be too visible and thus a threat. My female actually regurgitates very easily as a flight reaction. This is a huge concern for me and despite her testing negative for internal concerns...I am still quite concerned for this animal and she is still a worry for me.

I am sorry to hear about your loss and I hope future animals you get don't have issues. C.B.B. animals are worth more than their weight in gold, especially when they too can have numerous difficulties on their own with this genus.

Your correct. The snake was imported about 2 years ago. It was treated, I do not know if it was tested however as I did not think to ask. Pre-treating without screening is a "novel" idea that a lot of people fall into, myself included. I never had it tested because it was "treated". And while it was treated, it likely never received a follow up. And was not treated for every ailment under the sun. It was treated with two broad range medications that do treat a lot of diseases, but not all of them.

I prefer to learn from other's mistakes when I can, but this time I am learning from my own. C.B is the safest way to go, as most of my animals are, and I've never had a problem with any of them. If they are imported, I will certainly bring them to the vet immediately for proper screening.
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2:3:5 Cornsnake
2:2:0 Red-tailed rat snake
2:2:0 Tiger rat snake
1:1:0 Carpet python
1:1:0 Mangrove snake
1:1:0 Southern copper head
1:1:0 Giant hog nose
1:1:0 Taiwan Beauty
0:2:0 Brazilian Rainbow boa
1:0:0 Yellow anaconda
1:0:0 Scrub python
1:0:0 Green tree python
1:1:0 Uni-colored cribo
1:0:0 Albino checkered garter
0:1:0 Pueblan milk snake
0:1:0 Dusky pygmy rattler
0:1:0 Twig mimic snake

1:2:9 Bearded dragon
0:0:2 Nile monitor
2:3:0 Leopard Gecko
1:2:0 Green iguana
1:1:0 Red iguana
1:1:0 Blue tongue skink

5:5:0 Eastern box turtle
1:2:0 Red eared slider
1:1:0 Map turtle
1:0:0 Painted turtle
0:0:1 Sulcata

0:0:1 Dwarf caiman

0:2:0 White-spotted bamboo shark
0:0:2 Saber tusk barracuda
0:0:1 Tiger shovel nose catfish

wsrosser@bellsouth.net