Reptile & Amphibian Forums

he still won't eat. (I posted earlier last week about the anaconda we had been given by the pet store.) We've got him in a 40 gallon breeder tank with hides, a creek rock and a water bowl. The temps and humidity are correct- thanks for the NERD link!

Anyway, we put a pre-killed mouse in there with him but he didn't pay any attention to it. We left in there for a couple of hours but he just ignored it. The breeder the pet shop bought from said they had been feeding him goldfish but when the pet shop fed him the fish, he ignored it too.

Also, the skin seems to be very loose on him. Is this natural for an anaconda? My husband said he's lost some width in the last month and a half while at the shop.

Other than these two things, he seems to be a very happy little fellow. He is super sweet and curious about his surroundings. Got any advice on feeding him? Someone said dipping the mouse in chicken broth might help. Should I try giving him a gerbil? What about trying a goldfish again? Shoudl I put him in a box with the mouse next time?

` Try not to be too obsessive about how long he goes between meals. I know it's difficult, but you must keep in mind that baby Anacondas often go for months before eating. If you concentrate on getting him settled in, and reduce all the stress you can, you're likely to have better results. Baggy skin on Anacondas is not unusual, on babies, and adults.
` Keep in mind that the Anaconda's instinct tells it that it is quite helpless while eating, and afterward, if the meal is large. An Anaconda who is not secure, neonate or adult, will refuse food as a defensive measure. It can take a youngster quite a while to settle in, and become secure enough to expose himself by eating.
` So, don't sweat it for now. Fasting is not bothering the snake. When you do get around to it, try small prey, pre-killed, but warm, over 100 degrees. Don't fill him, just one small prey item.
` Here's the problem with feeding fish: Many pet shops and almost all wholesalers use some really nasty chemicals on their feeder fish, to reduce death. I'm talking about formaldehyde, and potassium permanganate, among others, including as much salt as can be tolerated. Peroxide is often used to increase oxygenation during shipping. There are commercial preparations, some called " Feeder Keeper" which are given to crowded feeders to keep them alive. Also, most tropical fish are dosed more than once with antibiotics, and other chemicals, as they pass through the chain from breeder/collector/importer, to wholesaler, to retailer. These cold-blooded animals, both fish and herps, are not able to assimilate and eliminate these preparations quickly. They, and their oxidants, end up building up in the tissues of the fish, and the herps they are fed to. This can be a long-term disaster.
` You can create more problems than you already have by getting obsessive about your Anaconda eating, to make you feel better. Stick with pre-killed, small rodents. You get him hooked on fish, or chicken dipped Chinchillas, and you'll kick yourself, down the road.
` From your description, you have a normal, relatively calm young Anaconda. He's not freaking, and biting, musking and crapping when you interact with him. Just be patient about food, and enjoy him. There are no Boids that I know of who can be as calm and tolerant of interaction with Humans, than an Anaconda. As his stress level lowers, and he gets used to his new surroundings, he'll start thinking about his stomach.
`

` His skin is so baggy, I can pinch it into a wattle.

`

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I have been reading your posts on this forum, and I must say, you have a wonderful way of explaining concepts and techniques. Thank you for addressing my concerns. I guess since all of my other snakes eagerly eat the rodents I offer them, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong with Monty. I appreciate the advice and I'll try not to worry.....too much

Another method you can try, if you really are worried aout him eating, is to put him in a large bowl, bucket, whichever, just make sure its deep enough for him/her to submerge their body, and then put either a live, or warmed F/T on top of a piece of wood that floats, and leave it be. They have a large instinct to feed that way, specially wild caught specimens.

Best way to thaw mice I have found out, is to get hot tap water, as hot as you can from the faucet, and put the mouse/rat in the water for about 5 mins, then dump out the water and repeat, and this give the meal a warmth. I have had people come into the pet store I work at saying there snake WILL NOT TOUCH f/t food. Most of them though either boil, bake, microwave, or just leave it to thaw. The snakes like non cooked warmed food.

Even though he's not wild caught, he may like "hunting" for his food. I think I'll give him a few more weeks in his cage and then try it.

Thanks for the tips on the frozen rodents. My husband and I used to thaw our rats like that but ever since he got that job at the pet shop, he's able to bring home live ones and then just smack 'em before giving them to our snakes.

Wow- I never thought I'd be that comfortable talking about killing another living creature- guess having snakes changes your tolerance level for stuff like that. The whole circle-of-life food-chain thing is something I'd just rather not think about. Good thing my husband doesn't have a problem with it

Try what I did in my post about 10/29/03 - put rodent in bag in jar of hot water. It made all the difference for me (well, the Anaconda).