Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So it will be a month next week that I will have had my ATB. It has not eaten since it has been in my care. I know that a month isn't really long enough to seriously worry, but it has refused both times it was offered live food. I was assured by the vendor that it was feeding on live pinkies. I have read through the forum, but does anyone have any situation-specific advice? Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) abound here, should I try catching one and scenting the mouse?

Thanks for your time once again
Chris

Brown anoles work well and if that doesn't do it then scent with tree frogs.
Good luck.

>>So it will be a month next week that I will have had my ATB. It has not eaten since it has been in my care. I know that a month isn't really long enough to seriously worry, but it has refused both times it was offered live food. I was assured by the vendor that it was feeding on live pinkies. I have read through the forum, but does anyone have any situation-specific advice? Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) abound here, should I try catching one and scenting the mouse?
>>
>>Thanks for your time once again
>>Chris
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Jessica Curtis

unmeinohi.net

actually a lot of ATBs will refuse pinkies..you may think it is stupid but get a small fuzzy mouse. they can take a lot larger of a meal than you would think. and as far as a month..its not the worst thing in the world but they do have a higher metabolism than a lot of other constrictors so do try and get a little food in it. I think fuzzy might be the trick...i have an ATB that would bite and take a live pink away from me a dozen times and drop it after 2 seconds. it will take both live and ft fuzzies though. good luck

I think fuzzies are the way to go. Pinkies never seem to stimulate a strong feeding response. Two other methods that worked for me was to brown paper (small) bag the snake with the mouse pinkie or fuzzy. Make sure the mouse is young enough so it cant injure the your ATB. The other method that worked was to bleed a mouse. A fresh killed pinkie with some blood exposed almost always got a response when the snake tasted the blood. Warm the pinkie slightly so the snake takes notice. Good luck.

Chris

you are not having trouble getting the snake to strike at it are you?

Actually, the snake hasn't struck at anything since the first couple of weeks. He'll sniff the pinky until you feel like you could have read a book, but still no strike. I tried anole scenting today, no luck.

ok i think you might have a problem...atb's should be striking at everything. try fuzzies though. you dont even get bit? every atb i have ever dealt with will bite everything with a pulse or inanimate objects with heat. please describe your cage including size and everything in there..temp and humidity. do you hand feed? if you are holding the fuzzy mouse it is more likely to strike and take it. you shouldnt worry too much about getting bit..this isnt an anaconda or a cobra. if the mouse is in front og your finders it will hit that first..wait for it to coil around it before you let go. if it coils and drops...try different size with different amounts of fur..or wait for the snake to shed...good luck..and please respond back and tell me how things went.

Occasionally I will get hissed and mock struck while changing water if I surprise him. Usually, no. I did the first few days I had him.

The cage is the largest of the Lee's critter carrier models. The snake is just over 15 inches as of last measure. The substrate is paper towel (changed regularly), with a water bowl about the 1/3 size of the tank bottom. Flexible aritifical branch is crossed to give multiple points of contact for perching. He spends his time split between the perches and the floor. The temps are 81 at the hot end and 76 at the cool end. I don't know the exact humidity, but I spike it twice a day by spraying, once in the morning and once in the evening. I see him drink off his coils and from the dish often, and there is no sign of dehydration.

Perhaps the tank is in too high a traffic area? It is sitting on my desk. I have considered moving it.

I have a fuzzy and I will try your recommendation.

Thank you.

Alright, better news. Using your method, I did manage two strikes out of him. He nailed the fuzzy perfectly but let go almost right away. After that, he stared and sniffed, but no more strikes for about 15 minutes. I'll try again later.