Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Today we used the method of working a pinky mouse in just a little in the throat. Then we let the burm do the rest. It worked, he was slow at first but eventually learned how to swallow. That was after I had him in a bag with 3 pinkies for a few hours. Now he should be back in the bag with two pinkies (if my girlfriend remembers). After eating the first pinky he still showed no interest in the other two. Tomorrow we will try feeding normally but if that doesn't work we will repeat this procedure. I hope he learns to eat on his own, if he does not I cannot see how he could continue living as I don't think sustaining him through force feeding is a healthy way to live.

I would recommend that you try offering a larger prey item; baby burms are fully capable of taking down a hopper/small adult mouse as its first meal. In fact, some baby burms will refuse meals that are too small. Personally, resorting to assist/force feeding should be a last ditch effort. Have you checked to make sure that you have the proper environment?...heat/thermal gradients, light, water, security, etc. If one thing is out of whack, that can cause a snake to go off feed. Parasites, too, can do the same. It is rare when a baby burm will refuse to feed. Good luck,

Rob Carmichael, Curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm, IL