Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a young ETB that I've been force feeding pinkies for almost 6 months. It refuses to feed on it's own, though temps & cage conditions seem more than adequate. My next attempt will be to try bird scent on the fuzzies but I'm short a bird right now. Any ideas out there? Thanks in advance.

does it hang from a branch in strike position in between feeds at night?
if so I would leave a very small hopper mouse or live fuzzy in its enclosure overnight with the lights out and no overhead heat (red light etc) just ambient 75degrees or so...I put the mouse in a plastic cup tall enough that it cant jump out of and hang it by some wires below the branch the snake is on before you turn out the lights and before your snake awakes for its nightly "hang" or "cruising".
dont bother him at all overnight....
you probably have tried something like this before but I dont believe its common at all for a healthy ETB that displays hunting position to turn down a live small hopper as long as he is not confused by heat coming from within the enclosure or stressed from too much traffic in the room, or from the mouse being allowed to to move too close to the snake...

Thanks for that input. I have on many occasions put the fuzzy or hopper in a cup below it's perch but to no avail. What is so odd is that it does assume the ambush position at times, it moves around at night, all things look normal. But, it just won't eat. I will shut off the red light next time though. I had been leaving it on 24 hrs. Thanks again.

we have all been through what you have and it does encourage self doubt.....I think sometimes the red light at night confuses their heat sensors....the other trick is to not bother the snake for 3 days or so at all and then try the hopper in the cup trick....I take it the snake has never regurged...what was the feed history before you purchased it? was it CBB? have you done a fecal exam? your rodents weren't raised on cedar chips? justing thinking outloud....keep us posted on your success...try posting a photo if you have a recent one.

Hi,
I'll also add make sure there is no undertank heat on. That will really confuse it.

What size cage do you have it in? If it's too big, it won't feel secure and won't eat.

Sometimes they are just slow starters. After all, mother nature never meant for all of them to survive, we as keepers don't like that though. We've got a couple of basin juvies that just started eating on their own at 9 months.

About the pinkies, ETBs will NOT eat pinkies on their own as first meals. They do not give off enough heat to attract. You must feed hopper mice that are big enough to move around and give off enough heat to excite the ETB.

Good luck
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Karen Clark
Gems of the Rainforest

Thanks so much for the continued help. I'll start turning off the red light at night. It's in a 10 gallon tank with no heat pad underneath. Temp at it's favorite perch is 77 degrees & 85 directly under the heat lamp. While I've tried to entice feeding with pinkies using forceps, I've only left fuzzies & hoppers for the overnight attempts. I purchased it from the local reptile dealer but he has shown some unsrupulous dealings in the past & I have reason to doubt his claim that it is CB & that it was feeding for him. When I purchased it there was nothing to perch on besides the edge of it's water bowl which was bone dry.
Again, thankyou for your advice. Keep them coming. I really want to see him eat on his own.