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I have a jungle that is about 5 months old that went off feeding three months or so ago. I have tried as many things as I can think of. I have tried a small seralite box to a barrs 12x12x16 to a barrs 24x12x12. I have tried more hides and ground cover. I have switched substrates I have adjusted tempatures, but nothing out of his normal gradient range. I have tried less humidity and more humidity. I have rotated feeding tricks from scenting to washing the food free of scent,and Braining. I have tried rat pinkys mouse pinky hopper mice live and F/T. All of this was spread out over a three and a half month period and I gave him a minimum of 4 days between feeding attempts and as little contact anyone as possible. I have been working with my vet. We have resorted to tube feeding him to keep him going. I haven't been able to get a testable fecial out of him but I ran him through a round of worming meds just to be sure. The vet and I are in absolute agreement that the snake is in perfect health. Last night I tried an assisted feeding of a small F/T pinky mouse. No way he was backing off of it like it was the black death. I talked to my vet today, I am going to start pinky pumping him weekly for about three month or until his weight and activity improve, and then try feeding again. I would like some inputs from people who may have had a situation like mine. Thanks

Constantly changing her environment could very well be the reason why she never started feeding again. When snakes go off feed, it doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong. When you start changing her cage around, it's no different to her than if she were being sold and moved to a new home every time you change something.

I would just leave the snake's cage alone and try not to disturb her unless absolutely necessary. She looks to have decent weight, so you're probably not in any danger of her starving.

Just my .02
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Anthony Caponetto
www.ACreptiles.com

Anthony
I think that could very well be it. I have already decided to leave his habitat alone. I thought changing a few things might make him feel more secure. Anyway I wanted to ask you he is about 10 grams lighter now than in that picture. He is 60 grams right now. My vet wanted to start tube feeding or pinky pumping him. One to keep him from the metabolic problems from prolonged not eating. He didn't elaborate on exactly they were but I didn't ask either. The other is to get his weight up and get him more active and keep him from loosing any more weight. Whats your take on that?Thanks -Chuck

Force/tube feeding is something that a lot of vets are too eager to do. Without seeing the snake in its current condition, I can't tell you if it looks too thin or not. One thing I can tell you is that if your snake is still not feeding because it didn't feel secure, a force feeding is not going to make the situation any better.

Of course, if he's on death's door, the important thing is to get food into him any way you can.

The metabolic problems your vet is most likely speaking are ones generally associated with lizards. Once many lizard species get too thin, they have a hard time bouncing back because they can't keep a meal down.

My advice is to leave him alone for a week or two and then try to feed him whatever it was that he used to eat before...but again, I don't know how thin the snake really is.

-Anthony

>>Anthony
>>I think that could very well be it. I have already decided to leave his habitat alone. I thought changing a few things might make him feel more secure. Anyway I wanted to ask you he is about 10 grams lighter now than in that picture. He is 60 grams right now. My vet wanted to start tube feeding or pinky pumping him. One to keep him from the metabolic problems from prolonged not eating. He didn't elaborate on exactly they were but I didn't ask either. The other is to get his weight up and get him more active and keep him from loosing any more weight. Whats your take on that?Thanks -Chuck
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Anthony Caponetto
www.ACreptiles.com

I would contact the person off whom you got the snake, and mimic the conditions in which it was kept previously.

Pumping is a last resort in my opinion - even after force feeding. It only adds to the problem as the snake never learns how to eat - or even the physical mechanisms of real digestion. You don't want to end up with a 6 foot JCP that you have to forcefeed every week.

Regarding the temps - i would recommend an average temp of 28C - 30C (83F - 86F) or so (ambient). Jungles are found in northern Queensland (where it can be up to 39C (103F) daily for weeks on end), and, for a younger snake, no temperature cycling is required. 23C (75F)often isn't adequate yearly.

Regarding humidity - this is a less important factor, and is really only relevent at shedding time. I keep all of mine at about 50%, and up to 60% for sheds.

Ensure that you keep the snake in a small enclosure. If it isn't eating, I would recommend something no more than 40cm L x 25cm H x 25cm L. Make sure there is a hide box small enough that the snake can touch all surfaces of it (a lightbulb box at each end should suffice).

Try feeding far less often. It has gone without food for three months despite it being offered every 4 days. Leave it a fortnight (or even a month if only minimal weight loss occurs) and try again. Put in a mouse young enough to be harmless (i.e. only just old enough to walk) and leave it with your JCP until it is gone.

Also, I wouldn't recommend 'minimal' contact. Your snake needs to feel as though you aren't going to try and eat it. You should not be seen as a threat to it. Handle for 10 mins every 3 days, and keep the snake where it can see some movement. Otherwise, it sees no movement of any kind for a week, and then there's this huge hot monster dangling a mouse in front of it. I'd be scared too

Good luck, and, one final note - maybe try a different vet. A second medical opinion is always valuable. You never know what he/she might have missed.

Cheers.

Hi Chuck.

Some small carpet pythons are reluctant feeders until a perch is placed in their enclosure. Then, they start feeding from a perched position.

It's pretty neat. They'll climb up and sit on the perch with their head extended downward, waiting motionlessly. When a fuzzy is placed on the cage floor nearby, wham! Dinner.

Right now I'd let the JCP take it easy for a bit; no action or handling, and keep the cage in a quiet environment. I'd put a perch in there -- a simple piece of branch or wooden dowel would be fine for now. Sufficient distance off the cage floor so the animal can position itself as described.

Bill

You may have already tried this but, feeding at night often works well. When I've had problem feeders in the past, I will put them in a small pet carrier inside their normal cage, with a pinky or a dead mouse, leave them overnight, and usually in the morning it's gone. Carpets are usually not that hard to get to eat. You could also try chicken broth and scenting the rodents. Carpets have a real taste for foul so that may do the trick. Good luck, Eric-

I had the same problem several months ago. I got help here. It takes patience. I agree with not changing the environment and feeding in darkness. Remember, in the wild everything whats to eat her and she would be defensless while eating. Leave her alone for a week or more before trying. Dont even look at her and give her a good hide to feel safe. Keep her in a traffic free area too.

P.S. Find a new vet or talk to a pro here. They know more than the average Vet.