Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I am new here, I lurk in the Cham Forum and check out the new images of all the new morphs but never really have anything to post about, except now. I would love some advice from some seasoned spotted python caretakers.

Napoleon is around 2 years old and we have had him for about 6-8 months. The woman who owned him previously had him since basically birth and his living conditions were less than great when we got him but he did eat then. Over the past two months he has not eaten. We have tried alive, FK, FT hoppers and he shows a mild interest and then turns away and goes into his hide. He is 91 cm long and weighs 365 grams. I was wondering what I can do I fear he is going to die if he doesn't eat soon. Maybe I am being melodramatic but I really like him. Nothing has changed over the past couple of month so I don’t know what it can be. He gets out and slithers around the tank but when food is offered he has little or no interest. If he does strike, he lets go and goes away. Does anyone know of a trick or something I can do to help him.

Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

try putting the spotted in a paper bag with the prey instead of leaving it in the cage as I think you are doing. ONce you put him in put the prey in and close the bag in some way otherwise I have found they leave without eating, and leave it on the heat mat of the inside of it's enclosure overnight.
-----
1vine snake
2 turtles
1 greek tortoise
1ball python
1 corn snake
1 childrens python
1 het for albino san diego gopher snake
1 sunbeam snake(any help with these guys even when not on a post about them will help thanks)
1 tarantula
some mice
and what ever lizards my vine snake hasn't eaten yet

First off - ensure that it's conditions are perfect

keep it in a small enclosure no more than half the length of the snake long and 1 foot high. Provide a TIGHT hide box at each end of the enclosure. Make sure the temps are right (for a non-eater, you can try going a little hotter - 30 degrees C or so). You might also want to try coverin 3/4 of the exposed glass/plastic of the enclosure with newspaper to block out movement or light.

There are literally tens of things that you can try:

1. feeding at different times of the day/night
2. warming the mice to different temperatures (i think that the core body temp of a mouse is about 30 degrees C)
3. braining - cutting the scalp of a mouse and squeezing the head a little (the smell of brain is quite strong and sometimes figures a feeding response)
4. trying different sized prey (from pink mice to weaner rats), remember: whilst the generally recommended size is 1 1/3 times the size of the fattest part of the snake, it can quite easily swallow something 2 or even 3 times its diameter and digest it.)
5. cut the mouse's gut (messy, but worth a try)
6. warm the mouse in a bag so it doesn't get wet
7. warm the mouse in the water so it gets wet
8. try wiggling the mouse with tweezers
9. try putting the mouse in the enclosure without disturbing the snake (let it find it without drawing its attention to it)
10. try scenting a mouse with chicken broth
11. try scenting a mouse with skink urine/poo
12. try blocking the snake in total darkness to let it relax

as a last resort -
12. try holding the head of the mouse in the snake's mouth for a minute or two, then put it down softly and it may proceed to swallow (it may just spit it out)
13. forcefeed the snake (put the head in the snake's mouth and slowly but surely massage it all the way down into the snake's stomach)- be sure to have an experienced keeper show you how to do this first - it is quite dangerous

Keep in mind that your spotted can probably go at least another 3 months or so before any cause for alarm (disclaimer - can't really tell without a photo... just ensure the spine isn't visiblely protruding and the skin isn't too loose). Sometimes snakes just go off feed (whether due to the weather, season, or just plain frisky )

Don't stress about it... and only try to offer food every 4 or 5 days or so. Good luck. Smile.

Aaron.

Have you tried leaving the thawed rodent in the cage all night?

Sometimes these snakes can be timid and won't eat in front of you while you watch; other times they don't care. My Children's pythons will ignore food until I turn out the lights and leave the room.

And I've had males go of feed for a month or so, but that is usually in the Fall rather than Summer.

I agree with the other poster: these snakes like really tight hides. They are adept at squeezing in the smallest of crevices. I use flat fake rocks for juvies, and for adults I have tried just about anything - plastic containers, cereal boxes, plywood, commercial rock dens. The rock dens have worked well, but they are very heavy.. too heavy for racks.

THANK YOU ALL!
I will have to keep you posted as it is feeding night tonight and we will try some of the suggestions if he doesn't take it tonight. On a side note he shed yesterday, which is weird, considering he has not grown at all.

Thanks again!

Denise

Babies never start feeding for me till 6-8 weeks after hatching. Breeding these for years, along with the childrens and the same applies. This is normal. Some go 3 months before they start. Live or df. works. Once they take first meal, nothing is refused.

Mike

your snake might have mouth rot or inturnal perasites. have him check out at the vets. but it is not uncommon for snakes to fast i have a ball python that fast for about 7 months and she is healthy and fine. or it just need to get accustom to it new enviroment. lsnakemanc