Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know....most are voracious eaters from birth but with 136, bound to be a hold out or two. I have one a little over 2 months old and has never eaten. not looking any worse for the not eating, just not getting any bigger. Things I've tried already:

Different size mice - hoppers/fuzzies/pinkies
different colors (even pinkies are not all pink
I'm planning on trying a newborn rat but have to wait for the next litter

I normally feed in the evenings in the same shoe box they live in, remove water bowl, drop in food and leave in semi darkened room for a half hour or so.

I've tried leaving food in overnight, feeding in a delicup, in a delicup overnight. Running out of ideas. Anybody have any thoughts/ideas? He's right around the longest I've ever had a baby go without eating. Had two like that two years ago and they just all of a sudden started eating. Don't really want to go the force feed route but???
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I'm extremely new to snakes, but my little BRB was a very reluctant eater when I first got him. It took him well over a month to eat for me, and being a new owner, it made me very nervous. I thought I was doing something wrong.

I think I must have a strange little snake though, as he eats his best in the middle of the day when it's very bright in the house. But the first feeding success I had with him... I put him in an opaque brown paper bag with a very warm, smelly pinkie (he is now on more appropriately sized food). And that seemed to work well for him. He won't eat while he's exploring his cage at night. But he eats great during the day when he's resting, I just place the warmed prey in his cage and he comes out and chows down in a matter of seconds. I know people suggest not feeding your snake inside their enclosure, but when I've tried taking my snake out to eat, he's more interested in exploring the new enclosure, no matter how long I leave him in there with the f/t mouse.

I don't know if this helps any, you have tons of experience over me, but just maybe it'll give you a few ideas. Also... have you tried 'braining' the mouse? Have you varied live-f/k-f/t?

Good luck, I hope he eats soon for you!
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Dani

Dave,
....I too have never had to force feed a little BRB. As you know my standard advice when someone has a little BRB that is not eating is to look at the husbandry. But, your husbandry has to be great because all the rest of them started eating for you. I always get the strongest feeding response with a live mouse that seems larger than ideal feeding size for a baby BRB as it's first meal. A young adult mouse seems too large but these snakes like them. You might try bumping the temperature down (or maybe up) 5 degrees for several days and see if that makes any difference.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>I know....most are voracious eaters from birth but with 136, bound to be a hold out or two. I have one a little over 2 months old and has never eaten. not looking any worse for the not eating, just not getting any bigger. Things I've tried already:
>>
>>Different size mice - hoppers/fuzzies/pinkies
>>different colors (even pinkies are not all pink
>>I'm planning on trying a newborn rat but have to wait for the next litter
>>
>>I normally feed in the evenings in the same shoe box they live in, remove water bowl, drop in food and leave in semi darkened room for a half hour or so.
>>
>>I've tried leaving food in overnight, feeding in a delicup, in a delicup overnight. Running out of ideas. Anybody have any thoughts/ideas? He's right around the longest I've ever had a baby go without eating. Had two like that two years ago and they just all of a sudden started eating. Don't really want to go the force feed route but???
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife
>>0.2 kids
>>4.12.136 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (OK, I'm only keeping a few of the 136, just tickled pink with my production this year)
>>1.1 Ball python
>>0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
>>1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
>>0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
>>1.0 BCI albino het stripe
>>1.0 BCI salmon hypo
>>0.1 BCI ghost
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Dave,
The best way that I have found to feed my 3 month old female is to "dangle" her food right in front of her mouth. 90% of the time she strikes right away. She seems to like the apperance of "live" prey though I will never feed her real live food, I just won't take the chance of her getting injured by live food.
I hope this helps.

0.1.0 BRB