Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a female over the summer that wasn't eating. I bought her as having been a new purchase; 1000 gr, in good health but having been offered food (FT rat) only once and refusing (the price was right, I know). I tried her a few times with small rats and then got her to take a medium mouse. For a little while she ate pretty well; two medium mice aproxamatly every four days. Then she went into shed. After she shed I figured she'd be realy hungry so I tried her with a small rat and she refused. No problem there but now she is refusing the mice. I also moved her from the smallish tub I had her in for quarentine to a normal 36 X 18 tub right after she shed. Also, if this helps, it was a problem shed. I don't handle this one too much and I never saw her go blue so I didn't turn up the humidity on her. I wasn't expecting her to shed yet feeding on mice. Despite what the person I bought her from said she was not a good weight. She was 975 grams when I got her, is now 995 grams and is about 3 1/2 to 4 feet. I think that is skinny. Any how, I went over her with a warm, moist towel and it came off. So, am I being overly nervous? Probably but I'd like opinions. Thanks.
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1.1 Balls (1.0 het clown 0.1 normal)
1.1 Kittys and
0.1 WC Human
"I need evaluation...and dinner; and by dinner I don't mean gnome heads!"

It may just be that she has gone into her natural brumation. Do you know if she is a WC or just a picky eater? Have you had her vet checked for parasites?
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Hi Tosha. I am not sure if she is WC or just a picky eater. She was sold to me as CB but these days who knows? She has a small scar at the tip of her tail but that doesn't mean too much. As for parisites, she has only deficated once, with this shed so I havn't had a test done yet. I wouldn't even have taken her out of quarentine yet but my living situation is such at the moment that I don't have access to a quarentine spot right now. I currently only have the two (haven't kept herps in a few years) so it's not like I have a huge collection at risk although I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to either of them. I am praying like hell that she doesn't have any thing serious. It's been long enough, I think, that I am not woried about BID (not sure what the window for crypto symptoms is but I think it is longer)and when I have handled her she is bright eyed and very inquisitive; likes to ckeck things out (although she does occasionally hiss). I hope this is usefull info and thank you for your reply.
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1.1 Balls (1.0 het clown 0.1 normal)
1.1 Kittys and
0.1 WC Human
"I need evaluation...and dinner; and by dinner I don't mean gnome heads!"

That's a breeding term, right? I thought only males went off feed in the winter?
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1.1 Balls (1.0 het clown 0.1 normal)
1.1 Kittys and
0.1 WC Human
"I need evaluation...and dinner; and by dinner I don't mean gnome heads!"

Brumation is when they go off feed for the winter - males and females do it - I've actually found my females do it more than males even when they aren't breeders - but then again I've not done a scientific study so who knows it may be the oposite for someone else. We had two cold rainy days in September and since then I've had 5 snakes off feed and I hadn't dropped their temps or anything - sometimes they just have this instinct that kicks in maybe has to do with a change in barometric pressure that they feel and we dont. Funny thing, instinct.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

That kind of sucks. I don't like having my snakes out of shape and being a mouse eater, if she goes off feed for the winter it could be a while. Plus I was hoping to get her up to weight for next season and start the process of proving out my male. I can't wait to (hopefully, he's only a 50% shot) add a couple of clowns to my collection in like four years. Thanks for the replys. I guess it's time to play the waiting game. Wait, offer, wait, offer again, sigh, repeat...
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1.1 Balls (1.0 het clown 0.1 normal)
1.1 Kittys and
0.1 WC Human
"I need evaluation...and dinner; and by dinner I don't mean gnome heads!"