Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My newly acquired chondro has finally warmed up to me and stopped his hissing (and I'm finally comfortable removing him from his perch!) but one issue still remains and that is the fact that he is refusing to eat.

Consider he is five years old I went back to the previous owner and asked about the method of feeding he had used with this snake through out it's life, which apparently only involved dropping a mouse/rat in the tank and let it crawl around and poop and pee and roll around in the substrate until the hungry hungry snake found it.

Well, I decided to give it a shot and the method proved to be not only unfruitful but also a hassle considering now I must remove the snake and clean out the entire tank and throw in some new substrate.

It is possible that he may just not want to feed at the moment (spring is here however, and he didn't eat through winter, except for a measly mouse), but I am getting increasingly worried that it could be stress, which seems to be waning more and more every day.

Anyone have any odd/interesting/helpful/effective methods of enticing a finicky chondro?
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"

Sounds like it is having a very hard time adjusting. Make sure its environment is ideal. Temps should be average 82 degrees in cage and a slightly warmer basking spot, and humidity should be a Minimum of 80% but 90-95% is better during day. Nightime temp should be about 75-78 and humidity can be 60-70%. Make sure it has 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. If any of those are not ideal it can cause them not to eat! I dont know what kind of setup you have but fresh air flow is very important but hard to do maintaining proper humidity. The best thing to do is get a mister system or a fog machine like the repti fogger by zoo med. Even with a fog machine it is still important to spray the snakes twice a day as they often drink more water off their coils than their water bowl. I wouldnt handle it for now until you get it eating.
I would try its next feeding after a few days of leaving it alone completely about an hour after you shut off the lights. I would just leave a mouse in the bottom of the tank and hopefully it will be gone by morning. Dont stay and watch or keep checking on it as it may make it nervous. If a mouse doesnt work, you can try a dwarf hamster, they are like candy to stubbon emerald tree boas and green tree pythons.
So double check everything that I mentioned. Hope he eats for you soon. I know how worrisome it can be!

If your snake is having feeding issues, I would not handle him at all. Make sure you've provided plenty of cover for him and if your cage is open on all sides, then perhaps you should cover three of the sides with dark paper and the top as well to offer the animal a more safe feeling environment. If feeding f/t make sure the mouse or rat is extremely hot. I've seen much improved feeding strikes when the mouse's head has been momentarily dipped in boiling water and then thoroughly dried. Then I offer on tongs. Make sure it's after dark or early morning and that the lights are very low. Once the animal has taken the prey, leave him strictly alone. Sometimes you have to harrass them a bit to get them irritated enough to strike and take the food item. It's not unusual for the males to go off food, sometimes for extended periods of time. I think there are few big time keepers that have males that have gone off for more than 6 months. As long as he's not losing a significant amount of weight, is staying hydrated and seems normal, then just offer every week or two.
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Thanks for your responses everyone. His set up adheres to all the guidelines by which you suggested - he's definitely healthy and seems to be settling in (although, this is the same tank that he has been in for quite some time). He certainly seems to be less stressed and I almost got a feeding response from him the other night.

He was very interested in what was happening outside of the glass. Every time I entered or left the room he went right up to the glass to get a closer look at what was moving around, flicking his tongue like mad. I turned out the lights and waited around a half hour before dropping in a juicy rat. He tracked it avidly for a few minutes - hell, he probably would have taken it from my hand if I would have let him, which probably would have been a better idea given what happened next. He was a moment away from striking at the rat (which was located almost right below him), until the rat turned around on its hind legs and stared at him, by which the snake recoiled suddenly. It was almost comedic in nature, however a huge let down on my behalf granted that I think it scared the snake so much that he chose not to bother with the rat for the rest of the night.

Another one to throw in the freezer. I think I'm going to start thawing out the 3 surplus of frozen rats that I have now and see if he'll take it from tongs once he shows an avid interest in feeding, which I don't think will be more than a few days from now.

Anyone ever witness this type of behavior??

Thanks!
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"

If he is cruising the cage at night, it may just be off feed. At five years of age, I would not be concerned about it. He could easily go months without eating. I would offer it a f/t once every 2 or 3 weeks. He will eat eventually.

Bart

Seems to be the popular consensus. I'm sure he will eat soon.

Thanks for all your responses!
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Adam

"I wish I were wise! I wish I were wise from the heart of me, like my serpent!"