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I got a new JCP about 5 weeks ago and he doesn't seem to be feeding regularly. I'm new to carpet pythons so I'm not sure if this is par for the course.

I got him at about 6 months old and apparently he was eating F/T fuzzy rats.

Week 1: He doesn't eat. This is normal because he's getting acclimatized to his new environment.

Week 2: He eats but doesn't actually strike the rat, I left the rat in his tank and then found it to be gone the next morning.

Week 3: Same as week 2.

Week 4: This week I found the rat untouched the next morning. I did try to handle him that morning so I figured I had just stressed him out.

Week 5: Tried again lastnight and again I found the rat this morning. He's out when I try and feed him but he shys away from the rat and then retreats to his hide everytime I attempt to feed him.

I've been checking in on the snaked everynight and almost always find him out and about so he seems content and definately not lethargic in anyway.

Are carpets often like this?

Should I just try again in a week?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Yes- sounds perfectly normal.

I had the exact same scenario with my JCP- he was SUCH a pain to get eating, and shipment of him to me was delayed because he wouldn't eat for the guy who hatched him.

Anyway, patience is KEY.

Try different things to stimulate him- assuming your feeding frozen thawed- try warming up the rat a bit more in warm water. If you're not drying the rat off well, try that.

What ended up working for me (he SLAMS small/medium rats now!) was tossing that rat around his enclosure with the tongs- not literally, but would make the rat 'fly' around his enclosure really fast and all over the place.

All the movement seemed to stimulate him beyond control.

Oh- and I'd occasionally bump him with the rat. When he finally looked like he was in the 'feeding mode', I'd slowly move it around in front of him, and as SOON as he'd strike, I'd let it go, close things up, and leave the room for an hour.

Now, you have to watch your fingers whenever you open his enclosure!

Hope this helps!

Before (October 2006):

After (Yesterday- 5/23/09):

//Todd

Hey...thats a very pretty JCP you have there. Love the yellow.

Could be your baby is going into shedding mode and therefore is not hungry? Just a thought.

Yeah I've thought of the shedding possibility but 2 weeks and the eyes haven't clouded over or anything, so I don't believe that's it.

I'll try not drying the rat so much (I usually pat it dry before feeding), and making the rat "fly around" sort of speak next week.

I usually just dangle the rat in front of him swinging it slowly and I've tried a nose tap or 2 as well. That usually seemed to work with my Dumeril and Kingsnake.

Anyways I'm not overly worried yet he's still realy active at night and it's ony been 2 weeks since the last feeding.

Thanks for the ideas.

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