Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a rosy boa i got from a friend the other day, they only had it about a week and said it has not eaten. The snake is a little over 2 feet and appears to be healthy. Last night i went and got a few frozen adult mice and thawed one out and tried to feed the snake, it still is not eating and i think it has been over two weeks. I have cleaned the tank and water bowl and replaced the bedding, i keep the tank around 83 during the day and 70 at night. Am i doin something wrong, should i get smaller mice or crickets, or is the snake sick? hope someone can help. Thanks

I'd try a smaller item, and then if that doesn't work, try a live fuzzy. If still no go, leave the snake overnight in a small container with a live rat pink.
Also I have better luck with troubled eaters by feeding them at night.

Your snake may just be getting ready to shed. I wouldn't get too worried just yet. Last resort would be to drop its temps to brumation range for a couple weeks or so, but I wouldn't just to that yet.

Good luck!

How are you heating the tank?

Also, with this snake having moved homes 2-3 times in a short window of time, make sure you let it drink. A good method is to fill a bowl of water and gently hold the snake and direct it towards the water. If the snake does begin to drink, stay motionless until it is done - this can be a minute or more in some cases, so be patient.

Rosies are funny like that - they will often ignore water bowls unless put in front of them. Obviously in the wild they don't drink from bowls. They will drink water droplets sprayed on the side of a cage, but try the bowl first. Hydration is important, and potential stress from moving can cause dehydration.

Also, resist the temptation of handling until the rosy seems settled in. See where it is staying. If on the cool side of the tank, perhaps the snake does not want to eat just yet. A few more weeks may change that.
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Mark

I am using the undertank heating pad to warm the tank. When i got the snake the hidding spot was a halflog and was to small, so i put a shoe box with a hole in the tank half on the heating pad and half off. She has stayed in the box since i put it in there on wednesday and moves from the heated side to the cooler side daily. There is a rock style water bowl in the tank that i cleaned and put fresh water in, i have seen her drink on her own twice before i put the box in the tank. I have not handled her in three day now and she didnt eat again on thursday night, so tonight i will try the smaller mice, and a live one if i have too. Thanks for all the help guys.

not a Rosy Guy but im sure it wont eat crickets
mark

Yeah, there's one particular website that makes the claim that rosys eat crickets and other insects, but I personally don't think there's any truth to it at all.
IMO I would consider a rosy actually eating an insect to be a total fluke, and not at all the norm. Like having a pet snake eat a chicken nugget.

I would guess that if you scent the crickets with a mouse or put them in a bag full of pinkys and shake it around that you may just be lucky enough to get them to eat a cricket, you might want to pull the crickets legs off so it can't run away.
Marc "the trouble maker" X

My real advice would be, make sure that the snake has a hiding spot on the warm and cool side of the tank,then leave it alone for a week or so and let it get used to its surroundings. then try feeding it live hopper mice. once the snake is less stressed it will most likely eat without any problems. forget about the crickets and check out some localityrosy sites for loads of info.

Oh man, I somehow read right over that in the original post. I guess it didn't compute. Crickets. I've never tried. Perhaps I should before I laugh.

To the original poster, rosies are small mammal nest raiders. Its a tough world out there for mice, rats and bunnies where rosies live.
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Mark