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19-Apr-08, 08:45 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender:  | | |  help one of my black headed pythons died today
Hey, one of my two bhp hatchlings dies today. Neither have eaten in 6 weeks however appear shiny, tongues are flicking (well for the one still alive), we have offered a mix of pinkie mice/rats and geekos. Tried feeding in a quiet, dark box also left food overnight in cage. We have a heat mat at one end of cage and a uv light during the day. We have also avoided handling recently. No obvious injury or pest problems - any suggestions?
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19-Apr-08, 08:48 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Oct-07 Location: Sydney Age/Gender: 34 | | | |
Sorry to hear that.
Have you contacted the person you brought them from?
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19-Apr-08, 08:50 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
yes, they said that if they didn't feed by this weekend that they want to see them. I've tried calling this afternoon however they seem to be out - will try again tomorrow.
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19-Apr-08, 08:56 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-07 Location: Behind You :o Age/Gender: 21  | | | |
Were they eating before you purchased them?
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19-Apr-08, 08:58 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
They were feed a pinky rat the day we picked them up.
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19-Apr-08, 09:18 PM
| | Subscriber | Join Date: Jun-07 Location: Behind You :o Age/Gender: 21 | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Brindabella  They were feed a pinky rat the day we picked them up. | Well that could suggest something with your husbandry is incorrect, are you sure your temps are correct?
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19-Apr-08, 09:22 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
We recreated the exact set up as the breeder, same cage, same heat mat etc. What temperatures should the cage be? Our olive python has the exact set up and feeds well every week.
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19-Apr-08, 09:30 PM
|  | Subscriber | | | | |
what temps do you keep them at?
post pics of your set up it will help
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Heat em and Feed em
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19-Apr-08, 09:42 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Oct-07 Location: Hell (QLD) Gender: | | | |
Were they being assist fed prior to purchase? Or had they taken a number of feeds unassisted? If so how many?
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19-Apr-08, 10:32 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
Don't know how many feeds. Were feeding pinky rats prior to coming to us. Weren't being force fed prior to us. Apparently feeding the same way we feed our olive python by tapping on nose then striking.
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19-Apr-08, 10:34 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Dec-03 Location: here | | | |
6 weeks without food is nothing for a bhp.
What are the lowest the temps get down to in the room?
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19-Apr-08, 10:40 PM
|  | Regular Member | Join Date: Jul-06 Location: Hazzardous area Gender: | | |
Good point Minka!
Hey Brindabella before one could make an educated guess can you give us some more information about the hatchy and set-up.
Firstly did you get feeding records with the hatchy?
How much had it been fed and was it assist fed to get going?
Did it feed for you at all since you have had it?
How did you have your setup! Ambient temps, what was the temp gradient (if any) etc, day and night!
These may help us in assisting you!
Bhp's can be notoriously difficult feeders and are often assist fed to get started. By no means am i suggesting that not feeding for 6 weeks causes death as they can go for ages without feeding. I'd be more looking at temperature etc. Sometime there is no answer and some hatchies are just weak. However you indicate that you have 2 hatchys that both haven't eaten for 6 weeks. This may indicate a problem in your husbandry and set-up.
Maybe many of the experienced bhp keepers on this site could assist you in getting things right so your other little fella is alright.
Sorry for your loss!
Cheers
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19-Apr-08, 10:49 PM
|  | Subscriber | Join Date: Feb-08 Location: Melbourne Age/Gender: 35 | | | |
Another thing to try, is to get some fresh chicken and rub it all over the pinkies.
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My name is Andy, and Im a reptiholic.
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19-Apr-08, 10:56 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
Neither hatchling have fed for us since we got them although the breeder said they were feeding about every two weeks on a pinky rat. We live in Townsville and days times and night times are still very warm. The cage is 4 foot by 2 foot. We have a heat mat up one end and a uv lamp during the day. A hide box is up the cool end of the cage. Dish of water in cool end also. The hatchys were 4 months old when we got them. Very active, shiny skin and lots of tongue flicking. Would come up to glass for some conversation when they sensed that we were home in the afternoons/early evenings.
We have since got a two month old olive python who we have had for a month. Olive is a piggy who will snap the pinky from our fingers when we drop into fed box. She feeds two hoppy mice now a week. She is kept in the exact conditions as the bhp's.
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19-Apr-08, 10:59 PM
| | Regular Member | Join Date: Mar-08 Location: Townsville QLD Gender: | | | |
Tonight we soaked pinky in chicken broth before offering, this was suggested in a google search for feeding problems. The remaining hatchy hasn't even looked interested in it. We have left it in her cage just inside her hide box. Also removed dead hatchy, cleaned cage and put in fresh bedding before replacing live snake to cage.
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