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DONT panic at this stage,a week and a half..They can go for 6months + without food..Just leave alone for a week and offer a nice warm rodent after dark..
smartest answer so far. If it ate a week and a half ago why are you stressing. Give it another week, put a rat/mouse in a freezer bag, sit it in hot tap water for 20 odd mins, rest it for 3 mins, roll it in your fingers, in the bag, to transfer the heat and check for hotspots, for another minute, then give it a wiggle in front of him. If that dont work, buy yourself some rat tubs.
 
Pythons are optunistic feeders,they can-will eat every 2nd day if given the chance,however in captivity they are fed on a regular basis.Even hatchies can last 6months without food.But as you have already mentioned it was last fed one and half weeks ago.Give a little more time before you feed again..If the conditions are good and you offer a nice warm rodent,you shouldnt have a issue..Good luck..
 
In QLD it is illegal, but exempt under the right circumstances. You need to be aware of that. If they feel you have done the wrong thing you can still get into trouble.

Im not a very experienced keeper... but I havent had a problem with feeding yet... I wait til evening when they are up and about and if they arent currently moving around I tease them with the food a bit, pretend that the rodent/quail is alive. I touch them with it which normally gets their attention... and rather than slow movements, the odd small jerking movement while slowly moving the food away always gets their attention.

I used to live in thornlands :) I know the area frequently is low on pet rats. It took some time for me to find my pet rats a while ago when I was down there. It might pay to find someone that breeds their own and pay for freshly killed from them? I would never recommend feeding live... Ive been bitten by many rats and mice and apart from being a painful bite... it is deep and very rarely has the bite not become infected in some way, even if a low grade infection. Apart from that I also respect the intelligence of rodents :) And think they deserve a much better death than that, especially as they are losing their life to feed a pet :)
Do you have more than one snake? If so you might be able to start up a little breeding colony of your own. Next year I will be breeding my own rats with a trio and am even considering breeding quail as well.
 
SUCCESS!!! I bought a couple of frozen rats from a different shop than i normally buy from. i defrosted one in a plastic bag to keep it dry. it had a definite rat smell to it, unlike the others i have tried which had little or no smell. not sure if that was a result of defrosting them in water and washing the scent away?? but not to worry, he had a bit of a sniff of this one and grabbed it straight away. :D. he loved it!! thankyou to everyone that offered their advice, it was much appreciated. hopefully he will take to the frozen rats from now on and all my feeding problems will be solved. :D.
 
Thats good news,however just wait a week or so until you offer the next rodent..Ive always thawed in water,without bag,with great success.IMO i think it just wasnt hungry..Remember in the future,pythons can go 6months+ without a feed.I had a 6year Port Mac that didnt eat for 8months,after that she was still in great condition..Cheers...
 
No, live feeding is not 'Illegal" just highly frowned upon and discouraged

sorry but that is where you're wrong! in South australia it is illegal to feed live food to any animal
i'll highlight the relevant parts for you :) It comes under the Animal Cruelty Act!

Part 3—Animal welfare offences
13—Ill treatment of animals
(1) If—
(a) a person ill treats an animal; and
(b) the ill treatment causes the death of, or serious harm to, the animal; and
(c) the person intends to cause, or is reckless about causing, the death of, or
serious harm to, the animal,

the person is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: $50 000 or imprisonment for 4 years.
(2) A person who ill treats an animal is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: $20 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.
(3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1) or (2), a person ill treats an animal if
the person—
(a) intentionally, unreasonably or recklessly causes the animal unnecessary harm;
or
(b) being the owner of the animal—
(i) fails to provide it with appropriate, and adequate, food, water, living
conditions (whether temporary or permanent) or exercise; or
(ii) fails to take reasonable steps to mitigate harm suffered by the animal;
or
(iii) abandons the animal; or
(iv) neglects the animal so as to cause it harm; or
(c) having caused the animal harm (not being an animal of which that person is
the owner), fails to take reasonable steps to mitigate the harm; or
(d) uses the animal in an organised animal fight; or
(e) releases the animal from captivity for the purpose of it then being hunted or
killed; or
(f) causes the animal to be killed or injured by another animal
 
No, live feeding is not 'Illegal" just highly frowned upon and discouraged unless the animal is in danger of starvation as it is inhumane for the prey item. it is an absolute last resort. feeding live prey also puts your animal at risk of severe injury, any animal (including cute little mice) will literally fight for their life if they need to, and can potentially cause massive damage to your beloved snake.

a couple of weeks is not a life and death situation. i'm betting its more an issue of the snake a) isn't hungry b) temps of either the prey or the enclosure are not correct.
As giggle said - it is illegal to feed live prey in QLD, hence the reason I posted. I am aware of the harm that reptiles can be caused by feeding live prey, common sense that a prey animal is going to fight for its life

Glad you were able to get it to feed btw :D
 
As giggle said - it is illegal to feed live prey in QLD, hence the reason I posted. I am aware of the harm that reptiles can be caused by feeding live prey, common sense that a prey animal is going to fight for its life

Glad you were able to get it to feed btw :D

Recommendations against live feeding are just that - recommendations.

Taken from the RSPCA website:

"The legality of feeding live mice to reptiles depends upon the relevant State/Territory legislation and relevant code of practice. In some States, the code recommends that reptiles should not be fed live food for their own protection and all vertebrate-eating reptiles must be encouraged to take dead food. In others it is recommended that: live vertebrates are not used as a food unless they are required absolutely as a food source by a species or individual animal; live rodents should not be left in a reptile enclosure overnight or for an extended period; and wild-caught rodents should not be used. However, these codes of practice are not enforceable by law and are therefore recommendations only."
 
stupid quote didn't work hang on repost

---------- Post added 27-Dec-10 at 10:51 PM ----------

No crickets available for sale in SA, Lambert?

That rule is only for vertebrates. I did a behind the scenes tour at the zoo where I thought they would be exempt due to exotics so I asked they said very clearly *IF IT HAS A SPINE IT IS ILLEGAL TO FEED LIVE TO ANY ANIMAL*
 
Recommendations against live feeding are just that - recommendations.

Taken from the RSPCA website:

"The legality of feeding live mice to reptiles depends upon the relevant State/Territory legislation and relevant code of practice. In some States, the code recommends that reptiles should not be fed live food for their own protection and all vertebrate-eating reptiles must be encouraged to take dead food. In others it is recommended that: live vertebrates are not used as a food unless they are required absolutely as a food source by a species or individual animal; live rodents should not be left in a reptile enclosure overnight or for an extended period; and wild-caught rodents should not be used. However, these codes of practice are not enforceable by law and are therefore recommendations only."
I beg to differ
 
That last time that I did the research ( about 6 months or so ago ), from the info that I found, it is not illegal ( just severly frowned upon ) to feed live in QLD.
I even contacted the Epa etc to find out and was directed to websites that gave me the info -- looks like I am going to have to do the research again.
As has been stated its just not preferred and highly discouraged to feed live - and only to be used as a last resort for the health and well being of the animal.
 
The RSPCA dont actually create or enforce legislation.

It is written into the qld legislation.
http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/A/AnimalCaPrA01.pdf

Maximum penalty--1000 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment.

(2) Without limiting subsection (1), a person is taken to be cruel to an animal if the person does any of the following to the animal--
(a) causes it pain that, in the circumstances, is unjustifiable, unnecessary or unreasonable;
(b) beats it so as to cause the animal pain;
(c) abuses, terrifies, torments or worries it;
(d) overdrives, overrides or overworks it;
(e) uses on the animal an electrical device prescribed under a regulation;
(f) confines or transports it--
(i) without appropriate preparation, including, for example, appropriate food, rest, shelter or water; or
(ii) when it is unfit for the confinement or transport; or
(iii) in a way that is inappropriate for the animal's welfare; or
[SIZE=-1]Examples for subparagraph (iii)-- [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]placing the animal, during the confinement or transport, with too few or too many other animals or with a species of animal with which it is incompatible [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]not providing the animal with appropriate spells [/SIZE]
(iv) in an unsuitable container or vehicle;
(g) kills it in a way that--
(i) is inhumane; or
(ii) causes it not to die quickly; or
(iii) causes it to die in unreasonable pain;
(h) unjustifiably, unnecessarily or unreasonably--
(i) injures or wounds it; or
(ii) overcrowds or overloads it.
There is a number of relative legislation relating to animal cruelty. However what it comes down to in the end is that there is specific legislation regarding feeder animals. It gives an exemption which allows the feeding of live animals in certain circumstances where the life of the animal to be fed is in danger.

This part is under "exemptions" in the act.

43 Animals used to feed another animal

It is an offence exemption for an offence for a person if--
(a) the act that constitutes the offence involves using an animal (the food animal) as live food for another animal (the fed animal); and
(b) the food animal and the fed animal are both lawfully kept by the person; and
(c) the fed animal will only eat the food animal if it is alive; and
(d) feeding the food animal to the fed animal is essential for the fed animal's survival.
Being an exemption does not mean the act is suddenly legal. An exemption is just that and the act of feeding live remains an act of animal cruelty but turned a blind eye to in the name of survival of the animal.
 
Well i would read the exception as just that - the completely legal practice of feeding live.
You would be breaching this for unnecessary feeding - such as feeding cats to your dog etc.
 
Well i would read the exception as just that - the completely legal practice of feeding live.
You would be breaching this for unnecessary feeding - such as feeding cats to your dog etc.

Its not an exception is an exemption. If you note at the top, it still states it as an offence. An exemption means the act is illegal unless under the right circumstances.
And if you read it properly, it states that it is only under the circumstances that the animal will not eat any other way. Animal cruelty is illegal. Feeding live is animal cruelty. The is an exemption in the case where the animal being kept will not eat unless the prey is live. But if it is not necessary, then it is an illegal act of animal cruelty that does not come under any exemption.

Unnecessary is feeding a snake live food when it will take dead food. Your example is not reasonable.
 
Exception was a typo on my part.
I can see where your coming from now to.
I still just read it as legal if it complies with a,b,c & d.
I have a wild caught bass that i feed live vertebrates to which would satisfy this.
While my dog would eat cats - its not necessary for survival - he does alright on PAL.
 
I don't see how you can sit there and state that live feeding is definitely illegal.

Instead of interpreting those documents how you like, how about we look at more relevant and specific texts.

Code of practice - Nature Conservation Act 1992

http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/register/p00061aa.pdf

"Wild pythons usually kill their prey; however, it is preferable to feed freshly killed prey to captive pythons, as live prey has the capacity to injure, mutilate or even kill captive snakes."

I see that people are drawing conclusions from vague statements, but I am yet to see anything specific stating that it is illegal - feel free to prove me wrong. In fact, everything specific points to the opposite.

Gotta love armchair experts - they not only become experts on snakes after reading some stuff on the internet, but practically lawyers too! Ha.
 
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