Snake refuses to eat.

[SnakeDragon]

Hello. I bought a wenlock river yearling around a month and a half ago, when he was due to be fed the saturday coming when i bought him (bought on a wednesday so that saturday) I proceeded to try and feed him a fuzzy mouse (what I was told to feed him) and he refused it. So I waited a week and tried again. He would strike but not coil, or if he did coil, he would just let it go.
I tried warming it up to 41 degrees (like a bird) i tried reducing the size of the meal (pinky) and I have turned up his heat to 35 warm spot, around 23 cool spot. He is in a really big click clack until I have the money to pay off his enclosure. I have him in a dark spot and don't take the click clack out unless i have to re distribute the substrate.

:xI am at my wits end. If I knew it was this hard to own a snake, i would of stuck to lizards..
PLEASE HELP!

 

[Ramsayi]

and I have turned up his heat to 35 warm spot, around 23 cool spot.

What were the temps prior to you turning the heat up and how long ago did you turn the temps up?

What time of the day are you measuring the temps? Check them around 7 am as this is usually the coldest time of any day.

 

[longqi]

Its scared
has it got a place to curl up and feel safe and secure

 

[kitten_pheonix]

Hello. I bought a wenlock river yearling around a month and a half ago, when he was due to be fed the saturday coming when i bought him (bought on a wednesday so that saturday) I proceeded to try and feed him a fuzzy mouse (what I was told to feed him) and he refused it. So I waited a week and tried again. He would strike but not coil, or if he did coil, he would just let it go.
I tried warming it up to 41 degrees (like a bird) i tried reducing the size of the meal (pinky) and I have turned up his heat to 35 warm spot, around 23 cool spot. He is in a really big click clack until I have the money to pay off his enclosure. I have him in a dark spot and don't take the click clack out unless i have to re distribute the substrate.

:xI am at my wits end. If I knew it was this hard to own a snake, i would of stuck to lizards..
PLEASE HELP!

Snakes can be a pain sometimes, but Jungles are normally great eaters, a yearling Jungle should be on at least fuzzie rats not mice to me that sounds too small (I have an 9mth old stimmie and he's on weaner mice for comparison)
If the food size is accurate to his size, when you say really big click clack we may need a size here, if you could post a picture of him in his home so everyone can have a size comparison it may help with the issue.
Don't be discouraged, not all snakes are fussy eaters!

 

[Trimeresurus]

Snakes can be a pain sometimes, but Jungles are normally great eaters, a yearling Jungle should be on at least fuzzie rats not mice to me that sounds too small (I have an 9mth old stimmie and he's on weaner mice for comparison)
If the food size is accurate to his size, when you say really big click clack we may need a size here, if you could post a picture of him in his home so everyone can have a size comparison it may help with the issue.
Don't be discouraged, not all snakes are fussy eaters!

For the most part I agree with this, however there is some jungles who can be exceptionally tricky to get onto rats.

 

[kitten_pheonix]

For the most part I agree with this, however there is some jungles who can be exceptionally tricky to get onto rats.

Thats true I more ment the size, an adult mouse would be fine but a fuzzie just seems small imo

 

[Pauls_Pythons]

Husbandry is the problem with non feeding snakes 90% of the time.
Occasionally some not so reputable sellers will pass on animals that have been difficult to feed to get rid of a problem, (I'm not saying that is the case in your situation).
When you get your first animal they can worry you with their behaviours especially if they are doing things that contradict everything you have read or been told.
1st thing.........don't worry. I'm sure everyone here has had a snake at one time or another wouldn't eat for long periods of time and then they just start smashing food down like something clicked in their head.
2nd thing. The little fella needs time to settle in. Most experienced keepers/breeders will advise against feeding in the first week or 2 for just this reason. New animals need time to settle in to their new environment.
3rd. Watch your animal. He will tell you what is wrong. Does he hide away all the time? Possibly too hot. Laying at the hot end of the enclosure all the time....probably too cold.
What are you heating the enclosure with. What is in the enclosure. How big is the enclosure. Your little friend is probably scared, too hot, too cold or something he feels he can't live without is missing.

 

[Trimeresurus]

Thats true I more ment the size, an adult mouse would be fine but a fuzzie just seems small imo

Agreed.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Try adding some pencil thick branches that will allow it to perch just underneath the ceiling of the enclosure and to a position where the temperature is to its liking. In addition to that a number of cardboard packets along the temperature gradient that are just big enough for the snake to fit in. Remove one third of the end of the packet to provide access. Providing plenty of hiding places or secure perches will assist in making the snake feel secure, instead of scared as Longqi pointed out. Once it has settled in and feels secure, it should be receptive to feediing as normal.

Blue

 

[sd1981]

Hello. I bought a wenlock river yearling around a month and a half ago, when he was due to be fed the saturday coming when i bought him (bought on a wednesday so that saturday) I proceeded to try and feed him a fuzzy mouse (what I was told to feed him) and he refused it. So I waited a week and tried again. He would strike but not coil, or if he did coil, he would just let it go

have you tried the good old "put his food item in and walk away after covering the enclosure with a towel" trick??? Some like a bit of privacy at food time and the strike but not coil, or coil n let go comment would suggest that he may be a timid feeder.... Don't be put off by the little one, sometimes you just need to crack the code of what makes them tick....

 

[SpilotaFreak78]

Most of these suggestions by others are useful, they are ones I have used myself at various times for problem feeders.

 

[ronhalling]

The Breeder i got my Intergrade off of 6 years ago gave me some pretty sage advice as far as feeding is concerned, his advice was "don't take any advice about when to feed only what to feed", i was pretty confused about that so i asked him to quantify what he said, He reckons it is pretty simple really and pertains to animals and humans alike (in most cases) he explains that any animal taken out of it's comfort zone is going to react to the new surroundings mostly by not eating, in the case of Snakes it can take up to 6 or more months till the snake feels comfortable in its new surroundings to eat, yearlings are worse (in most cases) because they have been in there comfortable surroundings for a year or more and it has been imprinted in it's mind with lights on, lights lights off and feeding days being at a regular time, and unless the new owner can duplicate it's environment and time schedules exactly of course there are going to be problems. Anyway thats what he had to say about it and i actually subscribe to it as well, it just makes sense, so just have some patience and maybe wait another month to try again (unless it leads to the snake becoming lethargic of course) it will eat when it is hungry and comfortable, jsut have to wait till the 2 coincide...... that's my opinion anyway, others will and do feel different and that is why a forum like this is so good, it gives everyone a voice and allows people to get input and advice from a large cross section of the Herping community. ..................................Ron

 

[Ramsayi]

Op hasn't bothered to check or reply with a few answers in regard to temps etc.

The vast majority of the time the problem is down to incorrect temps,even when people insist temps are perfect.For example they say the measured them during the day and they are spot on.You then ask them to check temps overnight of very early in the morning and they find that their 32/25C temps are dropping as much as 10C.So much for having a perfect setup.

 

[hulloosenator]

I have a yearling Diamond that does .... or did .... the same. I now offer it food just after dark and it strikes and usually holds on. If it lets go , i drop it and leave the room , shut the door . It is eaten soon after .