feeding hatchies?

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Stevethepom

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hey folks, i had a clutch of childrens pythons eggs hatch almost 5 weeks ago and sam still having trouble getting most of them to eat, my question is how long until i should be worried, they arent losing any condition but im starting to lose my nerve lol.

14 hatchies in total, 3 ate after their first shed, since then only one of those 3 has fed again, another 4 have eaten once but again are refusing since that feed.

thanks in advance
 
Tease feeding is the best way to get them feeding. Hold a pinky in a pair of forceps by the rump and tap the snake around the head and neck area untill you **** them off enough and they grab the pinky and begin to eat it. Some will eat like this very easily, others may take a few goes at it, but all should feed this way with out to much trouble.
 
As TB says, but when they grab, you should freeze and cease all movement (even removing the tongs) until they look like they're going to swallow, or you'll distract them. Once they take a good hold, VERY slowly withdraw from the snake's sight until it has completely swallowed to food item. They'll get the hang of it quickly, and should relax when fed within a couple of meals - you should be able to feed them all in pretty quick time within a month or so.

Jamie
 
righto, ive tried annoying the hell out of them, most start to strike then flee from the pinkie, none have taken, any other ideas?
 
The other year I had one hatchie that just would not eat after 4 months I was getting a little worried I tried many things but what eventually worked is, I placed a handful of old bedding from a rat breeding tub with lots of crap in it into the hatchies hide.
Leave it there for a week then tried feeding again. The hatchie struck straight away, never refused feed again.
 
The idea of using the rat bedding came to me because when I purchased my first reptile a SWCP the dealer said to me to learn as much as I could about them then if something is not quite right think about it from the reptiles point of view not with a human perspective.
So snakes do not need as many feeds as us but spend time as ambush predators and use taste the air to find food. My thought being if the snake thinks it is sitting in a rat/mouse nest waiting for its dinner to come home perhaps by the time I feed it after a week it would be a little hungry like any other animal that can smell its food but cant get at it.
 
Keep us posted Steve - sounds like you have a few "runners" in the clutch. These crop up in all species, and in some clutches more than others, and they can be bloody frustrating to get started. They look the part, get all huffy and then launch themselves in the other direction, with much thrashing and carrying on. Perseverance is the answer, even though you'll feel like bopping them sometimes :)! They should be fine, and 2-3 months shouldn't be a problem., just don't overdo the efforts - a trial every few days should suffice, any more frequently and you risk habituating them to this behaviour. Once they are really hungry, their behaviour should change - don't forget that they usually hatch with a gut full of yolk which nourishes them for weeks at least.

Jamie
 
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