Albino Darwin won't eat/black spot

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Ezunleashed

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Hi all
My 18 MTH male albino Darwin python hasn't eaten in six weeks. He turns away from the food. I have only tried frozen rats. Should I try live? Is he looking too skinny?

Also, he has had a black spot on his nose for a bit. He isn't lethargic at all and is fine to handle.

We live in Canberra. He has a basking light for 12 hours and a heat mat overnight for 12 hours.

Any advice is appreciated

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He looks very overweight, judging by the “crease” running along his back,

Also the nose looks like it’s been rubbing on something, probably a mesh of some
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Never live feed, the rat will eat a snake that won’t eat the rat , honestly I’d wait a couple months untill he loses some weight ( others can confirm if he is indeed overweight)

Just curious about the heating 24/7? 12hours a day is plenty at 33°c - 35°c hot spot

And what are you feeding and how often normally?
 
He looks very overweight, judging by the “crease” running along his back,

Also the nose looks like it’s been rubbing on something, probably a mesh of some
Sort

Never live feed, the rat will eat a snake that won’t eat the rat , honestly I’d wait a couple months untill he loses some weight ( others can confirm if he is indeed overweight)

Just curious about the heating 24/7? 12hours a day is plenty at 33°c - 35°c hot spot

And what are you feeding and how often normally?

Mate, that's an underweight snake if anything, it's not in great condition. No need to give advice if you're not sufficiently experienced.

Also, live feeding has its place. Not in this case, but it's not a case of never.
[doublepost=1571221956,1571221759][/doublepost]
Hi all
My 18 MTH male albino Darwin python hasn't eaten in six weeks. He turns away from the food. I have only tried frozen rats. Should I try live? Is he looking too skinny?

Also, he has had a black spot on his nose for a bit. He isn't lethargic at all and is fine to handle.

We live in Canberra. He has a basking light for 12 hours and a heat mat overnight for 12 hours.

Any advice is appreciated

View attachment 327853

View attachment 327854


I don't believe that's an 18 month old male. To get an 18 month old Darwin to that size would require it to be overweight, and that looks like a snake which was previously significantly heavier than it is now.

A bit more history on the snake would be useful. Sounds like you have only had it for 6 weeks? What are the temperatures? If the house is cold keeping the heat mat on for longer may be beneficial so he doesn't get a cold snap while one heat source takes time to heat up after the other one turns off.
 
Mate, that's an underweight snake if anything, it's not in great condition.

My apologies, but I was under the impression from multiple reputable source that if you can see the spine raised, it’s underweight, if it’s round, it’s in good shape, if the spine is indented it’s overweight?
 
My apologies, but I was under the impression from multiple reputable source that if you can see the spine raised, it’s underweight, if it’s round, it’s in good shape, if the spine is indented it’s overweight?

Yes, this is a strange (stupid, and as we can see an example of here, destructive) rule they're telling newbies these days, but as with any rule you ever follow, especially if you're new and not familiar with how to use it, it's always worth using a common sense approach to life. Forget the rule for a moment, take a look at that snake again, look at the first picture. How does it just look to you if you think about it rather than blindly following a rule you are unfamiliar with so you need to assume you either don't understand or may be wrong? If it's still not obvious to you, look at the deflated look of the body across the man's knuckles. Look at the build of the snake. That snake is malnourished. Can you see it now? I'm guessing you can.

One of the first things to learn when getting involved in any animal scene is that most conventional common knowledge is wrong or at best questionable.
 
He looks very overweight, judging by the “crease” running along his back,

If you have a good look it's not a crease but the snakes spine, indicating that the snake is malnourished. An indication that a snake is overweight is through obvious mid body scale separation (where the mid body scales do not overlap).
 
Mate, that's an underweight snake if anything, it's not in great condition. No need to give advice if you're not sufficiently experienced.

Also, live feeding has its place. Not in this case, but it's not a case of never.
[doublepost=1571221956,1571221759][/doublepost]


I don't believe that's an 18 month old male. To get an 18 month old Darwin to that size would require it to be overweight, and that looks like a snake which was previously significantly heavier than it is now.

A bit more history on the snake would be useful. Sounds like you have only had it for 6 weeks? What are the temperatures? If the house is cold keeping the heat mat on for longer may be beneficial so he doesn't get a cold snap while one heat source takes time to heat up after the other one turns off.

He was born February 2018. Had him since Sep 2018 and he has always been a great feeder. He was eating juvenile rats every 10 days and weaners previously. He had his yearlt check up in Feb which was all good.

We got a new python in Sep whose tank is under his. He ate once after that but hasn't since

I will take him to the vet today. Thanks for your comments and advice
[doublepost=1571289735][/doublepost]Hi all
Sony t turns out that the vet thinks be may have struck the glass at some stage. The black black on his nose is bruising and his jaw is slightly munted.
He is now on painkillers daily for a week in order to get him eating again.

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