My snake doesn't seem happy :(

[wildflower]

Hey everyone,

my GTS has just had his first shed and I feel like he spend most of his day trying to get out of his enclosure .
I handle him daily and take him out into the sun each morning but he still does this. I do change the environment of the enclosure and add new and differs style branches for him to climb ect
Is this normal ??

 

[buffcoat]

Snakes are constantly looking for a way out. If you think hes "unhappy", make sure there are hides for him, branches to climb on and temps are right. Taking him out every day could stress him out. Snakes are solitary for the most part. They eat, bask and hide.

 

[harlemrain]

Usually when my woma is out and about for hours on end looking for an escape it's a day or two before his feed is due, is it hunger possibly?

But as mentioned above, they do like to find ways to escape, regardless

 

[wildflower]

Usually when my woma is out and about for hours on end looking for an escape it's a day or two before his feed is due, is it hunger possibly?

But as mentioned above, they do like to find ways to escape, regardless

He is hungry, just had a shed and didn't want to eat prior. I put a stink in today and he is showing no interest.

 

[RedFox]

Stink? Did you mean skink? If so why are you feeding your GTS skinks? Other then that sounds fairly normal.

 

[Umbral]

If its old enough it may be eager to find a mate.

 

[wildflower]

Stnink? Did you mean skink? If so why are you feeding your GTS skinks? Other then that sounds fairly normal.

Skink. Sorry. He has always eaten them, just garden lizards. I find it hard to get him to accept anything else. I read on a forum here that breeders have fed them on garden skinks for years.
I am open to any advise, first snake and I love him dearly.

 

[Varanoidea]

Skink. Sorry. He has always eaten them, just garden lizards. I find it hard to get him to accept anything else. I read on a forum here that breeders have fed them on garden skinks for years.
I am open to any advise, first snake and I love him dearly.

Please tell me you don't just grab them out of your garden. If so, they could have all sorts of nasty parasites inside them.

 

[bohdi13]

Please tell me you don't just grab them out of your garden. If so, they could have all sorts of nasty parasites inside them.

honestly? people quite commonly do this with legless lizards and colubridae, they use Asian house geckos and your typical garden skinks. not every wild animal is covered in nasty parasites...

 

[bohdi13]

my stimsons python trys to get out the gap between the glass and wall every single night I go in there haha. nothing to worry about, our scaley little friends are inquisitive and want to get out.

 

[Shaggz]

Changing his environment in the enclosure could be upsetting for him too, Maybe try cutting down the handling a little bit and leave his enclosure alone for a little while to see if he calms down

 

[Varanoidea]

honestly? people quite commonly do this with legless lizards and colubridae, they use Asian house geckos and your typical garden skinks. not every wild animal is covered in nasty parasites...

But that's not to say they don't have parasites. If it is completely acceptable to grab lizards out of the garden and use them as feed, then that's my blunder, I wasn't aware of that. But personally I wouldn't run the risk.

 

[cathy1986]

first snake gtp wow thats setting the bar high considering most people start off with something a bit more basic till you get the hang of it all. but anyway most snakes pace the glass when hungry or horny i would be trying to get it on some decent food and see how you go. and handle less mine come out twice a week and some would say even thats too much. get some books and do some hard copy reading

 

[harley0402]

first snake gtp wow thats setting the bar high considering most people start off with something a bit more basic till you get the hang of it all. but anyway most snakes pace the glass when hungry or horny i would be trying to get it on some decent food and see how you go. and handle less mine come out twice a week and some would say even thats too much. get some books and do some hard copy reading

Green tree snake, not python

 

[Shotta]

maybe get him on feeder fish, and whatever you do don't feed them wild frogs they can get skin worms

 

[andynic07]

Green tree snake, not python

A GTS is still probably not the easiest starter snake.

 

[cathy1986]

lol my bad

 

[Brycerider]

A GTS is still probably not the easiest starter snake.

Would agree with that comment


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[wildflower]

honestly? people quite commonly do this with legless lizards and colubridae, they use Asian house geckos and your typical garden skinks. not every wild animal is covered in nasty parasites...

I was hoping this was not an issue. I do know a lady who breeds both mice and garden lizards for feeding purposes. They are gut fed with vitamins and nutritious great for reptiles.

I have also tried feeder fish but he showed no interest in them. He will eat geckos and trying very hard to get him to take a pinky.

I didn't plan to own a snake, I am a wildlife rehabilitator and he was given to me by a lady who had to move interstate on short notice and couldn't care for him anymore. I had a massive fear and quickly overcome it as soon as I met him.
I have done a lot of research and I must say the Internet is limited on the GTS as a pet. I have ordered books online and know I have a lot more to do. That is why I joined this site, to get opinions and advice.

 

[andynic07]

There are a couple of GTS owners on this site that will be able to give you a lot better information than most of us that have commented so far and it will just be a matter of time before one of them sees the thread and comments. In the mean time I would not be too concerned about him not eating.