Stimson Python in feeding mode for a week now.

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

DragonTemple6

New Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2017
Messages
14
Reaction score
3
Hi, I have a 4 year old female Stimson Python who eats regularly and well. She suddenly wouldn't take her two mice one day, and I thought OK, I'll just try her next week.

The next week she was prowling her enclosure looking for dinner and she took two mice instantly. Then the next day she was out hunting for food again but I did not feed her. She was out again the next day and even eyed my dog's ear off and went for it, so I fed her another mouse. Late that same night she was doing the same thing again, but this time stalking my mother, so I gave her another mouse, which she took like she hadn't eaten in a month.

Two days later she's at it again. Should I be worried? Is she just hungry or is there something serious going on?

I would really like to know if I should be heading to the vets, but as she is more than three hours from me, I thought I'd ask to see if anyone had any ideas about what's going on.

Please help! Thankyou.
 
You don't say what size mice you are feeding your python. It's possible you need to up the size of the food. Without knowing the size of yours, a 4 yr old Stimsons should be on a medium rat at least, I would have thought.
 
She's on two of the largest mice I can get. She has a substantial scar from where, according to the previous owner, there was an incident during a shed.

The scar is large and circles about half to two thirds of her body, but this also means that it doesn't stretch like the rest of her does. She takes the largest mice well, but you can definitely see where the scar constricts her swallowing, I am not sure she could safely swallow anything bigger, and as the vet is so far away, I'm afraid if a rat gets stuck I don't know what is safe to do so I haven't risked it.

Do you think I should try? Or maybe smaller rats but more of them?
 
That's some incident I doubt it was due to shedding more likely wrapped around something hot and got badly burned.

put pics up so we can see the size of your snake and the scars and can go from there if she's getting 2 large/jumbo mice every 10 days or so i would think that's enough for a stimmie
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Normally a snake will regurgitate its food if it cant swallow. I would stick with say 50 gram food items x2 if necessary.
 
Ok, so maybe she's just really hungry cause of the temp change and the fact she didn't eat there once.

Thanks for all your help.

PS I'll see if I can find the camera, I know it's around somewhere.

We were up to 38 degrees normal air temp inside the house and I had fans going everywhere, that was also when she refused to eat. Then we've had a week of rain and the temps back down to 26 to 28 so maybe that kicked off her hunger too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Might have to review where you keep the enclosure if your not home and the enclosure gets up to 38+ for a few hours it will kill her it's also the reason she didn't eat as she was stressed. Snakes need a cool spot of low 20s to regulate their temp.
 
I've been contemplating buying an air con and maybe that would be better, to be able to have a temp controlled room and not just the enclosure.

I think I'll get one now.
 
Dont forget it’s start of buildup to wet season, pretty usual to see increased activity and agression now.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top