Young Diamond not eating. ? Shedding?

[swifty]

My first diamond python Monty came home on 4th Dec and is 10 months old. He ate a fuzzy rat on the 13th Dec. I have offered fuzzies since then but he hasn't eaten, we tried braining the rat etc but no luck. He looked sort of interested but didn't eat.
Now his eyes are milky so I guess he is going to shed soon and I am told he won't eat now until afterwards. He is spending a lot of time in the water. The temp ranges from 28-31`C.
He is still living in the click clack (within the larger enclosure) that he was in when I bought him.
My concerns are-
1. firstly that he won't have eaten for so long. Is this a problem? What should I do?
2. not sure whether I should handle him for the time being.

Please help. I am 12 and this is my first snake. He is really docile and the best pet.
Swifty

 

[eden roscoe]

hey swifty, just leave him alone and make sure he has water, they can go for months without food so no need to worry

 

[Bugsy]

A diamond can go without food for months, but considering this is a young diamond, that wouldnt be a very good idea at all, you need to keep it feeding...For starters, if you havent already got one, you need to spend a bit of a money on a good digital thermometer and make sure temperatures are correct...a young diamond needs a 30 degree hot end, and the cold end of the cage needs to be say 24 degrees and under. Diamonds are a cool climate snake, so they do need a nice cool end....Secondly, there is probably no point trying to get it feeding while its in shed, leave it alone, until it has shed...Once it has shed, then try feeding it again....hold the prey item above its head, wait for the snake to strike it, if it still doesnt strike it, try teasing the snake a lil with it, wiggle it a bit, touch the snake on the nose with it...If that doesnt work, leave the prey in the cage with it, make sure there is no noise in the same room as the snake, and leave the room for a while. See how you go with that.

 

[swifty]

Thanks for the info. He's still in the click clack within the bigger enclosure. How can I make sure he has a cool end? They told me to keep him in the click clack for another 3 months.
I will try that with the rat when he has shed.
Thanks
Swifty

 

[Bugsy]

Your probably better off using a heat cord or heat mat...Place one end of the click clack on the heat mat or cord. That way the snake can escape the heat.

 

[FAY]

A hatchling in the water bowl...maybe it is too hot......I bred 39 this year...they all shed and none of them soaked...just a thought..

 

[dickyknee]

dont worry about food , it will be fine .
How cold is the "cool" end of the click clack ??

 

[tenacres1100]

if he's soaking a lot you should check for mites as well
also was he on rats when you got him? sometimes they take a rat the first time but not the second

 

[paulajohnston]

i am having the same problem with my 18month old murray darling he is in his water bowl the whole time his eyes are milky and when he not in the water he is really dry i change his water daily he has both hot and cold spots and the temp is roughly about 27 in the hot end he hasnt eaten for two weeks and i am thinking of taking him to the vet as my other snakes have shead fine not sure what i am doing wrong as i am sort of new to the snake game myself

 

[tenacres1100]

hot and cold spots and the temp is roughly about 27 in the hot end he hasnt eaten for two weeks and i am thinking of taking him to the vet as my other snakes have shead fine not sure what i am doing wrong as i am sort of new to the snake game myself

MD should have 32 at the hot spot under the basking light, some don't eat when shedding

 

[paulajohnston]

cool bumped up the temp someone said he might have mites how do i tell this and what do i do if he does he was sharing a house with my other murray but they had a fight so i seperated them do you think he might be upset by losing his friend they got along fine at first and if he has mites do i treat both snakes... i love my boys and couldnt bare anything to happen to them oh and can humans catch the mites we often lay in bed together and watch telly does that mean i have to treat my bed

 

[swifty]

if he's soaking a lot you should check for mites as well
also was he on rats when you got him? sometimes they take a rat the first time but not the second

Yes he had eaten a fuzzy rat before I brought him home. and then one since on the 13th dec.
How do I check him for mites? I can't see anything on him.

 

[paulajohnston]

dont know about you swifty but i cant see anythig on mine just had a good look at him dont suppose they would be jumping around like nits on kids though

 

[tenacres1100]

dont know about you swifty but i cant see anythig on mine just had a good look at him dont suppose they would be jumping around like nits on kids though

you can see them floating in the water bowl they look like black specks

 

[paulajohnston]

bugger so i have mites what do i do now? just checked my water dish and there are little black specs everywhere

 

[tenacres1100]

bugger so i have mites what do i do now? just checked my water dish and there are little black specs everywhere

“Top Of Descent” (TOD)
This is from the TOD web site
Directions For Use
-Remove water bowl/tub from the enclosure before spray, clean it and leave it out for 24 hours
-Remove the reptile from the enclosure
-Spray the interior of the enclosure to form enough fume in the enclosure
-Suggest spray 2-3 seconds for a standard 2 x 3 foot size enclosure
-Leave the enclosure closed for 10-15 minutes, and then return the reptile
-After 24 hours, return the water bowl/tub to the enclosure
-After another 48 hours, clean out enclosure and destroy any substrate (it helps remove mite eggs)
-Spray the enclosure surrounding area as well
-Do not rinse the enclosure and the reptile after spray
-Re-spray the enclosure about seven days later after first application, a third application might be necessary depending on the infestation
Other Tips
-After treating the reptile and the enclosure, spray a line around the enclosure to create a barrier
-Frequently (every day or two) spray around the enclosure to keep the barrier working during treatment
-Suggest use paper as bedding during treatment so that changing bedding is easier

you can get it here http://wehaveitall.com.au/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=651

 

[tenacres1100]

what do i do if he does he was sharing a house with my other murray but they had a fight so i seperated them do you think he might be upset by losing his friend they got along fine at first and if he has mites do i treat both snakes... i love my boys and couldnt bare anything to happen to them oh and can humans catch the mites we often lay in bed together and watch telly does that mean i have to treat my bed

you'll need to probably treat them both :? not you can't catch them but you can transfer them all over you house you'll also need to spray your carpets if you have them

 

[paulajohnston]

thanks hopefully be able to get this under control.. have three cages set up close together so going to have to treat them all

 

[paulajohnston]

maybe i should move house fully carpeted... and i suppose i will have to mortein the bed too

 

[tenacres1100]

thanks hopefully be able to get this under control.. have three cages set up close together so going to have to treat them all

definately, we had them on a MD that was 10mths old and it took 4 treatments to not see them anymore:x replace the substrate with white paper towel (when it says to) it's the best for seeing them after you spray, but follow the directions that I posted, there the latest from there web site the can is different