diamond python feeding

[Raddy318]

hi everyone, i have a 5month old diamond python, and i still have to force feed it! is this common for a snake this age to not be feeding by its self? im a first time diamond owner so i need a few use full tips thanks

 

[Jen]

How long do you let it 'not eat' before you force feed it?

 

[Raddy318]

what do you mean?

 

[thebraddles]

how long in between feeds? how many times a week do u force feed it?

 

[Raddy318]

i feed him once a week

 

[thebraddles]

also let me know your temps and the conditions of the enclosure

 

[Jen]

Leave the poor thing alone for a few weeks, it won't die, but if you continue to force feed it, it will never want to take food normally. Let it get hungry.


Sorry it has to be said - /facepalm.

 

[Raddy318]

its a 60 wide by 90 high glass reptileone enclosure, i run a 60w ceramic globe & i have a heat mat runnin off a thermostat, its usually about 25- 29 inside the tank

@ jen, i havent fed him for about 3 weeks cause he sheaded. im open for suggestions. i am a first time snake owner

 

[bucket]

i have the same problem i have a 110cm diamond[2 years old] i got from a mates cousin and he was feed it live mice he does not want to eat dead mice.
he has shead his skin once so i have not force feeded him and he has a few marks i'd say from live feeding and he is aggro as so i'm hopeing that he starts to eat the frozen mice or i'll have to force feed him.
How do you force feed a snake to eat?

 

[Jen]

I'm sorry, but any basic research on this site or any other would have given you enough information. I also don't know what 'sheading' is? Do you mean the snake 'shed'? Your temps, great, where in the tank is it 25-29? Is that the overall temp? Do you have a cool end and a hot spot? Is it not wanting to eat because it now associated the smell of food with being tormented or is it just not eating because it is winter? How do you try to get it to eat? Do you warm the food to room temp? Do you warm it to body temp?

 

[Raddy318]

its pretty simple. just get a set of feeding tongs, warm the mice up by putting it in front of a heater untill its room temp then just grab it with the end of the tongs and get a firm grip on your snakes neck (not to tight that you hurt it) and just slide the tongs along the snakes mouth and it should open its mouth, then just drop the mice in and place your snake in a container or something untill it eats

yes i do mean shed. yeah i do have a hot spot and cool spot, and room temprature

 

[bucket]

with diamonds 28 degrees is fine less heat than other snakes.yer shed it skin mate. i have a 4x4x2 there is a cool spot anywhere on the bottom around 24 degrees. i place defrosted mice.i defrost in cold water than luke warm water than give to the snake not interested so i'm hopeing it to cold to eat or i'm going to have to try something different

 

[Raddy318]

if nothing works just take it to a reptile vet or something and them to see what happens. do you run a UV light?

sorry if some comments dont make sense, ive been flat out all day and im buggered haha

 

[bucket]

yer uv plus 150watt ceramic heat blubs. i'll give him a month to see they normal burmate in winter. wait did i spell that right if not i went to a public school so i don't care about miss spelling

 

[thebraddles]

do u have the heat on 24/7? cos if its 29 degrees in there all the time, its way too hot. my pair are in a 4x4x2 enclosure with uv and basking only. no heat what so ever. the basking light is on from 10-2pm and uv on from 9-6pm. most of the time, mine come out in the morning bask for an hour or two, then move away. my basking spot is bout 29, but the rest of the cage in between 20-24 degrees.

 

[Raddy318]

no its not always 29 in the cage, i leave the 60w ceramic goin 24/7 and the thermostat cuts the heat mat out when the whole enclosure hits about 29, then it drops back off to about 22-25 cause the 60w ceramic dosent do much.

 

[bucket]

Under the the heat it gets to the max 28 degress than turns off. he comes out sits under the ceramic for a little bit than comes out when the lights turn off search the whole place out than gos into his fake tree stump to hide

 

[user 23122]

Get your enclosure set up properly and wait until spring diamonds can naturally go off their food in winter regardless of their enclosure temps. Try scenting a large fuzzy mouse with garden skink as they are a juvenile diamonds prey of choice in the wild it's always worked a treat for me especially with young diamonds

 

[joelly116]

what do you mean when you say force feed, are you worryed cuz it wont eat if you leave it in the inclosure cuz feeding from feeding tongs is fine..... also you dont have uv diamond pythons need uv light

 

[veenarm]

what do you mean when you say force feed, are you worryed cuz it wont eat if you leave it in the inclosure cuz feeding from feeding tongs is fine..... also you dont have uv diamond pythons need uv light

UV Light is debatable for Diamonds.. DPS has more correlation to over heating as they are a cooler climate..
Having said that I have UV as I don't think it can hurt and it makes there colours stand out more...

My diamonds are on 24/7 heat as they are both <1 year old - next winter i will be only doing 4 hours of heat or so and probably not feeding them.

My Jan baby is smashing through food still whilst the oct last year baby hasn't eaten in well over a month. Hasn't lost condition so won't worry just yet.

Mine are vertical glass tanks about 45Hx30Wx30D

Top heat light gets to 31, they switch sides its 26/25, they go to the ground its like 22/21 (at night the ground can get much lower as im in canberra)

try not to force feed actual food as well as it can encourage your snake to think that that food is going to scare them later on... I've been told and used once to get the hatchie started up some special vet food with a syringe and feeding needle. Did this once, he hasn't stopped wanting normal food since I did this.