Fussy snake - braining pinkie rat, or dip in egg yolk?

[sara_sabian]

I know your frustrated but it's not necessary or helpful to lash out at the other members. Keeping snakes can be frustrating at times, try getting fussy ones to take their first feed. It's not easy sometimes. Getting mad at the snake wont help either, they aren't emotional animals but they will pick up on your attitude and you're not likely to have any success in that sate of mind.

I would suggest trying mice and day old quail. Also, with temps dropping because of the season I'm wondering if a 5watt heat matt is adequate.

Is there maybe someone on here that could drop by your place to help you out, would you be okay with that? it sounds like you're near giving up on this snake and I'm sure no one wants that.

 

[akuji]

I think you're trying to say "not up to par" funny when idiots leave out key words, rendering their point mute. It seems to me that you're misreading my comments. I am frustrated and I took it out on here, big deal mate. I am doing everything in my power to follow advice given and I have followed it precisely. The click clack set up has been known since I made the damn thing.

I have said that I only have enough equipment to monitor the terrarium. Members have told me to shove her in a click clack with a heat mat and do a "dry run" or whatever to make sure sure she wouldn't over heat.

Mate if it is not working perhaps call the breeder to take it back for a while to get it feeding?

 

[kawasakirider]

I know your frustrated but it's not necessary or helpful to lash out at the other members. Keeping snakes can be frustrating at times, try getting fussy ones to take their first feed. It's not easy sometimes. Getting mad at the snake wont help either, they aren't emotional animals but they will pick up on your attitude and you're not likely to have any success in that sate of mind.

I would suggest trying mice and day old quail. Also, with temps dropping because of the season I'm wondering if a 5watt heat matt is adequate.

Is there maybe someone on here that could drop by your place to help you out, would you be okay with that? it sounds like you're near giving up on this snake and I'm sure no one wants that.

You're right. I just felt like it was a personal shot with him saying I'm not fit to look after them, when I am doing everything I can, and I've spent lots of money to do it right! This might sound like part and parcel of owning a snake (which it is) but I think it shows that I am in it for the long haul. I honestly feel very attached to her, she is a GREAT snake. She doesn't even try to bite me. I see you're in Gatton... Do you keep many herps? I go to uni there, perhaps if I paid you, you could look after her and get her to have a feed? I know she has had some feeds, due to her size. She just won't eat with me. The male is 100% fine, that's why I don't understand what I'm doing wrong with her.

Akuji, YGPM mate.

 

[pythons73]

I cant see a 5watt heatmat warming the tub enough,Temperature is one main priority of hatchies feeding.Once the temperature is good 32cwarm end 26c cool end and left alone for a week or so with little to none disturbance.After a week get a mouse and make sure its nice and warm and offer to snake after dark,make no noise and little movement..

 

[kawasakirider]

Will do mate, cheers.

 

[Ramsayi]

I have told everyone here that I cant monitor temps because the equipment I have is in the terrarium. I have followed all the advice/

Without knowing what the temps are you will never get on top of the problem.No amount of braining,dipping in egg yolk or any other method of trying to get the animal to feed will work.You MUST know what the temps are doing before going any further.Go and get another thermometer and take some readings.Correct temps are the very first thing that needs to be established before anything else.

 

[kawasakirider]

Well I'll be flamed hard for this...

I put her back in the terrarium. She kept trying to get in there, so I just let her. I think the 5W heat mat is too cold. Anyway, after a day in the terrarium I tried to get her to eat a fuzzy rat. She was VERY interested in it for over an hour and even struck at it once or twice off the tongs I made. I left it in there and it was still there this morning, so I gave it to the male (who had two pinkies on saturday, what a guts!), so atleast I have one fatso.

I'm having problems in regards to the snake situation that I don't want to go into on here, so I'm fairly frustrated with the whole situation/

 

[beeman]

Simple solution as you cant seem to cope with what needs to be done is sell the snakes!

 

[kawasakirider]

Thanks beeman and jungle freak, you guys are champions, your level of understanding and compassion astounds me, it's nice to know you two understand that I have taken everything on board, and basically emptied my bank account to make it happen. [this was drenched in sarcasm]

Doesn't it seem strange that the male will eat like a horse, yet the female wont? Perhaps it's not a husbandry issue, it's the snake?

I have followed the advice given. I was told to do try runs and monitor temps and they never got too hot. The weather has started to cool down, so it's probably not warm enough in the click clack, hence me putting her in the terrarium.

 

[saximus]

Dude I think you need to contact the breeder and get him/her to explain to you in person what you need to be doing.

She was VERY interested in it for over an hour and even struck at it once or twice off the tongs I made.

That doesn't sound "interested" behaviour that sounds like fear to me. She struck at it because I'm assuming you were waving it in her face and you scared her. Then when you left it in there was was checking out this new thing that was scaring her and was now sitting still in her enclosure. She was never interested in eating it even if it seemed that way.
I've seen a few people ask/suggest this but I can't remember the answer. Have you contacted the breeder and asked what she was feeding on when you got them?

 

[Smithers]

Well I'll be flamed hard for this...

I put her back in the terrarium. She kept trying to get in there, so I just let her. I think the 5W heat mat is too cold. Anyway, after a day in the terrarium I tried to get her to eat a fuzzy rat. She was VERY interested in it for over an hour and even struck at it once or twice off the tongs I made. I left it in there and it was still there this morning, so I gave it to the male (who had two pinkies on saturday, what a guts!), so atleast I have one fatso.

I'm having problems in regards to the snake situation that I don't want to go into on here, so I'm fairly frustrated with the whole situation/

It's good you know when your gunna get flamed cause here it comes,.....you've been told temps temps temps for days and I spoke with you yesterday and you asked my advice and you went and tried to feed her again. All you needed was another thermometer, I give up. Good luck on anyone answering your future questions as a result Trent.

 

[saximus]

It's a combination of the snake AND the husbandry. She sounds like a fussy eater but almost all fussy eaters can become good eaters with the right husbandry. Not trying to have a go at you it's just that this is what the others have been trying to say

 

[kawasakirider]

No mate, I moved it around and she tried to get it off the tongs and I left it and her alone. I could see her through the glass investigating it for over an hour.

The breeder is a difficult person. I have tried to get advice and my movement advice papers for over three weeks, but the breeder keeps changing plans at the last minute because for whatever reason, they have something to hide and she's avoiding me. She was as KEEN as mustard to get me to her house when I had the money for the snakes and the enclosure. She even offered to swap snakes if the feeding problem persisted, and then when I went to take her up on it, she said the jungles "escaped in her garage" only to put a thread up on this very site selling the same jungle hatchlings a few days later!

I drove all the way to Brisbane to head out to her location (half hour out) and I told her I was leaving brisbane and she said not to come, we had arranged to meet less than two hours before I rang her.

I have been on the phone to her EVERY day trying to get my paperwork and she won't come up with it. I haven't outed her yet because I want to fix it amicably, but I am getting so SICK and tired of it.

The breeder told me they like to be together and I shouldn't seperate them, which is completely wrong according to you guys (so I followed your advice), so if I COULD ever get a hold of her, I doubt it would do much good.

I am so over this whole situation, I've been stung.

It's good you know when your gunna get flamed cause here it comes,.....you've been told temps temps temps for days and I spoke with you yesterday and you asked my advice and you went and tried to feed her again. All you needed was another thermometer, I give up. Good luck on anyone answering your future questions as a result Trent.

Mate, the altenator in my car packed up yesterday. I am a uni student with no job because I have just moved here. I spent the last of the cash I had getting a cab to the wreckers and fixing my altenator, I don't have the cash for a thermometer. I monitored temps with the probe when I first did a dry run, I have said this, the temps were monitored!

 

[Ships]

Mate some snakes are just impossible, others will fast for months and then all of a sudden switch on, sounds like your doing most things right you just have a really stubborn bugger. There has been some great advice given and most snakes would be eating following the advice given, but the rare one, which you may have still wont. One more thing to try dont know if its been mentioned or not, slice a frozen pinkie in half length wise, let it thaw and place both halves just inside his hide. It ends up messy but the smells can turn them on. Its a long shot but has anyone mentioned scenting with chicken, pinkie and snake in crumpled brown paper lunch bag and finally I'm sure its been mentioned but most of my fussy eaters will take a brained pinkie with feather attached.

Cheers

 

[kawasakirider]

Mate some snakes are just impossible, others will fast for months and then all of a sudden switch on, sounds like your doing most things right you just have a really stubborn bugger. There has been some great advice given and most snakes would be eating following the advice given, but the rare one, which you may have still wont. One more thing to try dont know if its been mentioned or not, slice a frozen pinkie in half length wise, let it thaw and place both halves just inside his hide. It ends up messy but the smells can turn them on. Its a long shot but has anyone mentioned scenting with chicken, pinkie and snake in crumpled brown paper lunch bag and finally I'm sure its been mentioned but most of my fussy eaters will take a brained pinkie with feather attached.

Cheers

LOL a feather attached? The advice here IS great, but the temps have dropped recently and the heat mat I bought isn't up to par. I had no other choice. People like to believe that I haven't followed their advice, but I honestly have. If I was doing something so wrong, I don't see how the male could be thriving. The female is just very difficult. She has bitten and hung on once, and then decided within ten seconds she didn't want it.

 

[Ozzie Python]

i haven't read everything in this thread but agree with what advice has been given.

sorry if you have already answered it, but how often are you trying to feed the snake? if it rejects a feed, leave it alone, keep her warm (as mentioned) and try it a week later. trying every few days is only going to stress the snake.

like you said the 5w heat mat probably wasn't getting warm enough, however a smaller tub with the correct temps is going to be your best bet to get this animal feeding.

good luck with it.

to comment on your above post regarding ships advice- actually the feather is good advice, i have had many fussy feeders start with a chicken/quail feather stuck to it. most snakes find it hard to resist eating a bird.

 

[kawasakirider]

I have been waiting a week, but I bought fuzzy mice yesterday and I was walking home from the pet shop (my car is out of action) and one of the fuzzies had started to defrost (I get them packaged individually, so I don't have to snap them up when they are frozen) and I decided I'd warm it up and atleast try, rather than throw it away.

I'll have to buy another heat mat...

 

[Smithers]

...

 

[Ramsayi]

I'll have to buy another heat mat...

Forget trying to feed it,forget a heat mat just for now.Go and buy a THERMOMETER and actually measure the temps the animal is exposed to.

 

[kawasakirider]

Forget trying to feed it,forget a heat mat just for now.Go and buy a THERMOMETER and actually measure the temps the animal is exposed to.

Will do, I'll just cut a hole in my floor pan and flintstone it down to the local store, then I'll threaten them with a snake bite if they don't give the thermometer over In all seriousness, I will get a THERMOMETER.

Smithers, what's with the dots?