Stimpsons hasnt eaten for months

[snakegem]

Hi
We got an adult stimpsons python (about 4 yrs old apparently) and we've had him since May 08. He had a big feed in the store the week we bought him, and when he got home he did a nice big poo and settled into his new enclosure.
That was almost 6 months ago, and he hasn't eaten anything since. The guy in the reptile shop said he would be ok over winter as he was pretty fat when we got him but as soon as his skin starts to sag it means he needs to eat.
At first I was putting in a defrosted mouse every week, now it is every 2 weeks i try to feed him.
I defrost the mouse, and while its still warm put it in the enclosure. Ive tried enticing the snake with the mouse, ive handled him for a while before feeding him, ive tried not handling him at all, ive tried feeding him in the morning, evening, i am at my wits end.
I hope his not sick!! Esp since its my bf's python i dont want to kill him while im on duty :shock:
I was wondering maybe i should put a live mouse in there? His a very placid snake with a lovely temperment and he doesnt mind being handled and loves to curl up around my neck or in my lap while im watching tv, altho i only handle him about once a week, at this stage i al willing to try anything!!
Today i cleaned out a little poo out of his enclosure so he must be due a feed by now?
Please help!!

 

[MrBredli]

What temps does he have access to, day and night, hot end and cool end?

 

[snakegem]

He has a heat lamp, which i keep on all day and turn off at night, it gets to about 31 during the day and drops to about 23 at night...

 

[MrBredli]

In that case he should start eating again in the next 4 weeks or so. If you'd like him to eat sooner then you may need to supply additional heating during the night.

 

[Stitched]

You could try braining the mouse, and speaking to the store you got him from, he may be used to eating rats

 

[Jason]

start by giving him heat at night, keep it around the 30 day and night in the warm end and just make sure he has a cool end and good temp gradiant. ahould start feeding soon.
also just try feeding at night and leaving the defrosted mouse/rat in there till morning, somtimes shy animals like to be very undisturbed while feeding and only feed at night (2, 3am). i have found some animals that are hesitant at dusk will smash anything offered at 1-2am.

good luck.

 

[snakegem]

what is this "braining the mouse"
sorry if its a dumb Q but yeah its all new to me
they are fed mice at the shop but maybe hell be hungry and i should get him a rat?
thanks guys

 

[notechistiger]

Braining a mouse is when you get a pin and push it through the skull, so that the smell of the brain "juices" come out. It works for a lot of hesitant feeders. The fact that he was feeding beforehand suggests a husbandry problem, not that the snake is sick. Try having the heat on at night (such as with a heat mat) for a week or so, then see if he'll eat.

And no, don't try a rat yet. If he was only on mice, then try getting him to eat something that he was used to. Rats smell different to mice, and some snakes are hesitant to eat them after only being fed mice.

 

[snakegem]

ok ... so i kept the heat on all night and will continue this for about a week
then ill "brain" a mouse, and offer it to him later at night (before i go to bed) so if he is hungry he can eat it while noones awake
oooh im 8 months preg i dont know how ill go braining the mouse lol
thanks heaps guys

 

[notechistiger]

Lol, there's nothing to it. Can we get a picture of his set up as well?

 

[LullabyLizard]

Try scenting the mouse with garden skink tail

 

[LadySnake]

If he's a good weight I wouldn't worry.

Our Stimson pair stopped eating in March and only ate again for the first time this week.

 

[notechistiger]

Try scenting the mouse with garden skink tail

No, don't do that. Other wise you'll forever be catching skinks. If the snake had been eating mice beforehand (especially in the week that you got it), then the reason it's not eating now it surely husbandry related. If you fix it, the snake will start eating again.

 

[snakegem]

ok now how to post a pic of the set up lol

 

[notechistiger]

The easiest way is to become a member of www.photobucket.com, uploading the photo there, then posting the direct link into a new post.