Yearling Coastal Hasnt Eaten for a Month...??

[Surfcop24]

Hey all... Just after some advice on what to do...try...?? I have two yearling coastals about 1m long each. I have been feeding them every two weeks a Weaner Rat for the last couple of months. One has taken it everytime without even waiting at all. The other has refused it twice.. Once today and once two weeks ago. The feed before that was now 4 weeks ago...

Any suggestions........?

I think it is strange that one is taking it fine.. But my favourite one isnt.

I have the thermostat set around 28 Deg as we have air con and it will chill the enclosure to 24 deg or less if I dont use the thermostat. During the Day because of the Heat the enclosure has been getting up to 33.5 deg (Min/Max Digital Thermometer).

There is no signs of Mites in the water at all.....

I use a red Heat globe..... Is a Uv light possibly what is needed...?? I do have one, ready for the new/larger enclosure. At the moment the two of them are in a 4ft x 1 1/2ft x 1 1/2ft Fish Tank. Fake grass Substrate and 3 Hides... Rocks ...and a Branck to climb....????

These are my first snakes so I am unsure what I should do......... If anything at the moment......

 

[blake_da_snake]

hey surfcop
this happened to me i have 2 bredli an one ate and one didn so i took it to the vet n the one that wasnt eating had a parasite but she gave her treatment n she was back feeding agen so if i was u i would take her to ur nearest vet
blake

 

[Surfcop24]

OK and I assume only a Vet knows when a Parasite id present.......

Also In one of Peterjohnson's topics about his 9 yr old Diamond...someone mentions about worming the snake...Does that have to be done...How????? And when...????

 

[Allan]

Hi Surfcop,
It sounds like you are housing them together which can sometimes cause problems with juveniles as one of them becomes dominant and makes the second one anorexic.
Try to separate them for a week and try again.
Re. parasites, they usually cause runny and smelly poos.

 

[soulweaver]

i would be keeping the temp up at 33.5 degrees.........28 degrees is starting to get on the coolish side, and 24 proably might make the snake think its winter.

also try giving a mouse instead of rat.........they sometimes go off different food types. as for the reason why one would eat and another would not, that just comes down to personality, every animal is different, and each prefer different conditions.

if unsure always go to a vet..........but i would be trying different things within the cage and set up to see if the snake will eat.

a month isn't a big deal yet, if goes to 3 months i would start to get a little worried........

biggest mistake ppl make is when in doubt they don't go to the vet.......

 

[chameleon]

id separate them permanently..
get poo samples for mr vet.(dont worry if 1 isnt pooing,
if one has parasites or worms etc, than the other will have it too).
is not a uv problem.
when vet gives all clear,and is still not eating, start doing the scenting methods....
actually you could try it now..
it could be just that one wont eat with company any more(it happens)
try feeding in a dark room
but do separate them.
alot of the times if a snake just stops eating, then something is definately
up...

 

[Allan]

A good little book to get is Roger Klingenberg's "Understanding reptile parasites" available from the Herpshop. It goes through signs and symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It is fairly easy to find the most common parasite eggs under a microscope. I bought a "kid's microscope" for $10 at a fleemarket and it's working well.

 

[Brodie]

Hi,

At this stage I wouldnt worry about taking the snake to the vet. Just play around a bit with different husbandry techniques until you find one that works. A month isnt a big deal at all so dont worry yourself over it.

If you are keeping them together, then its quite likely you have already found the problem.

As souly said try different food items. Most snakes cant resist fresh killed ducklings. I have gotten wc BHPs that I got off Ben Wright to be excellent eaters using fresh ducklings.

Oh, and if you do decide to do a faecal sample, wait until you are at the vets before you take it. It needs to be very fresh

Cheers

 

[Surfcop24]

OK...I will raise the temp a bit...to about 30...

Cant separate as I dont have the second/third enclosure built yet.....But will get stuck into building it...

I have noticed too the one that wont eat just hides away in a hide all the time...where as the other is out...looking around...drinking etc....

 

[Brodie]

Sounds like its a bit stressed, probably from being in with another snake.

Just go and buy a 48L tub for 15buks from woolies and drill or solder some holes in the lid. Easy..

How often do you handle the snake? You might be stressing it out too much by handling it

I keep the warm end of all my cages at about 33/34 now. Just have to make sure the snake has the opportunity to cool down.

 

[chameleon]

yeah the non eater seems to hate the company or is way too shy
(or both)..
you could wait till nightfall hits and throw the eater in a big container
of some sort, while you feed your royal shyness in the enclosure..
just throw the mouse in and cover the enclosure for an hour or so....
may work.

 

[instar]

It'll be fine. separate asap. dont handle or offer it food for a few weeks then try again. I hope you are separating them when feeding? Its a good idea!

 

[TrueBlue]

Id seperate them and see if it solves the problem, as said before they can get stressed when housed together, rembering pyhons are solitary creatures.

 

[Surfcop24]

Yes I do seperate them to feed...

I only handle them one or twice a week now...It used to be every couple of days. But have slowed down a lil over the last few months as they tamed down ... And when I do handle them...it is only 5-10 minutes.......

 

[TrueBlue]

No I mean house them seperatly at all times except when mating.

 

[Surfcop24]

TrueBlu...... Instar said "I hope you separate them to feed".....

I am not sold on keeping them separate.... The guy I got mine off has 3 or 4 per enclosure...And he says he has never had any problems.....

But Anyways ...I Tried something that someone mentioned....

Leaving the Rat in the container that I feed them in.... Left it for a bout 15 minutes..And came back and he/she was wrapped around it..swallowing it...

YYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for everyones advice and ideas... Hopefully that is all it is... (just likes to see a dead rat laying there for a while....or the privacy factor).....

 

[Brodie]

I have seen many pythons eat their cage mates in friends collections. And last year one of my childrens ate its cage mate when I had them together for mating.

Keeping them together when you have been informed of the risks is completely irresponsible IMO

Glad its feedin now though.. But seperate them or you will find no body will give you advice anymore. Its happened to quite a few people before!

 

[TrueBlue]

Well said Brodie,
Surfcop, you must also remeber that every snake is different in its own way sutble as it may seem and some will stess when housed with others. And yes contray to popular belief most pythons will eat other pythons under certain circumstances. And if one gets sick more often than not so will the cage mates.

 

[reptililian]

That does it, tomorrow Ivy and Snapdragon, sibling yearlings, get seperated. Never had any problems feeding or etc, but I don't want to risk anything unfortunate happening.

Keeping them together when you have been informed of the risks is completely irresponsible IMO

And bemoaning "I didn't think anything like this would happen to me" would be no consolation if one of them had the other one for lunch. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this thread!

 

[peterjohnson64]

What about outdoor housing. I have two pytons in an aviary that is 3m x 2m.x 3m high. Oh, pic attached... But they still insist on being intertwined almost all the time. Is this still an issue. thay have heaps of capcacity to be apart.