ive had a redtail boa for a week and a half. The pet store owner said she hadnet ate for the past week before i got her. so its been nearly 2 1/2 weeks since she ate last. ive done everything to see if shell eat. i feed her dead mice but shes only 20" long so i go with fuzzies or hoppers and idk if this is normal for her not to eat or what? help plz.
2006-11-09 14:37:51 · 12 answers · asked by andy s 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
how long had the pet store had it b4 you got it? if they only had it the week b4 you got it and hasnt ate for them they dont know its eating pattern or anything. and also scince you just got it a week and half ago its not that abnormal for them to go on a hunger strike from stress it may take 2-3 weeks to start eating. at this young though i would not go much longer than a month without getting someone that is EXPERIENCED in force feeding, if this is not done absolutely right it can injure a snake and this is a last resort only the snake will n like it and you dont want him associating food with displessure. go to the pet store and get a live mouse hopper if they have it small adult if not and ask for a pinch of dirty gerbil bedding and put the snake, mouse and bedding( for a much stronger smell and for some reason they like gerbils better anyway but they have a much stronger bite so dont feed a gerbil you just whant it to smell like it) all in a dark escapeproof box and leave it alone for a couple of hours sneeking a peek every 15-20 mins to make shure mouse aint defending itself. if it still dont eat dont try again for 4 days he will eventually eat.
2006-11-10 15:03:32 · answer #1 · answered by reptileking 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Snakes have a sense for detecting heat they don't see very well and they treat a dead cold rat, or mouse very diiferently, you need to introduce your snake to young live mice like fuzzies or pinkies, because they are hot and thge snake can get a sense they are there. Yor snake should eat within the next wek if not I would go back to the petstore or go to a vet and they should come up with a solution. Good Luck!
2006-11-11 07:24:08 · answer #2 · answered by jason c 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I first got my boa it wouldn't eat. Come to find out it had mites. Have you checked for this? they are very small and black. Use a magnifing glass. If you see any take it to the vet asap. Is it skinny? My snake was so bad it's skin was litterly hanging. After mite treatment I had to force feed about three times. I used thawed pinkies and filled thier mouths with Reptivite vitamins. My boa is now ten years old and 9ft. long. You can e-mail if you want more info. Moondancer20678@yahoo.com. Good Luck.
2006-11-10 02:45:20 · answer #3 · answered by Barbra W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ret tails are finiky at times... I try different coloured mice, at 20" long hoppers should be good. I use tongs to move the food in front of it until it grabs it. One that I had wouldn't eat for a long while and I ended up having to force feed her.... getting her mouth opened and placing the mouse head first in, then gently squeezing it down her throat until she would swallow on her own. After a couple time of that she started feeding on her own as long as I moved the food in front of her. I never feed live food as it can hurt your snake. Also be sure that the food you are offering is fresh.. if it has started to go bad, then the snake won't want it.
2006-11-09 23:17:22 · answer #4 · answered by grandma2sara 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Define "everything".
Call the pet store and ask how and what they feed their animals. See if they remember you and ask what, specifically, your snake ate and how she ate it. Sometimes they force feed them, which takes practice, and means she never actually ate for them.
Check all her environmental equipment. Heat, light, humidity all have to be comfortable for her. Something may have broken, or malfunctioned, leaving your girl too hot or too cold to eat.
I once almost froze a Bearded Dragon when the power went out and the light bulb didn't come back on. Also, a snake almost cooked when a lamp got knocked too close to the cage. Things like that make a big difference to reptiles and you have to watch the equipment closely.
Good luck.
2006-11-09 14:50:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Was your snake caught in the wild? My Ball Python was and so we was use to to eating a lot for a few months and then he wouldn't eat for a few months. Maybe you should ask the pet store?! It could also be that the snake is stressed or maybe even that the food is to large. it could also have to do with the food being dead or alive. My snake would only eat live food. She wouldn't even try if it wasn't moving. it didn't even matter if i used tongs to move it in front of her. Maybe try leaving the food in over night. Might not want a audience
2006-11-10 03:23:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a redtail boa now for 2 years,make sure the temp is right,have 2 hid boxes and fresh water,then just leave it a lone. snakes can go months with out eating,leave it a lone for a week,wait till it gets dark and drop in a fuzzy mouse and leave,do this when the snake is out of its hid box moving around
2006-11-10 14:12:43 · answer #7 · answered by tom l 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sometimes you will move a snake and eat will go into culture shock and wont eat for up to maybe 2 months...you should try different mice...different color patterns...def. try alive mice and hoppers sounds to small try a reg. sized mouse from petco...my ball python is 22 inchs and eats to large mice a week...or 1 small rat a week..dont worry yet...if you snake still doesnt eat after trying this email me at silverchair_19@netzero.com i can give you a few more ideas to help you on your way..gl
2006-11-09 14:58:03 · answer #8 · answered by Jake S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
since you have only had her for 2.5 weeks I'm sure you have handled her quite a bit...snakes won't eat when they are stressed ....you should try leaving her to herself for a few days and then drop a fuzzy rat in her cage..(at 20 inches she is definitely big enough to handle it) but make sure it is live...then leave for a couple of hours and make sure she has privacy.....heat, humidity, and environment do come into play but mostly after the snake has eaten....one side of the cage should be heated and the other side not....this way she can thermoregulate at her pace to digest....but when it comes down to it....if she is hungry enough she will eat...and give her at least 24 hours after eating before you handle her again so she doesn't regurgitate...hope this helps...if not let us know
2006-11-09 16:55:42 · answer #9 · answered by freezerburn 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Have you tried feeding live pinkies instead?
Sometimes the younger snakes will only eat live food.
2006-11-09 14:47:09 · answer #10 · answered by mkatgriffin 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋