Won't eat

[Snakebear]

Got my snake 8 days ago. He's an 07. He was eating F/T regularly (so I was told). I fed him a live pinky the next day and he ate fine. But come 6 days later I bought him 2 pinkys (I think he is big enough) but he wont eat even one. The first time He ate in his cage, but now i have a small tupperware container for feeding. He pretty much just ignores them and probes the container. I tried placing the container in his cage and still he just sits in it. He has gone through a lot of changes lately, I've been buying him new stuff for his cage, new substrate(repti bark to aspen), new hides and water bowl etc. I also havn't been hesitating to handle him as he is VERY docile and rarely even shows any sign of fear. Also its kind of cold in my room at the moment, his tank temp is monitored but my room is probably 55-60. So could he just be stressed out? Or too cold? I mean he did eat only a day after I bought him and took him for an hour car ride home and set him up in a new place. He doesn't seem to be showing any sign of shedding. I tried again today to feed him and he did the same thing. Should I just leave him alone in his cage and try again in a few days?

[RainbowMary]

I may be wrong and will hopefully corrected but as far as I know if it was too cold he would still eat but wouldn't be able to digest it properly thus end up in a regurge, are you sure hes not in "blue" when I first got my snake I didn't actually notice she was was about to shed and wondered why she didn't eat, it was only until she shed I knew. thats my input anyway

[Mysfitz]

i would leave him and his cage alone for a few days, don't handle him until after he starts feeding(2-3 meals).

i'm assuming his tank is heated? not just at room temp?

constantly changing things in and around his cage is making it more stressful to him, so altho he may have handled the initial move ok, you changing substrate etc and handling is stressing him even more.

[Snakebear]

Yes he has a temperature gradient and closer monitored temp, his cage is definitely where it should be. I'll try leaving him be for a few days and try again or see if he shows any signs of shedding. He's just been curling up in his tree so maybe he's a little freaked out.

[Snakebear]

Well he shed about a week later, I tried to feed him again 2 days after that. A small fuzzy this time and again he just ignored it. Tried again the next day and still the same. I've left him alone in his viv for well over a week now to get used to the new surroundings and only handled him to move him to the tupperware container I'm trying to feed him in. What gives?

[Nanci]

Try making the pink _really_ hot, and either covering up the feeding container, or putting him in a tiny paper bag _in_ his viv, with the top folded over. I'd wait four days between attempts, too. I'd also stop trying to increase the size and go back to what worked.

[Snakebear]

Live mice, can't exactly heat em up =P and as far as I know I can't get dead ones around here. Will try the paper bag thing though.

[vietmata]

well my girl had a feeding problem and what i did was brain a fuzzy altho it may be cruel it might work.just try once every week if u try everyday itll stress the snake more and it will continue to hunger strike update about the situation later.best of luck

[Nanci]

You brained a live fuzzy? You're right- that is extremely cruel!

[vietmata]

well i had to euthanize it first.

[Snakebear]

what's braining?

[Jevard]

Just a thought have you tried without the tupawear box... believe it or not personality isnt strictly a human trait and your snake may just be stubborn and refuse to eat in such a confined space.. specially after being pissed off that he had to learn all new surroundings in the cage. but if he is laid back and not stubborn he may just simply not like live food. just because he ate the first doesnt mean it wasnt a fluke. you may have to fined a way to get pre killed or HUMAINLY do it yourself. there are many advantages to pre-killed anyway.. in that case you can eliminate the tuperwear dish by simply putting a paper plate down with the pinkie on it to prevent bark ingestion and still give him the pleasure of "eating at home" so to speak. also what temp is your cage kept, were is your thermometer located, and is it drinking?

ps braining is simply what it says splitting the skull of the pinkie open to expose the brain and allow the snake to get a wiff of that...kinda like you driving by a neighborhood bbq and not having your mouth water situation

[Snakebear]

I have a probe thermometer under his warm hide, its usually 75-90. I have a thermostat hooked up and I do try to keep it right at 85 during the day and 80 at night but the temperature fluctuates so much in my room its hard to keep it right on. He spends all of his time hiding on the warm side but way up in the tree against the lid. I have seen him drink a few times so thats not the issue. He seems plenty healthy and alert and he just shed and it was all in one piece.

[Jevard]

oh it may hjave just hum preparing to shed try the feed now that he is done

[Snakebear]

I already tried to feed him a day or two after he shed, that was last week. He wouldn't eat the previous week but when he shed I figured that was why, however he still didn't eat after the shed. It's now been 3 weeks I'm going to try again today.

[lykinst]

when you got him did they say how often he was eating some of my snakes will go weeks without eating i just givem time all should be well unless he starts loosing weight also was he purchased from a store or a breeder? most breeders keep there snakes on a feeding shedual feeding them all the same day sometimes twice a month he may just be used to that so just give him time at least you have seen him eat so hes not starving to death

[vietmata]

ive had my snake for about 6 months and she is doing well now i dont feed in a tupperware container i feed her on the carpet.so no worrys thanks for seeing me through this dark time.

[Snakebear]

He ate a f/t fuzzy today, in his tank with a paper bag layed down to avoid substrate ingestion. Found out the local pet store does have some frozen mice.

[Nanci]

Paper bag strikes again! Good news!

[Jevard]

you have a very stuborn little snake. wont eat outside his viv.