View Full Version : Just bought my first retic but I have a few questions
Sabaton
06-20-14, 02:02 AM
Hello, I am new here to the forum, this is my first post. Sorry for not posting in the greeting section first, but I have a couple of questions regarding my new purchase.
Two weeks ago I attended a reptile expo here in San Antonio and left home with a beautiful retic hatchling. She appears very active and healthy, and has this amazing iridescence to her. However, she is refusing food. Then again, this is my first hatchling. All of my other snakes have been rescues. The temps, humidity and husbandry are fine so I'm thinking that perhaps she just needs more time to settle in? I can't help but be worried, though. So my question is, has anyone ever had trouble getting a hatchling to feed only to have it eat a weeks later? I've tried both live and f/t and nothing. She gets into feeder mode and then turns her head away.
As for my other concern, I came home tonight to find some pigment missing from her head! I'm thinking she might be going into shed but neither my Boa, Ball nor Taiwan Beauty had ever has this happen. I'll go ahead and post a picture.
Sabaton
06-20-14, 02:24 PM
Sorry, seems like I had a bit trouble posting the link before submitting the post. But tell me if any of you guys have seen this before.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bf688f23ca&view=att&th=146b85a0cb9682df&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=1471416250003357696-local0&zw
What are your temps and humidity? How big is her enclosure, and does she have good cover? If you can answer these questions and post pics of her and her enclosure it would help a lot. Gives everyone a better idea of what's going on. This is a great forum, and there's a lot of good help here. Welcome by the way!
jpsteele80
06-20-14, 04:22 PM
When you say hatchling how new of a hatchling is it, has it even had its first shed yet?
millertime89
06-20-14, 04:51 PM
Congrats and welcome to the family! Who'd you purchase her from? I did have some issues with two hatchling retics. Try live fuzzy rats, that's what worked for me. They move around a bit. I've only had one retic that I had problems switching to f/t and I'm just about there so I'm not too concerned. I always try and get them eating first before switching things up.
Can you provide us a pic of her enclosure so we can help you more? Temps and humidity would be helpful as well.
Sabaton
06-21-14, 01:29 AM
IW17: Humidity is usually between 60 and 80 percent. Day temps are around 85-90 with night temps 75 to low 80s.
jpsteele80: According the breeder that I purchased it from, it has yet to have its first shed. I don't know the exact date that it hatched.
millertime89: I can only get fuzzy rats here f/t. Should I just go with that? The smallest live feed available would be a hopper, which still seems small enough for her to kill and eat, but I could be wrong. As soon as she starts eating, though, I am switching her to f/t.
And here is a pic of the enclosure as requested....
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bf688f23ca&view=att&th=146bd3d8edd2775a&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=1471502529346928640-local0&zw
She is in a ten gallon tank with a screen top. I was hoping this would suffice for now until I got her something better built as I know that she is going to grow fast.
Also, about the loss of pigment issue, should this be something for me to be really concerned about?
How are you measuring humidity? Honestly Idk how you could be using a screen top and still maintaining 60-80% humidity unless it's covered with something else as well. Not calling you a liar or anything, just making an observation.
Sabaton
06-22-14, 01:58 AM
I have a temp/humidity dial hygrometer that you can't actually see in the pic. However, I have noticed that carpet used in the tank seems to keep the humidity in extremely well once it is wet as opposed to bedding, which I have always used before. This is my first time using cage carpet. I do also keep the tank covered sometimes when I am away somewhere such as at work. I don't need the heat lamp during the day because my room stays between 85 to 90 degrees, so I just keep the tank covered.
If your not using a heat source I can see how it wouldn't matter. I hope when you say that the carpet is wet you mean damp. Wet bedding can cause major issues down the road. Humidity is moisture in the air, so a moist, damp environment can cause health problems.
millertime89
06-23-14, 03:32 PM
Not a fan of cage carpet, try pure cypress if you can. Also the dial gauge suck something fierce, you're better off getting a digital one. Without seeing the animal I can't tell you if a hopper rat is appropriate or not, but most retics can take that size straight from the egg so you're probably fine.
Congrats on your new addition. I'm surprised the breeder sold before her first shed. Have you tried leaving the food item in over night? There are a few tricks that actually do work though, try 'braining' the prey item or rubbing tuna oil on the food also gives results. I feed large mice to very young retics.
Sabaton
06-24-14, 12:39 AM
Thanks for all the replies so far.
Regarding the cage carpet, I've come to realize that I'm not much of a huge fan either. Cypress really is the way to go. I've used it for my other snakes and it works just fine. The carpet just happened to come with a kit that was being sold for dirt cheap at a pet store. I gave it a try, but nah, I don't like it too much and I don't think the snake does either.
With that being said, I did manage to move her to a plastic tub with cypress bark. I'm not a fan of glass enclosures with the the screen top, at least not for the species that require lots of humidity. What I also did was I cut a 6 inch by 6 inch square at the top and glued two layers of mesh over the square, just big enough to set the heating lamp on top if needed, but small enough so that little humidity escapes. And with two layers of mesh, it should keep the humidity in even more. It looks cheap but works REALLY well. I came home from work just now to find the cypress bark still damp. This will do until I can build my own enclosure for her (I've gotten some great ideas already just browsing some of these threads here)
millertime89: I'm pretty sure that she is more than capable of taking a hopper. I'm thinking that I should just keep the temps and humidity up and give her some more time.
MCB: The breeder had so many different types of animals on display that perhaps she could have been mistaken. It surely wasn't enough to deter me away from buying her. I will try those feeding methods though.
Again, thanks for the replies, I'll keep you guys updated.
Sabaton
07-08-14, 03:17 AM
She ate, just after a good shed! I expected that she eventually would, but I couldn't help but worry.
.
Anyway, she took that hopper VERY well, to say the least.
I love how lively she is!
IW17: Humidity is usually between 60 and 80 percent. Day temps are around 85-90 with night temps 75 to low 80s.
jpsteele80: According the breeder that I purchased it from, it has yet to have its first shed. I don't know the exact date that it hatched.
millertime89: I can only get fuzzy rats here f/t. Should I just go with that? The smallest live feed available would be a hopper, which still seems small enough for her to kill and eat, but I could be wrong. As soon as she starts eating, though, I am switching her to f/t.
And here is a pic of the enclosure as requested....
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=bf688f23ca&view=att&th=146bd3d8edd2775a&attid=0.1&disp=safe&realattid=1471502529346928640-local0&zw
She is in a ten gallon tank with a screen top. I was hoping this would suffice for now until I got her something better built as I know that she is going to grow fast.
Also, about the loss of pigment issue, should this be something for me to be really concerned about?
That breeder should have never sold you a snake that hadn't had its first shed yet. That is irresponsible and bush-league. I'm glad it ate for you.
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.