View Full Version : how to feed first time green python?
erantheking21
01-04-16, 03:49 PM
Hi
I got a green python, i want to feed him first time..he is going back with the head under is body
Any seggestions?
Aaron_S
01-04-16, 08:22 PM
Offer at night. It should be active and ready to hunt/eat. Are you offering live food or frozen/thawed?
erantheking21
01-05-16, 02:06 AM
frozen one
he put his head to hide..he is look not settle i try to put it overnight and he didnt took it.
Tsubaki
01-05-16, 03:14 AM
How long have you had him? Do you handle him?
erantheking21
01-05-16, 05:48 AM
for a week
no i dont handle him, i give him time to settle and he has soft bones.
Tsubaki
01-05-16, 05:50 AM
No reason to worry yet after a week, make sure the husbandry is right and should be fine.
lady_bug87
01-08-16, 05:13 PM
Sometimes with GTPs you need to heat it quite a bit. You can try rubbing it against it's coils to wake it up a little, braining it (cut the head open), make sure there is a lot of cover and suitable perches.
BranceM
01-08-16, 05:19 PM
Back when I kept them, I had great success feeding neonate GTPs with pinky mice scented with chicken feathers. Any bird feathers should work but chickens are nasty & I had access to them. Worked like a charm!
lady_bug87
01-08-16, 06:14 PM
My only issue with the scenting is that there's a chance they'll be dependent on it.
Saying that chicken broth (low sodium) will also work if it's a last ditch effort to get it to eat
BranceM
01-08-16, 06:39 PM
In my experience, once they got accustomed to eating the rodents they readily took un-scented. It's better than the alternative of assist feeding or starvation....
lady_bug87
01-08-16, 06:50 PM
In my experience, once they got accustomed to eating the rodents they readily took un-scented. It's better than the alternative of assist feeding or starvation....
You're absolutely right. Just offering a different perspective.
erantheking21
01-13-16, 12:09 AM
hi
his owner in the farm told me to play with him, put the mouse inside his body and try to help me wrapping on the mouse.
its sound hard
dannybgoode
01-13-16, 01:17 AM
Please do not handle your GTP unless you absolutely have to. You can do serious damage to their bones by trying to coil and uncoil them.
The bones have what is in effect a tiny rachet system and if they are wrapped around something and you uncoil them like you would say a corn or a boa you can damage that rachet on the bones causing serious serious problems.
If you do handle them let them slide on and off you or simply take the whole branch out the are on with the snake still on it.
Finally, and please take this with the good intent that it is meant, please stop buying snakes until you can look after the ones you have and have learnt about their husbandry. You seem to have acquired a few snakes now and have to ask very basic questions about their care each time.
Asking questions is good but you should not be buying new, fairly challenging species (GTP's and Blood Pythons for eg) if you do not know the basics. Get your current collection sorted and feeding well, shedding well etc before getting anything else. You and your snakes will be much happier for it.
lady_bug87
01-13-16, 04:19 PM
hi
his owner in the farm told me to play with him, put the mouse inside his body and try to help me wrapping on the mouse.
its sound hard
Umm no..this is terrible advice.
erantheking21
01-13-16, 11:43 PM
ok the issue is not how many snakes i am buying, i am trying to figure types of snakes, if you not learn, you didnt know.
i had an retucled python, he ate day after i bought him..so belive me i am not a starter, i ask qustion becuse i am reading articels and i getting advices in my country from snake dealers so i am trying to figure if they gave me wrong advices..
i have already like 13 snakes, only this 3-4 of them make me problems, not every thing is perfect.
but now only the tree python is now stil didnt eat, probebly something is wrong with the cage setup.
what i put like 70-80% humidy and the temp is like 27-29 did i need less? more ? morning?
he is on the purch, and active at night..if he was sick he was down.
but he didnt approch to the mouse...did he has slow metabolism? he can be shedding? couse he puts his head inside his body..i will try agian to put a live one but in 2:00 night maybe he will approch to him
if he will not eat, i will try to force feed him.
dannybgoode
01-13-16, 11:59 PM
Knowing when you have issues that need to be resolved before buying more animals is part of learning. I am not saying do not buy more snakes ever but learn to look after the ones you have. Research any new snakes BEFORE you buy them.
Anyway, that aside, if you offer your snake food every day and try and force the issue by thrusting the food at them, wiggling the most around etc you are likely stressing the snake more and more.
Further it will come to associate you trying to feed it with stress exacerbating the issue. I would be very reluctant to put a live rodent in with a snake that is stressed and not wanting to feed as the rodent would likely harm the snake.
Leave the snake competely alone for at least 5 days except for very basic tank maintenance (clean water etc) before trying to feed again. If it refuses leave another 5 days. It will likely easy when it's hungry.
Please PLEASE do not try force feeding him, from your other posts it seems you are not experienced enough to try a method like that. If after a week of leaving him alone 100% he still refuses his food PLEASE take him to a vet and they can help further with the matter i cannot stress enough that this kind of situation if it gets worse needs to be treated by someone very experienced.
lady_bug87
01-15-16, 02:08 PM
ok the issue is not how many snakes i am buying, i am trying to figure types of snakes, if you not learn, you didnt know.
i had an retucled python, he ate day after i bought him..so belive me i am not a starter, i ask qustion becuse i am reading articels and i getting advices in my country from snake dealers so i am trying to figure if they gave me wrong advices..
i have already like 13 snakes, only this 3-4 of them make me problems, not every thing is perfect.
but now only the tree python is now stil didnt eat, probebly something is wrong with the cage setup.
what i put like 70-80% humidy and the temp is like 27-29 did i need less? more ? morning?
he is on the purch, and active at night..if he was sick he was down.
but he didnt approch to the mouse...did he has slow metabolism? he can be shedding? couse he puts his head inside his body..i will try agian to put a live one but in 2:00 night maybe he will approch to him
if he will not eat, i will try to force feed him.
If you force feed him, you're going to kill him. How do I know that? Because you have no idea what you're doing.
How are you offering food? Are you leaving it on a dish? Holding it with your fingers? How hot is the food?
The quick jump to force feeding tells me you have little to no experience working with arboreal snakes. Just because you can get a retic to eat doesn't mean you can get a gtp to. Different species mean different rules.
lady_bug87
01-15-16, 02:10 PM
Please PLEASE do not try force feeding him, from your other posts it seems you are not experienced enough to try a method like that. If after a week of leaving him alone 100% he still refuses his food PLEASE take him to a vet and they can help further with the matter i cannot stress enough that this kind of situation if it gets worse needs to be treated by someone very experienced.
A vet isn't necessary at this point imo. Just a careful look at husbandry and some tact with feeding.
@ladybug in the hands of someone more experienced no it wouldn't be necassary I am just worried for the pythons care, I don't mean this in a rude way however judging by this post and his previous ones he doesn't know how to get him to feed. so i think best option for him is to go to a vet where perhaps he could get a better understanding on what he can do to get the python to eat
lady_bug87
01-16-16, 09:29 AM
@ladybug in the hands of someone more experienced no it wouldn't be necassary I am just worried for the pythons care, I don't mean this in a rude way however judging by this post and his previous ones he doesn't know how to get him to feed. so i think best option for him is to go to a vet where perhaps he could get a better understanding on what he can do to get the python to eat
The problem is a vet trip could make it worse. The stress of pulling it off a perch, the commute, being manhandled, then force fed. Then being transported back home is a lot. Especially for a neo that isn't eating. Also most vets have no sweet clue where to start.
Fair enough I just felt that a vet may help more than Eran can as I have never had (thankfully) any inexperienced vets do more wrong than good to my pet. Just my opinion :)
Essssh. Take a breath slow down and relax.
The simple and slow approach will always work with chondros you just need to get more familiar with the species. They are nothing like the other snakes you own so throw your other keeper skills out. I've kept everything under the sun and these are without a doubt fantastic animals.
I have a bunch....imported ones, cb ones from locales to designers. Once you dial them in they are very rewarding captives it just takes some patience.
Keep juvis in small enclosures with little outside stimulus. They more visual stress the less likely to eat. Keep them a little cooler too. They don't need high Temps. ...all my thermostats are set at 83.5 f. Any hotter and you are dehydrating them. Pics of the setup go a long way to let other members guide you as well.
If you are using a heat lamp you are going to run into issues. A rack setup with heat tape or small Rubbermaid with radiant heat panel is how mine are raised consistently.
Do not force feed....at minimum wait 5 to 7 days with minimal to no contact with the animal let it settle...right now it's being harassed and stressed into not eating. Watch Rico Walders videos on feeding neonates....the technique is simple but effective.
Last point.....come join MVF forum where all us chondro guys are. It's the end all and be all of gtp sites. There are 5 small husbandry guides to help you on your journey. PLEASE read them before going any further with your gtp and I guarantee you will find some success if you slow down and READ about the creature you have.
Cheers
Ryan
AZretic
01-17-16, 08:04 PM
Wow that's a pretty advanced requirement snake isn't it? As stated above do not handle or force fee at all. Let him settle for a few more days and then try. I would try and night and don't even try to watch. Make it dark and leave the room. That may help
erantheking21
01-23-16, 03:30 AM
Ok
He had shedding problems he is in the vet now
If it is just shedding problems....bump humidity up for a week or so. If the gtp is over 2....you can put it in a Rubbermaid with a tiny bit of water....no more than a cm or two....and put a small towel or washcloth in with it. Keep the tub warm as they cool quickly. The movement over the fabric usually loosens up the skin. I have bad sheds in my acrylic displays sometimes but usually remedied quite quickly.
Vets can be more harm sometimes if they don't know chondros or arboreal snakes. If the reason for the vet visit is for respiratory.....you need a culture and sensitivity swab done before administering meds.
Post pics of the cage and animal if possible....could go a long way in members helping out with advice.
Cheers.
Wow that's a pretty advanced requirement snake isn't it? As stated above do not handle or force fee at all. Let him settle for a few more days and then try. I would try and night and don't even try to watch. Make it dark and leave the room. That may help
They don't seem to be too advanced, but more than your avg snake. I'm a rookie per say and have had mine for a year almost to the day. He's doing really well. I've never handled him and try to care for him the best I read the way to. He's my display snake.
As far as feeding goes. He's my office snake so I only see him from 8-5 when he's perched. I got him to where I have a dish and I leave a hot hopper on the dish before I leave and he's got it down by the next morning. He's only passed up one meal in the past year.
Albert Clark
03-06-16, 03:12 PM
In my experience, once they got accustomed to eating the rodents they readily took un-scented. It's better than the alternative of assist feeding or starvation....
Always consider tube feeding before assist feeding. If you can, its much easier on you and easier on the reptile. Also, its always good to administer fluids before going to solids in non feeders.
erantheking21
03-22-16, 04:09 PM
I am still have problems with this green tree oython, and the problem isnt me
1.i gave him to a friend who has snake farm, and knows to treat g.t.p , he gave test for worms in the stomach, he doesnt has nothing, then he try to feed him he ate only 3 times small live rats, even that he is green and had already to eat big rat, i try to feed him frozen today, still doest getting close he has perfect condition costume made cage, my friend thinks somthing wrong with him what could be?
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.