Sigh of relief

[BillyCostume]

After 5 weeks of having him my Dumerils finally fed. I was beginning to get worried as he was visibly losing some weight. Thankfully he's got a belly full of rat fuzzy :) hoping for smooth sailing from now on. He seems to be an incredibly shy snake, anyone else have similar issues with them?

[regi375]

Have you been using a feeding tub for him, or inside his enclosure? My ball python Is really shy. She won't eat for me unless she's in her tank. (Basically just drop a mouse in her hide and close up the entrance with a piece of cardboard until she gets him XD )

[EL Ziggy]

It sometimes takes new arrivals a while to start feeding. I'm glad he finally ate for you. I feed all of my snakes in their enclosures and have found it's less stressful for the snake and the keeper than feeding in a separate tub.

[BillyCostume]

I feed all of my snakes inside their enclosures. I think he just took a while to settle in. I didn't interact with him other that giving fresh water and offering food once a week. Have my fingers crossed that he develops an appetite similar to my BCIs :) my brothers ball python is similar to yours, shell only eat in the safety of her hide with nobody around

[TeamSlitherin]

Congrats on the achievement! My Dumeril's is also a very finicky eater. I've kept other snakes in the past and they've always fed immediately upon the offer of food. I've resorted to keeping a small portable home for her cast-off mice until she decides to eat them! :D In nearly 11 weeks, I've only been able to get her to feed 4 times I believe? Maybe 5. And she's small (7 months). She doesn't seem to be stressed out or losing weight; just wants nothing to do with her mice. When she does eat, it's generally in the dark with no one around. Hope things get more consistent for you, but know you are not alone ;)

[Jim Smith]

Congratulations! I know how frustrating it is to have a snake that seems willing to starve to death for no apparent reason. Take care and I wish you continued success with your fussy eater.

[Scubadiver59]

My BP has the same affliction with the small rats I've been trying to introduce her to. The first time she grabbed it by the nose and pulled it into her cold hide like some scene from a horror movie; the second time, she "sniffed" the rat, but pulled back into the cold hide. So, I left it there, and when I went back ~.5 hours later, she was engulfing the meal, head and rat in hide, the rest of the body outside the hide. Very strange behavior...she never did that with the mice.

I feed all of my snakes inside their enclosures. I think he just took a while to settle in. I didn't interact with him other that giving fresh water and offering food once a week. Have my fingers crossed that he develops an appetite similar to my BCIs :) my brothers ball python is similar to yours, she'll only eat in the safety of her hide with nobody around

[BillyCostume]

Thanks everyone:) he's a bit of a better feeder now, inconsistent but at least he's eating.