Persistant feeding problems

[Them and Us]

so i have asked for advice here already on why my baby boa won't take already dead mice and what i can do to get him to. i have him on fuzzies when i get them. he will only take live mice. so i feed him every 7 days instead of every five like i was said to with frozen. so he will definitely be hungry and on his guard so the mouse can do no damage although i don't now if such a small rodent can do that much harm to him. i have tried everything. i even tried the poking the hole into the brain case so the smell is stronger and he will be more attracted to it. well feeding day comes tomorrow are there any last ideas anyone may have or should i just keep on feeding him the live mice since he is so stubborn and it is what he prefers.
Thanks

Todd

[Big Mike]

Have you tried moving the dead mouse around with tongs or a hemostat? Maybe he's attracted to the movement.

[Quervo]

My ball python was the same way .. would only take live.
What worked for me was to get the frozen mouse all nice and warm, and then rub it around in a box that had the live mice in it. I put the box in his cage so that he gets a good mouse smell, and the put the f/t in and wiggle it around with tongs.

[Darren Hamill]

Todd,

How do you keep your boa? What is he housed in and what are the temps on the warm and cool end? Is the boa captive bred and born? (CBB) Few common boas are picky eaters and unless he's a yearling that used to eating mice I don't see why he would be picky... Some animals quickly get used to the same food item and don't want to switch... Boas are usually far from problematic...

Let us know how you house you're boa including the heating device used and maybe we can get a little more in depth with the problem.

Thanks,
Darren Hamill

[J.J.]

Well, I know that my ball python will not take dead food, so I just started feeding him live, and he does a good job, maybe you might just have to stick with live, just make sure to watch your snake hunt it and when he strikes at it and curls up with it, make sure your snake didnt get bit or anything like that. But I hope you can get the snake to eat dead. Try the paper bag feeding, it never worked for me, but its worth a try, just put the snake and the dead mouse in a paper bag, then put the paper bag in the cage, after a while CAREFULLY open up the bag ( if the snake hasnt already gotten outta the bag itself) and see if it ate. Well, good luck to ya!

[Them and Us]

He is not a yearling. i don't know his exact age but im guessing around 6-8 weeks as he was bought for me at a pet shop by a friend as a moving present sort of thing. I myself would have gone to a breeder but i love him all the same. he is right now in a 20 gallon tank the overall temp is about 82-85 degrees in his cage which is created by an under tank heating pad and the hot spot is about 90-91. thanks i appreciate this . i hope that is enouhh info.

[Jeff_Favelle]

All I can say without seeing your setup or anything (and bear in mind that I'm not saying you don't know how to keep animals):

Usually when a normally healthy animal fasts its because you are not providing the right living conditions, whatever those are. WE are usually the problem, and not the animal itself. No offense. Check temps, gradients, photoperiod, humidity, etc etc first.

Unless its a ball python and then just give up now!! :D

[reverendsterlin]

well since it is eating live I figure the enclosure is fine, but the snake is young so keep trying teasing with the tongs and it should change pretty quickly. maybe add a day or two between feedings

[sophia]

Also you can try removing him to a rubbermaid container in which you thawed a mouse for him. Remember to drill holes in the sides for ventalation and after the mouse has thawed in there, thouroughly heat the mouse with a hair dryer and then place the snake inside the rubbermaid with the freshly warmed mouse, put the lid on and walk away from view for about thirty minutes. I usually lay some heavy books on the lid to keep the snake in so I don't have to worry if I'm not watching too closely and I check on the snake after about 15 minutes.

The darker the area, the better the snake's going to like it and the higher the likelihood it will eat.

Tay

[sophia]

I should have added, that after thirty minutes if he's not taken it by himself, tease him by holding it with tongs by the tail and dragging it gently down his body toward his head and then away from him an inch or two until it peaks his interest.

Tay

[Syst3m]

I got this advice from Jeff Favelle for my brazilian and I figure it will be good for you too.

If it looks like he is just reluctant to feed on pre killed, let him have it over night. I've tried everything with my brazilian. I thaw mine in hot water inside of a sandwich bag. using very hot water, not boiling just hot tap water I heat the mouse up nice and good then dangle it from tongs but that didn't do anything.

He Actually nailed it a few times when I teased him with it but he then rejected it.

Jeff said to leave it with your snake for a good period of time. Let your snake discover it on its own and it should eat it. I've switched to paper towel substrate so my snake doesn't eat any substrate. If your snake doesn't eat a frozen thawed after 12 hours take it away and wait a few days.

I think my problem was I was trying to push the snake to eat right away. Give it some time to think about the meal. I think overnight would be gould since snakes are usually nocturnal.

Give the snake some time alone with the prey. Sometimes moving the snake to a seperate container thats is smaller will also provoke a feeding response when left alone for a while too.
You want the snake to have nothing to concentrate about but that food item. I think its better to place it outside the hide before the snake becomes active at night. She might not want to be watched?

Anyways give it a shot. If your not using News print or paper towel for a substrate I would really suggest you did since its clean, easy to change and your snake doesn't risk digesting substrate.

Good luck with it.

[Darren Hamill]

Like I said in my original post and what Jeff has said as well.. It sounds like it's a housing problem rather then a feeding problem... What kind of cover is on the tank? Screen or wire top allow too much ventilation and can dry out the tank quickly...
I would recommend covering about 80% of the top to restrict the air flow therefore allowing better humidity..

I would also try lowering the temps in the cage... A 20 gallon tank can't properly maintain a the proper heat gradient with a heat pad and a screen to unless done just right.. The ambient temps sounds great but IMO the hot spot is too hot.. :)

As for leaving the food item in the cage over night to see what happens... Great idea. :)

Best of luck!

[nuno]

if I were you I would try freshly killed food and once he gets custom to that then start feeding hin room temprature food maby try shaking it whith some tongues.

[neil evans]

A little trick that triggers their natural killer instinct and feeding responce, that I have used for years with fussy eaters especially dumerils is this, scent the rodent with a chick, but what i do is to defrost a chick first, then make a slit in the belly, insert the frozen rodent to defost, when ready dangle it in front of the snake. T

[Them and Us]

thanks everyone. i go him to eat it finally

[Them and Us]

thanks everyone. i go him to eat it finally. i watied about 9 days since last fed and then i just basically teased him with it and at night and finally i think out of sheer hatred for the menacing animal he ate it. hopeully he will continue and i will do what I must. thanks veryone.

[zouleous]

so what worked? what was the problem? :P

Z