feeding dumerils...

[bistrobob85]

Hey. I'm actually feeling kinda lost because it seems like most people's dumerils boa seem to eat tons and mine hasn't eaten for me for 17 days now ( and she has also shed a week ago, which usually get snakes into apetite... ). My maintenance has been checked and everything is alright... I don't stress her, i try to leave her alone too, and she just doesn't take any dead rats i give her. She has been eating dead rats for me before ( a few times ) but now she doesn't want to eat at all! I know she would eat live ones but i don't have living rats small enough for her... I tried live mice, which worked but now i have to get her back on both dead food, F/T and rats... What do you guys suggest? Scenting dead rats with mice scent? Putting a F/T mice scented rat in her mouth after she swallowed a small mouse? Any help would be appreciated!!!

phil.

[Linds]

I don't know what kind of substrate you are using, but I know a lot of people have had success getting stubbor Dumeril's to eat using a particulate substrate in which they can burrow in and hide. I would try getting a rat down the hatch while she's finishing swallowing a mouse that she's taken on her own to try and get ger back on dead rats from live mice. Hopefully it won't be too hard to switch her back.

[bistrobob85]

I'm actually one of these substrate in which she loves to hide and feel safe. She's not stressed at all and would eat perfectly if i would feed her live all the time...

[ssscales]

Substrate seems to be important to some picky eaters when they are young. Some like to burrow and will only feed on live or moving prey items. They usually outgrow this as my Dums have always been kept on newspaper or Astroturf.

You mentioned your snake has eaten before, has anything changed in your husbandry, like temps? Is the snake mite free? For 17 days I wouldn't worry too much, just check temps, substrate and snakes appearance and try again in a week.

My Dums have always had a great appetite and rarely refuse a meal.
Neos usually will take F/T if left alone at night, but some will require live food and above all time.

[bistrobob85]

Now she ate two small rats ( live ). The next thing i'll do is feeder her prekilled... i guess i'm on the way to F/T :)