So much for non-feeding!

[Irish Eyes]

I got this little BCI male last week at an exotic animal expo. He cost me a whopping $20 because he was a non-feeder, and I figured that, if nothing else, I could tube feed him. Been doing that w/a non-feeder corn snake for over a month, and that one is doing well--she's now up to 8 g :-). She's a little over 2 months old. At a month old before I brought him home, Baby BCI Boy weighed in at a whopping 67 grams, totally on empty.

The day I got him home, he ate one fuzzy mouse! He was HUNGRY! Today has been one week, and we just fed him a hopper mouse. So much for being a "non-feeder"! Woot!

I thought you might enjoy seeing a couple of pix of this cute li'l guy. I'm thinking of naming him "Little Bit"....

Here he is about an hour after I bought him:

http://www.colliecapers.com/birds/babyBCI1a.jpg

Isn't he cute?

Here he is the other day:

http://www.colliecapers.com/birds/bciflash1a.jpg


And here he is w/meal number 2. Seems like a feeder to me! *grins*

http://www.colliecapers.com/birds/nom1a.jpg

http://www.colliecapers.com/birds/nom2a.jpg

Check out that nice mouse-tail "tongue" thing he's got going. LOL!

Soooo... whatcha think? Seems like a got a good deal for a gorgeous little boy :-). My first BCI, but I've done the research, so I know what we're in for and how to care for him. Since he's eaten vigorously twice, I'm hoping that means I can now consider him a "feeder" instead of a "non-feeder" :-). Certainly the people I bought him from were jazzed!

[Will0W783]

That is awesome! Congrats on getting him going. I honestly think that most pet stores do not have the knowledge to properly care for baby exotic snakes and that likely causes a lot of cases of non-feeding. Once they are in a proper environment with less stress, they are more likely to eat. He is adorable...I like the name "Little Bit" too! Best of luck with him- hope he continues to eat and grows like a weed for you.

[Irish Eyes]

That is awesome! Congrats on getting him going. I honestly think that most pet stores do not have the knowledge to properly care for baby exotic snakes and that likely causes a lot of cases of non-feeding. Once they are in a proper environment with less stress, they are more likely to eat. He is adorable...I like the name "Little Bit" too! Best of luck with him- hope he continues to eat and grows like a weed for you.

Thankfully, I bought him from a breeder, and not a pet store. The husband and wife team had a table filled with BCIs and other boas at a reptile expo. Don't know why they couldn't get him to eat, though. He was ravenous!

[Will0W783]

My bad..for some reason I thought you said you'd gotten him from a pet store.
I apparently need my eyes checked..lol.

[infernalis]

Gotta love "non feeders" like that.

[Freebody]

i got a non feeder, my 66% het male carpet wont eat at all, 1 meal the week i got him and has refused food for the past 4-5 weeks. i have tried feeding real hot food not so hot food in the morning,afternoon,night, real late at night, real early morning, sitting the food and leaving it , shaking it around a bit, shaking it more, droping it in from right over his head, bring it close to him from the front, touch him with it.... i have no idea how to get it to eat, getting worried now. Grats on getting your to eat :) and he is one hell of a handsome fellow!!

[presspirate]

I love success stories like that. Congrats!

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks, guys! I really am pleased, especially since I've been tube feeding a corn snake baby for over a month, now. Not a lotta fun worrying about them! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he'll continue to eat well and consistently. He's such a pretty boy :-).

Freebody, you might want to check into tube feeding your guy 'til s/he eats on his/her own. It's a lot easier than tube feeding mammals or gavage feeding parrots, 'cause the trachea on a snake is at the front of its mouth, while the esophagus is at the back (on corn snakes, at least. I'm assuming it's the same for boas). Nearly impossible to send the feeding tube down the wrong passageway :-).

[Lankyrob]

i got a non feeder, my 66% het male carpet wont eat at all, 1 meal the week i got him and has refused food for the past 4-5 weeks. i have tried feeding real hot food not so hot food in the morning,afternoon,night, real late at night, real early morning, sitting the food and leaving it , shaking it around a bit, shaking it more, droping it in from right over his head, bring it close to him from the front, touch him with it.... i have no idea how to get it to eat, getting worried now. Grats on getting your to eat :) and he is one hell of a handsome fellow!!


How often are you trying to feed?? Sounds a little like he is being harassed with food and this may put him off even more. If he doesn't eat leave it a week before retrying with another method or he may see the prey item as an irritant rather than food.

[Aaron_S]

Thanks, guys! I really am pleased, especially since I've been tube feeding a corn snake baby for over a month, now. Not a lotta fun worrying about them! I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he'll continue to eat well and consistently. He's such a pretty boy :-).

Freebody, you might want to check into tube feeding your guy 'til s/he eats on his/her own. It's a lot easier than tube feeding mammals or gavage feeding parrots, 'cause the trachea on a snake is at the front of its mouth, while the esophagus is at the back (on corn snakes, at least. I'm assuming it's the same for boas). Nearly impossible to send the feeding tube down the wrong passageway :-).

To be honest tube feeding is very stressful and should be used as a last resort. What should happen is if you haven't tried a live feeding, do that first. See if the snake is interested and try feeding at least 5 days after the last attempt.

[Freebody]

i tried for the first 3 weeks, 1 time a week, for the past 2 weeks every 2-3 days or so. i normally just heat up the pinky rat and wiggle it alittle infront of him get his attension, and place it down and leave it with him for an hour or so, and when i get back the snakes on the other said of the cage even if its his normal resting area he likes. so i re heat it and try again and leave it for an hour, if it does not eat i feed it to one of my womas, they are little piggies and eat everything lol. i spoke with the guy i got it from and he gave me a few pointers, im going to get a fuzzy mouse wash it with soap and water rince it real good and try that, im he dont know why but it works for him. he said will get it going for me or even just take him and give me another one, Damn henry piorun is one Hell of a great breeder, but i told him my boys got a name and no way would i trade him in but help getting him feeding is an option vrs tube feeding him. im going to buy a mouse and try that, he did eat a pinky rat already the week i got him,but if it works it works. ill keep yall posted.

[Lankyrob]

I would say 2-3days is too soon. Give him a chance to settle and chill out between attempts or he will just get more stressed

[Freebody]

kk i will give it a couple days before i try the mice. i just want him to eat so bad im really rushing it, i know i shouldn't, but it easier to do in theory :P ill give it a few day for sure and try again.

[Irish Eyes]

Aaron, been there, done that--and a WHOLE lot more. Believe me. Also, have you checked out the results of the tube feeding vs. regular feeding study on the cornsnake forum belonging to Connie Hurley? The tube fed actually grow better than the "normally fed" ones.

It may be stressful for the tiny girl, but it's better than being dead. You know how small a baby corn snake is, right? She didn't eat until she was almost 3 months old. She weighed 4 grams when I started tube feeding her. She now weighs 8 grams, and is doing well. That's good enough for me.

[marvelfreak]

i tried for the first 3 weeks, 1 time a week, for the past 2 weeks every 2-3 days or so. i normally just heat up the pinky rat and wiggle it alittle infront of him get his attension, and place it down and leave it with him for an hour or so, and when i get back the snakes on the other said of the cage even if its his normal resting area he likes. so i re heat it and try again and leave it for an hour, if it does not eat i feed it to one of my womas, they are little piggies and eat everything lol. i spoke with the guy i got it from and he gave me a few pointers, im going to get a fuzzy mouse wash it with soap and water rince it real good and try that, im he dont know why but it works for him. he said will get it going for me or even just take him and give me another one, Damn henry piorun is one Hell of a great breeder, but i told him my boys got a name and no way would i trade him in but help getting him feeding is an option vrs tube feeding him. im going to buy a mouse and try that, he did eat a pinky rat already the week i got him,but if it works it works. ill keep yall posted.


When i got my Bredli last year he wouldn't eat for nothing. After 6 and a half weeks of trying rat pinkies, mice fuzzies,mice pinks and still nothing not even a attempt. I decided i wouldn't even try to feed for a couple weeks. After two and half week i try and he took a rat pinky for me. Then two the next week. After that he ate every time. So i try going two maybe even three weeks with out even trying. Then give it a try.

[Freebody]

ok ill give him a rest, hes not getting skinny yet or anything so ill wait 2 weeks and try again.