Pre-shed pics! / and when will he eat again?

[radstusky]

So Leto hasn't eaten in 3 weeks now. I've been offering him a fuzzy mouse on his regular schedule of once per week (I plan to switch to rat pups in April). Once I also tried lowering the fuzzy in front of him with tongs and he bit at it, but didn't constrict and eat it. These are f/t mice I'm feeding. Last time when he shed, he only skipped one meal, and shed a couple weeks after. I never saw his eyes go milky or anything, the only reason I think he's about to shed is because he's stopped eating and because it's been since early December since his last shed. That time he also didn't go blue that I noticed.

I'm open to any advice about feeding or shedding, thanks. Here are some pics from yesterday:

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4277.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4283.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4286.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4266.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/af102/Stuart_Miller/100_4265.jpg

[presspirate]

I don't know if you have tried leaving the prey item in with him, but if you have not, do so. With our young carpet he is usually in his hide at feeding time. I put the prey in the entrance of the hidey hole and usually he will eat it within a half hour. Good Luck!

[radstusky]

Yes, each mouse was left in his cage overnight, then removed in the morning. I observed him investigating the mice thoroughly, just not eating it!

I guess what I'd like to know is how long should I wait for him to eat without worrying, and should I make a high-humid hide for him to help him shed? I have been spraying his cage occasionally with a mister to increase humidity, and the room has a humidifier, but this only gets the room humidity to about 50%.

[Lankyrob]

My JCP has always fed whilst hanging from his perch, this is how the tend to hunt in the wild, hanging from a tree and striking downwards at rodents etc as they run underneath the snake. MY guy wont eat if he is on the floor with the prey item.

[marvelfreak]

Love the marking on his head it looks like a Demon. Tthe male Jaguar carpet i getting later this week has a marking like that on his head.

[ErgoProxy]

my JCP also feeds from her branch every feeding..she seems to like it better this way ^-^; plus its cool to watch!

[radstusky]

Love the marking on his head it looks like a Demon. Tthe male Jaguar carpet i getting later this week has a marking like that on his head.


I never noticed that before!

I am observing him rubbing his head on the branches in his cage, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he's getting ready to shed hopefully tonight! I'm sure after that he'll go back to eating normally.

[Ch^4]

My JCP likes to eat on a perch, but will also eat on the ground.

How old is your JCP? He looks like he could easily take bigger prey. My JCP is 8 months old and she eats medium to large rat fuzzies weekly. She is in shed right now, but another month and she'll be eating rat pups no problem.

Going from mice fuzzies to rat pups is a pretty drastic jump. I'd go from mouse fuzzies to rat fuzzies. IMHO

He's very handsome though!

[radstusky]

My JCP likes to eat on a perch, but will also eat on the ground.

How old is your JCP? He looks like he could easily take bigger prey. My JCP is 8 months old and she eats medium to large rat fuzzies weekly. She is in shed right now, but another month and she'll be eating rat pups no problem.

Going from mice fuzzies to rat pups is a pretty drastic jump. I'd go from mouse fuzzies to rat fuzzies. IMHO

He's very handsome though!

For feeding I normally put the fuzzy on a lid which serves as a plate, and he grabs it from which ever direction he happens to find it. He usually grabs it off the plate completely and constricts it even though it's already dead. Then he'll swallow it down.

You're right, I'll probably go to rat fuzzies first. The reason I said I'd wait til April is because I thought I'd wait for the New England reptile expo which is April so I can get some cheap rats and avoid expensive shipping charges. I still have plenty of mice fuzzies from last time.

So last night he still didn't shed after all. :( I think he's looking more yellow even before shedding, so I am really anxious to see how he'll look after this shed.

Oh, and I got him in early October, at the last Expo, and I think they said he was about 2 months old then. So he must be about 7-8 months old now.

[red ink]

Use his natural instincts to your advantage mate.

Perch feed as others as said as well as feed in the evenings only.

[yeroc1982]

Must be nice to let him cruise in ur hands. My little one bites the hell outta me, every time.

[radstusky]

Must be nice to let him cruise in ur hands. My little one bites the hell outta me, every time.

I think I got lucky that way. Mine has actually never bitten me (yet). I thought he might once as I was getting him out of his cage, but he was looking so mad that time that I just decided to let him be. I do love the way he wraps himself around my fingers like that. I pretty much think he's awesome! :)

[radstusky]

So last night he finally decided to eat again! It had been over 4 weeks, so I am relieved. I gave him two fuzzies too. I'm still waiting for him to shed though, and this should be any day now...

[shaunyboy]

Yes, each mouse was left in his cage overnight, then removed in the morning. I observed him investigating the mice thoroughly, just not eating it!

I guess what I'd like to know is how long should I wait for him to eat without worrying, and should I make a high-humid hide for him to help him shed? I have been spraying his cage occasionally with a mister to increase humidity, and the room has a humidifier, but this only gets the room humidity to about 50%.


carpets have no specific humidity requirements they should shed just fine at room humidity

i would stop handling until he starts eating regular

i heat all my prey items with a hair dryer prior to offering by lightly shaking it 3 to 4 inches away from their face with a pair of feeding tongs

you could always try puncturing the skulll 2 or 3 times to allow brain matter to seep out

capets can go off their food for weeks sometimes months on end during breeding season especially the males

i've had hatchling carpets that were slow starters that never started feeding until the age of 10 months with no ill effect

have you changed any of his husbandry requirements after he last ate ?

i have some carpets who eat all the way through the shedding proccess some that don't eat a few weeks before during and after the shedding proccess

the longer you have your carpet the more you learn to read them and work out whats going on with them

from your pictures you have a nice chunky healthy young carpet so imo theres no need to worry about him skipping a few meals

cheers shaun

[mld]

Great news! :)