Finicky BP

[dshin963]

Ok so I know BP's are notorious for passing up food,
Luke ate for me the first couple times but the last two feeds he just doesnt seemed interested.

I am hoping it is from over handling and this week im not going to go into his viv except to change his water and do any spot cleans if necessary I really hope this works. If not anyone got any advice?

[Lankyrob]

I would say no handling until consistent feeding starts again, my gut recently went 12 weeks with no food so may take a while, just make sure he is looking healthy and drinknig ok

[dshin963]

Sure enough will do.. just sucks because I was all excited since he ate for me the first two weeks...
I hope this problem doesn't happen when I buy my sumatran blood python in May

[stephanbakir]

As long as he isn't losing much weight you shouldn't worry, as you said balls often go weeks without eating. With my ball pythons it's normally caused by them being horney lol, rarely in my snakes is it caused by something else. If you don't plan on breeding them try not to change the snakes temps seasonally... other then that I dunno.

[dshin963]

lol well my room is dumb... I have 3 heating vents for a room that is 10'X10'X9' or so... sooo when the heat kicks in its close to around 30 degrees Celsius ambient temp... and when the heater doesnt kick in its around 20-21 degrees ambient... its a huge change...

I really need a thermostat but all the pets stores around me look at me like I am an idiot asking for a thermostat at a petstore... or have no idea what a thermostat is... damn pet stores...

[Lankyrob]

YOu can buy thermostats online from most reptile suppliers - i personally wouldnt want any animals kept in enclosures with no thermostat.

[stephanbakir]

Yeh, a thermostat is a must, however a thermostat will only tell the heat when to kick in... it cant cool the enclosure after the house heat has kicked in and then your just asking for trouble. Insulating your enclosures, and-or having some of those heat vents blocked would also save your snakes allot of discomfort.

[mld]

Here is what one looks like! I ordered mine on-line because we only have one petstore here and they don't carry zoo med, just exo terra!
ReptiTemp 500R (http://zoomed.com/db/products/EntryDetail.php?EntryID=125&DatabaseID=2&SearchID=5)

[Wolfus_305]

Hi,

I have a BP too! :) wonderful aren't they?

my advice to you would be patience, lots and lots of patience, and take the advice people give you here. When I brought my BP home he wouldn't eat. Everybody on this forum was very nice and helped me through it..all 11.5 months of his hunger strike.

Good luck :)

[stephanbakir]

11.5 months for a BP?? wow, that's crazy lol. Wasn't a juvenile was it? must have been an older one?

[Lankyrob]

Shauny on here had a carpet python come out of the egg and not eat for seven months - reptiles will continue to surprise us with what they can go through and survive. It is not unusual for snakes to go months without food from time to time.

[stephanbakir]

I know, its just surprising for that to happen at such a young age.

[dshin963]

Yeh, a thermostat is a must, however a thermostat will only tell the heat when to kick in... it cant cool the enclosure after the house heat has kicked in and then your just asking for trouble. Insulating your enclosures, and-or having some of those heat vents blocked would also save your snakes allot of discomfort.

Well two of the three arent too bad but one is just a... must refrain from swearing... its blows heat at like 140-150 degrees F... its excessive... i close that one most of the time..
I am going to pick up a thermostat either sunday or at the Expo... That being said I check the temps constantly I have a digital thermometer in there all the time checking the ambient and i have my temp gun to check surface...

[dshin963]

Hi,

I have a BP too! :) wonderful aren't they?

my advice to you would be patience, lots and lots of patience, and take the advice people give you here. When I brought my BP home he wouldn't eat. Everybody on this forum was very nice and helped me through it..all 11.5 months of his hunger strike.

Good luck :)


lol damn 11 and a half months? jeez... that being said hes such a cute little devil :P (his name is Lucifer) just being a picky little bum atm :)
And your from Toronto? Nice me too!

[dshin963]

Shauny on here had a carpet python come out of the egg and not eat for seven months - reptiles will continue to surprise us with what they can go through and survive. It is not unusual for snakes to go months without food from time to time.

Oh Wow... thats crazy

[Wolfus_305]

he was 6 years old when I got him. and he was my first snake. I was going CRAZY trying to get him to eat!!

Just stay calm :)

yes, I live in toronto when I'm not away at school :)

[dshin963]

lol ohh I know the feeling. :P
lol same with me good old school...

[dshin963]

Soo I got another question... I stuck deciding... I have the choice between a Rheostat and a thermostat... not sure which one to get...
The thermostat costs $74 and the rheostat is $32...
Is it worth the price?

[marvelfreak]

Soo I got another question... I stuck deciding... I have the choice between a Rheostat and a thermostat... not sure which one to get...
The thermostat costs $74 and the rheostat is $32...
Is it worth the price?
Get the thermostat it worth the extra money and they're safer. A Rheostat is basically a dimmer switch.

[dshin963]

Ok fair enough ill pick one up on sunday when im in the city