Good and bad news..

[popcorn]

as some of you know i just got a baby GTP few days ago.

The good news is...he went straight to the water bowl as soon as i put it in last night for him..he was drinking water from his perch for a good 5 mins on and off.( i thought i saw somewhere on forum they usually drink from their coils.) def he was dehydrated ..and i decided to put in there as a back up plan if he ever wanted to drink water.Thank god he did drink it out from bowl.
(ok .please bear with me for a moment for the bad news)
well the bad news is...
i found this unusal behavior that he is having..He pushed his nose against his body tried to wipe off something (getting some ideas whats going on??)
Yes, so i watched him the whole time..he was just using his nose to push against his body and his surronding area..i was like O..M..G..please dont tell me its Respiratory Infection..so i checked up on google..all these systoms are matching what he is doing...weightloss ( he looks skinnier than few days ago when i got him)..open mouth..lethargy, failure to feed...

anybody had any expriences with it? i m gonna raise up temp for him..but besides that i m not sure what else i can do for him..if it gets worse..vet attention will be needed..thanks guys any suggestions would help..

[TeaNinja]

it hasn't even been a week of him not eating right...?
i honestly doubt he would lose a considerable amount of weight in a few days.
even if he does have RI, take the correct steps and up the temps and he will be fine.

[infernalis]

Sounds like your snake is getting ready to shed.

[Jenn_06]

like Wayne said sounds like shed or might just had water in its nose. i know when mines drinks water he almost puts his whole nose in the water.

[popcorn]

like Wayne said sounds like shed or might just had water in its nose. i know when mines drinks water he almost puts his whole nose in the water.

i did see him put the nose in the water.. maybe thats y he rub against himself? hope thats why

[popcorn]

it hasn't even been a week of him not eating right...?
i honestly doubt he would lose a considerable amount of weight in a few days.
even if he does have RI, take the correct steps and up the temps and he will be fine.

but when i got him ..less than a week ago he all fat and nice looking.. now i can actually see his spine as well as his wrinkle skin.. why is that if thats not weight loss?

[marvelfreak]

but when i got him ..less than a week ago he all fat and nice looking.. now i can actually see his spine as well as his wrinkle skin.. why is that if thats not weight loss?
Sound like he might have a internal parasite. If he losing wight that much i get him to a vet tomorrow.

[popcorn]

Sound like he might have a internal parasite. If he losing wight that much i get him to a vet tomorrow.

aw... really? i just got him less than a week.he is a captive bred..how could he get parasites? i have everything new setup for him...it just started showing signs a day ago.. wrinkle skin...showing spine..skinny ..idk..hope i m just over reacting...

[Wolfus_305]

would it be possible for you to take a picture?

[marvelfreak]

aw... really? i just got him less than a week.he is a captive bred..how could he get parasites? i have everything new setup for him...it just started showing signs a day ago.. wrinkle skin...showing spine..skinny ..idk..hope i m just over reacting...
Could have had them long before you got him. How old is he? Pictures would really help. Also PM Willow on her she know more than anyone on here about GTP.

[popcorn]

here is a picture..took from iphone ..it doesnt show as much as in picture..but it does shows in person ..

[popcorn]

Could have had them long before you got him. How old is he? Pictures would really help. Also PM Willow on her she know more than anyone on here about GTP.

he is 4 or 5 months old.i hope he is perfectly fine and just not used to enviroment yet..got him from florida..i m in texas..hope it helps? haha i m stessed out as much as my GTP is...ah!!!!!!!!!!

[marvelfreak]

Take a deep breath and relax. The spine showing just looks like it because of the way he sitting. Wrinkly skin the same. The only thing that might be of concern is where the three arrows are. Are those kinks in his spine or when he moves does it straighten out. You always have to be extra careful with GTP OR any kind of tree boa when move them, because it really easy to injure their spine or tail. NEVER EVER force one of a perch if you have to move the whole perch. Did you PM Willow? She would be a lot more help than me.

[Lankyrob]

Its never possible to diagnose from a picture but that looks like a perfecty healthy gtp to me. The arrows you have for his spine isnt his spine, his spine is the ridge to the left where the markings are, those markings follow the spine for the length of the snake.

As for the "kinks" that Marvel pointed out, i have seen my gtp have exactly thr same shapes dependant on where and how he is perching.

[mld]

Could also be a piece of shed in his nostril!

[popcorn]

Take a deep breath and relax. The spine showing just looks like it because of the way he sitting. Wrinkly skin the same. The only thing that might be of concern is where the three arrows are. Are those kinks in his spine or when he moves does it straighten out. You always have to be extra careful with GTP OR any kind of tree boa when move them, because it really easy to injure their spine or tail. NEVER EVER force one of a perch if you have to move the whole perch. Did you PM Willow? She would be a lot more help than me.

Thanks marvelfreak.Woo..sa..haha u need to relax popcorn! lol.it maybe the way hes sitting...those kinks only show up 3D when he sits on the tree.it is hard to not to handle him..but i ve calm myself down and let him be by himself in his tank for the last 2 days now.i didnt PM willow yet cause i dont know where to start ..haha trust me u have been a lot of help and i truly do appreciated!!! thank you!

[popcorn]

Its never possible to diagnose from a picture but that looks like a perfecty healthy gtp to me. The arrows you have for his spine isnt his spine, his spine is the ridge to the left where the markings are, those markings follow the spine for the length of the snake.

As for the "kinks" that Marvel pointed out, i have seen my gtp have exactly thr same shapes dependant on where and how he is perching.

i know..pics doesnt work as good as in person. hopefully like u said he is a perfecty healthy gtp..i m praying every time when i stare at his cage lol..its funny we always provide the best products for our pets..but not to ourselves. I really hope that i m just being paranoid..and hope he is perfecty fine! thanks

[popcorn]

so i went to petsmart today and bought a higher wattage of basking lamp to help him fight off possble RI...not sure if he really has it or not..but better than sorry and it wont hurt him in this way...it will actuaaly help him ..saw this on other post.besides that please pray for me and my little GTP...i appreciated everyone showing your concerns...thank you again

[TeaNinja]

i still think you're just being rediculous lol.

[CanadianEryx]

Love for our pets often makes us over-sensitive; give Popcorn a break!! I know what she's going through; I've been there!! She feels the way she feels and that's the way it is. I had people asking me from pictures if my snake was dehydrated because her skin looked loose. Do you know how much I panicked before I calmed down and realized she was simply going to shed and the camera flash shining off her skin caused the confusion???
Popcorn, I hope your scaly friend eats for you in the next week or so. My snake didn't eat for 6 weeks this winter and it took a while (days...weeks) for me to clue in and calm down 'cause sometimes snakes just do this when it's winter or they're stressed (like they often are when first brought home or moved). Give yourself some time to breathe and learn--you're doing just fine. If you need to, keep posting pics and the good people here will keep watching out for you!! Good luck and keep us posted!

[popcorn]

Love for our pets often makes us over-sensitive; give Popcorn a break!! I know what she's going through; I've been there!! She feels the way she feels and that's the way it is. I had people asking me from pictures if my snake was dehydrated because her skin looked loose. Do you know how much I panicked before I calmed down and realized she was simply going to shed and the camera flash shining off her skin caused the confusion???
Popcorn, I hope your scaly friend eats for you in the next week or so. My snake didn't eat for 6 weeks this winter and it took a while (days...weeks) for me to clue in and calm down 'cause sometimes snakes just do this when it's winter or they're stressed (like they often are when first brought home or moved). Give yourself some time to breathe and learn--you're doing just fine. If you need to, keep posting pics and the good people here will keep watching out for you!! Good luck and keep us posted!

hi and thank you for explaining that into words! i def need to calm down like other members said. i m a first timer on GTP def need a lot of practice and experience . that s why i was so freaked out about it.i m new blood if u wanna call me that lol. u mentioned u had one not eating for 6 weeks? were u concerned at all? vet attention? how did u managed that?
i ll def post more pics and update for everyone! thanks

[Lankyrob]

We all have snakes that at some point wont eat for some reason or another - as long as they are drinking and not looking unhealthy then 99% of the time it is fine. My 6 month old BP went 12 weeks over the winter without eating, adult corn went 6 weeks and my gtp went 4 weeks all the others plowed through their food with no hesitation at all. Over time you will "know" your snake and be more calm in deciding whether something needs doing or whether its just a case of letting the snake chill for a while and it will start eating again.

The most regular piece of advice is that whilst a snake is not eating you do not disturb it except for water changes and poop cleaning. That is probably the hardeest bit!

[NennaMeerkat]

Hey pop, like others have said just keep hands off until the snake eats for you again. That is sorta where I went wrong with the hognose I had before my new one. I stressed over her not eating and of course...she didn't eat. Keep us updated and above all else

REMAIN CALM!! <--and don't forget to bring your towel.

(sorry if you don't get the book/movie reference...hope someone will.)

[TeaNinja]

Hey pop, like others have said just keep hands off until the snake eats for you again. That is sorta where I went wrong with the hognose I had before my new one. I stressed over her not eating and of course...she didn't eat. Keep us updated and above all else

REMAIN CALM!! <--and don't forget to bring your towel.

(sorry if you don't get the book/movie reference...hope someone will.)

aaah lol. that sounds intensely firmiliar but i can't put my finger on it.

[NennaMeerkat]

aaah lol. that sounds intensely firmiliar but i can't put my finger on it.

HHGttG <--first letter of the name of the book/movie

[shaunyboy]

but when i got him ..less than a week ago he all fat and nice looking.. now i can actually see his spine as well as his wrinkle skin.. why is that if thats not weight loss?


it sounds like he is prepairing to shed i would not worry about it but keep an eye on things

he may have just been fed when you got him and after digesting his food looks a little thiner

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

hi and thank you for explaining that into words! i def need to calm down like other members said. i m a first timer on GTP def need a lot of practice and experience . that s why i was so freaked out about it.i m new blood if u wanna call me that lol. u mentioned u had one not eating for 6 weeks? were u concerned at all? vet attention? how did u managed that?
i ll def post more pics and update for everyone! thanks


i've had carpet hatchlings not eat until they were 10 months old with no ill effect.a snake can go a very long time without eating with no problems what so ever

my diamond python's only get fed 6 months of the year and the rest of my carpets only get 1 or 2 feeds during their winter period so they only get offered food for 8 months

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

HHGttG <--first letter of the name of the book/movie

Hitchikers guide to the galaxy :)

[nikkik85]

I hope he is only in shed and not an RI. Definitely update us :)

[shaunyboy]

he is 4 or 5 months old.i hope he is perfectly fine and just not used to enviroment yet..got him from florida..i m in texas..hope it helps? haha i m stessed out as much as my GTP is...ah!!!!!!!!!!

i'm not trying to be cheeky

it should not matter that you bought him in florida and he's now in texas because his enviroment INSIDE his tank is what counts and that should be the same regardless of which state or even country you are in

you have to create the enviroment that his species is used to in the wild within his vivarium

green tree's are not very forgiving if husbandry mistakes are made

a really good book that has been reffered to as the gtp bible is.....

the more complete chondro,written by greg maxwell

its a must for all gtp owners imo

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Agree shaun, that book is my bible for my gtp.

[popcorn]

it sounds like he is prepairing to shed i would not worry about it but keep an eye on things

he may have just been fed when you got him and after digesting his food looks a little thiner

cheers shaun

so i had not bother him ever sine members told me not to..i ll leave him alone maybe i ll try to feed on weekend and see

[popcorn]

We all have snakes that at some point wont eat for some reason or another - as long as they are drinking and not looking unhealthy then 99% of the time it is fine. My 6 month old BP went 12 weeks over the winter without eating, adult corn went 6 weeks and my gtp went 4 weeks all the others plowed through their food with no hesitation at all. Over time you will "know" your snake and be more calm in deciding whether something needs doing or whether its just a case of letting the snake chill for a while and it will start eating again.

The most regular piece of advice is that whilst a snake is not eating you do not disturb it except for water changes and poop cleaning. That is probably the hardeest bit!

wow i know they dont need to eat for a long time..but didnt know it could be that long!! you said they didnt eat in winter? but dont u leave heat and lamp on for them all day long? so for them they cant really tell if its winter or not? why would they not eat then??

[popcorn]

Hitchikers guide to the galaxy :)

haha i like that! did u just made it up? you r a writer!!! lol

[popcorn]

Hey pop, like others have said just keep hands off until the snake eats for you again. That is sorta where I went wrong with the hognose I had before my new one. I stressed over her not eating and of course...she didn't eat. Keep us updated and above all else

REMAIN CALM!! <--and don't forget to bring your towel.

(sorry if you don't get the book/movie reference...hope someone will.)

um..? not getting it what s the towel for?

[popcorn]

i'm not trying to be cheeky

it should not matter that you bought him in florida and he's now in texas because his enviroment INSIDE his tank is what counts and that should be the same regardless of which state or even country you are in

you have to create the enviroment that his species is used to in the wild within his vivarium

green tree's are not very forgiving if husbandry mistakes are made

a really good book that has been reffered to as the gtp bible is.....

the more complete chondro,written by greg maxwell

its a must for all gtp owners imo

cheers shaun

yes and thanks for recomendation on those books. actually my friend has a GTP book that he left in his GFs car...and she took it to work today..i was like..damn it... lol

[Wolfus_305]

Hey,

When I got my 6 year old BP he was eating once a week. After I brought him home he didn't eat for 11.5 months... very frustrating!

[popcorn]

so i went to my friends house again today..he is a big fan of GTPs ..i asked him why does Galaxy (my baby) doesnt coil up while asleep..he said maybe the perches i m using are too big for him..so he gave me one of his by exo terra...small one..i m gonna try it on tonight and see !!~~:)

[Lankyrob]

Fussing around with his enclosure is a sure way to increase the stress invoked by moving to a new home. If you are going to listen to the advice given to let him settle for a week then you really need to LEAVE HIM ALONE for a week. Everytime you "try" something you are just interrupting the settling in process.

[dshin963]

wow i know they dont need to eat for a long time..but didnt know it could be that long!! you said they didnt eat in winter? but dont u leave heat and lamp on for them all day long? so for them they cant really tell if its winter or not? why would they not eat then??

It more so has to do with their day/night cycle,
some people keep their snakes out of any natural sunlight and only use controlled artificial lights 12hrs on/ 12 hrs off

[dshin963]

um..? not getting it what s the towel for?

lol that was a movie/book reference to The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy :D

[dshin963]

Fussing around with his enclosure is a sure way to increase the stress invoked by moving to a new home. If you are going to listen to the advice given to let him settle for a week then you really need to LEAVE HIM ALONE for a week. Everytime you "try" something you are just interrupting the settling in process.
^
This is really good advice and I know it is hard popcorn but seriously don't go into the cage for a week except for water changes...

After a week or two of not eating then try changing stuff around at least then he will be settled in and you can cross that off of the what might be wrong list :)

no point freaking out right now

I understand he is your baby and that the exact same way I feel about my BP who currently hasnt eaten in 2 weeks...

I am leaving him alone and its incredibly frustrating :P But I know it is what is best for the snake and I am continuing to leave him be if he doesnt eat this week ill leave him alone for another before even considering worrying.

Again as I may have said earlier take the advice given on this site to heart most of the top posters on this site have well over a decades worth of experience with different snakes some specializing in particular one such as Mykee with BP's, Wayne with Garters, Willow with GTP's, and i believe jenn with the biggest monsters you can find ;). Trust me most of them are more qualified than an ordinary vet through experience alone :D

[Jenn_06]

ok sorry did not ready all the post so if someone already said what im about to say sorry..

When i got my GTP i did nothing with it for about a week or 2, then i tried to feed it f/t pink mouse he would not eat it when i tried again a few days later still nothing, took me a week to find live pinks and he took that,than i tried the f/t pink again he would not take it until i pissed the snake off lol, some GTP you have to tip the mouse on there sides or by there tail and that will get the snake mad and bite the food.

about the skin and spine this is what mines looked like when i first got him
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/roxy/763471.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/roxy/003.jpg

it is a really good idea to take some of the snakes poop to a vet to see if there is any parasites, better safe then sorry. i did that with my little guys and scared about half the people out of the vet when they found out i had a snake lol.

AND i think this is a MUST HAVE book for any GTP owner is The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwel.

[CanadianEryx]

Was I concerned when my snake wouldn't eat?? You bet your boots, I was after all I had never had a snake before. I was literally in panic mode, especially since it happened just after she was clawed by a kitten and had a couple of surface stabs!!! I immediately posted on this forum and read avidly as I tried to calm down. Since she really didn't seem ill or bothered, and everyone here kept telling me to watch her for signs of illness, I finally calmed down. I did not take her to a vet, and after a couple of sheds her claw marks were gone and she ate. Did I release a huge breath after she finally ate--absolutely. Even though I was somewhat comforted by what everyone else said, I needed to experience it for myself. You're probably in the same boat and you will get through it, don't worry. Feel free to pm me if you need some extra encouragement. In the meantime, do as Lankyrob says and attempt your feeds on a weekly basis otherwise leave him alone (except for water changes). Also, keep an eye on your temps 'cause quite often that makes a difference. Once he is really settled, he will eat for you. Good Luck!!

[mld]

The breeder shouldn't have sold the snake until it fed on its own! Babies are hard to get to feed, you basically have to pi** them off with the pinkies to get them to bit. This can take a while and a snake should have at least 6 feeding without having to pinky slap them! In the wild they don't all survive, only the strong ones with the good feeding response. In captivity more will survive because breeders need to encourage them to feed.

Good Luck, I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs time to adjust!

[popcorn]

^
This is really good advice and I know it is hard popcorn but seriously don't go into the cage for a week except for water changes...

After a week or two of not eating then try changing stuff around at least then he will be settled in and you can cross that off of the what might be wrong list :)

no point freaking out right now

I understand he is your baby and that the exact same way I feel about my BP who currently hasnt eaten in 2 weeks...

I am leaving him alone and its incredibly frustrating :P But I know it is what is best for the snake and I am continuing to leave him be if he doesnt eat this week ill leave him alone for another before even considering worrying.

Again as I may have said earlier take the advice given on this site to heart most of the top posters on this site have well over a decades worth of experience with different snakes some specializing in particular one such as Mykee with BP's, Wayne with Garters, Willow with GTP's, and i believe jenn with the biggest monsters you can find ;). Trust me most of them are more qualified than an ordinary vet through experience alone :D

lol nice!! good to hear that we have expert on every snakes!!

[nikkik85]

Hey,

When I got my 6 year old BP he was eating once a week. After I brought him home he didn't eat for 11.5 months... very frustrating!

Stressful! I think I would be freaking... How can they go so long without eatting?? :shocked:

[popcorn]

ok sorry did not ready all the post so if someone already said what im about to say sorry..

When i got my GTP i did nothing with it for about a week or 2, then i tried to feed it f/t pink mouse he would not eat it when i tried again a few days later still nothing, took me a week to find live pinks and he took that,than i tried the f/t pink again he would not take it until i pissed the snake off lol, some GTP you have to tip the mouse on there sides or by there tail and that will get the snake mad and bite the food.

about the skin and spine this is what mines looked like when i first got him
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/roxy/763471.jpg
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/joejenn06/roxy/003.jpg

it is a really good idea to take some of the snakes poop to a vet to see if there is any parasites, better safe then sorry. i did that with my little guys and scared about half the people out of the vet when they found out i had a snake lol.

AND i think this is a MUST HAVE book for any GTP owner is The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwel.

wow nice baby u got!! is he a good eater now? galaxy s spine look like that actually lol so i got nothing to worry about the spin and skin!! nice!! what did u name your baby??is he still yellow?

[popcorn]

Was I concerned when my snake wouldn't eat?? You bet your boots, I was after all I had never had a snake before. I was literally in panic mode, especially since it happened just after she was clawed by a kitten and had a couple of surface stabs!!! I immediately posted on this forum and read avidly as I tried to calm down. Since she really didn't seem ill or bothered, and everyone here kept telling me to watch her for signs of illness, I finally calmed down. I did not take her to a vet, and after a couple of sheds her claw marks were gone and she ate. Did I release a huge breath after she finally ate--absolutely. Even though I was somewhat comforted by what everyone else said, I needed to experience it for myself. You're probably in the same boat and you will get through it, don't worry. Feel free to pm me if you need some extra encouragement. In the meantime, do as Lankyrob says and attempt your feeds on a weekly basis otherwise leave him alone (except for water changes). Also, keep an eye on your temps 'cause quite often that makes a difference. Once he is really settled, he will eat for you. Good Luck!!

hey thanks! good to hear from u ! and yes we are in the same boat! no matter how people comforted me..i m still a bit worry but def not as much as the first day i got him lol i appreciated your PM offer will hit u up if problems up. and i think i m pretty good now on letting him be by himself and not bother him~~ thanks for advice

[popcorn]

The breeder shouldn't have sold the snake until it fed on its own! Babies are hard to get to feed, you basically have to pi** them off with the pinkies to get them to bit. This can take a while and a snake should have at least 6 feeding without having to pinky slap them! In the wild they don't all survive, only the strong ones with the good feeding response. In captivity more will survive because breeders need to encourage them to feed.

Good Luck, I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs time to adjust!

well i m not sure how many times hes been fed but according to breeder said he is on F/T pinkies so i m assuming he had ate before for many times? i ll wait till next week and try again hope he will eat for me

[mld]

well i m not sure how many times hes been fed but according to breeder said he is on F/T pinkies so i m assuming he had ate before for many times? i ll wait till next week and try again hope he will eat for me

Next time just tease him a bit with the pinky!

[Jenn_06]

his name is Rocky and he is a good eater now... here is a post i did later of him waiting for food.
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/morelia-viridis/85979-someone-ready-eat.html

[popcorn]

his name is Rocky and he is a good eater now... here is a post i did later of him waiting for food.
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/morelia-viridis/85979-someone-ready-eat.html

OMG!!:Wow: he is a beauitful snake!! i bet u r proud of him!!!! i know i would!! lol