my baby carpet python won't eat dead food

[dragonteen]

been trying for months but he just won't do it. i don't like having to feed the mice to him that way, i feel crule, even though i know it's a natural thing. and i'm not keen on the idea of buying live rats or anything larger for him when he's older, by the way, besides rats, what else can i feed him when he's all grown up, assuming he's eating dead prey by then. (sorry if my questions seem silly, but he's my first snake and i'm learning as i go.)

[jaleely]

How are you trying to feed it? Wiggling it? Warming it first, and wiggling? Or leaving it in the cage? Have you talked to you got it from to see how they fed it? It is possible to transition to frozen/thawed food, but it's sometimes really hard. Add a few more details and i'm sure a lot of people have some good advice for you ")

[unknownclown]

I've had some in the past that would only take live its a pain switching them! Have you tried freshly killed? Basically you just have to keep trying no more than once a week use tongs do the death dance and eventually it will happen. Patience is the key and if its hungry enough it should switch over.

[Lankyrob]

The mistake that i see a lot of people make when switching is this - you try dead prey and the snake doesnt eat so you give it a live prey item so that it eats. This means the snake will "learn" that if it refuses one thing it will get the other.

If the snake doesnt take the dead prey then throw it away and DO NOT feed the snake anything else - next week do the same and keep repeating until the snake gets hungry and eats what you give it. Remember that snakes can go MONTHS with no food and suffer no effect. I heard someone say yesterday "a snake not eating for a fortnight is like you not having a biscuit with your cup of tea" - it has no effect long term at all. My BP last year went 3 months with no food over the winter period - no rhyme or reason to it, he just didnt eat.

The only thing to look for is if the snake starts to show signs of getting skinny or unhealthy in which case different action needs to be taken.


(Just reread this and realised i have used the word "you" a lot - this is not intended to be a criticism of YOU - the op - but just a general thing i have noticed - sorry :))

[marvelfreak]

I second what Rob said. I have a Jungle Carpet that goes 5 month every winter with out eating. The rest of the year she eats once every two weeks. She is 10 years old 8.5 feet long and 13 bls. So needless to say she a monster of a Jungle. So if he go awhile with out eating it won't hurt him.

[dragonteen]

when i tried, i warmed it up ( i think a bit too long though) and held it in a pair of tweezers and wriggled it. allways he would strike, coil around it then line it up to eat but he never swallowed. mum sugested the mouse was too hot but i don't know. the breeder was terable realy. he treated them as if they were wild snakes. he didn't handle them (which is where i thought the aggresion i spoke of in my earlier post came from) and he put live food in thier cages for them to catch. Cyril (the snake) has no expeariance with dead mice so i kind of understand him not eating them. however, i did try a fresh killed mouce a friend of ours gave to us because he was trying to get rid of his mice for his snakes because of the smell. it was only dead about two hours, not all that fresh but it's the closest we can get (the only place we can buy mice is half an hour away so mum's never to keen to drive all that way). because of the distance, when we feed Cyrill, i want to make sure he eats it and getting rid of a dead mouce is never fun eather. i have been feeding him live food lately though because he didn't eat during winter so i want him to have a reasonable amount of food before i try dead mice again.

[red ink]

when i tried, i warmed it up ( i think a bit too long though) and held it in a pair of tweezers and wriggled it. allways he would strike, coil around it then line it up to eat but he never swallowed. mum sugested the mouse was too hot but i don't know. the breeder was terable realy. he treated them as if they were wild snakes. he didn't handle them (which is where i thought the aggresion i spoke of in my earlier post came from) and he put live food in thier cages for them to catch. Cyril (the snake) has no expeariance with dead mice so i kind of understand him not eating them. however, i did try a fresh killed mouce a friend of ours gave to us because he was trying to get rid of his mice for his snakes because of the smell. it was only dead about two hours, not all that fresh but it's the closest we can get (the only place we can buy mice is half an hour away so mum's never to keen to drive all that way). because of the distance, when we feed Cyrill, i want to make sure he eats it and getting rid of a dead mouce is never fun eather. i have been feeding him live food lately though because he didn't eat during winter so i want him to have a reasonable amount of food before i try dead mice again.


Where abouts are you mate...

[shaunyboy]

heat the prey up with a hair dryer,stop every few minutes and feel the prey with your hand,once it feels roughly the same temperature as a live mouse/rat,then offer it with feeding tongs

you could always brain the prey,pierce the skull 2 or 3 times with the point of a pair of scissors.give the head an extra heat then offer

has your tank got plenty,hides,branches and fake plants ?

this will give your young carpet a feeling of security

also don't handle him,leave him in peace and quiet,only go near him to change his water every 5 to 7 days

cheers shaun

[dragonteen]

Where abouts are you mate...
afew hours north of sydney.

[red ink]

afew hours north of sydney.

Damn bad luck mate... I'm in Victoria, any closer I would have happily come over to give you a hand.

[dragonteen]

heat the prey up with a hair dryer,stop every few minutes and feel the prey with your hand,once it feels roughly the same temperature as a live mouse/rat,then offer it with feeding tongs

you could always brain the prey,pierce the skull 2 or 3 times with the point of a pair of scissors.give the head an extra heat then offer

has your tank got plenty,hides,branches and fake plants ?

this will give your young carpet a feeling of security

also don't handle him,leave him in peace and quiet,only go near him to change his water every 5 to 7 days

cheers shaun

i never thought of useing a hair dryer, i used the microwave...pretty grotty result.

i use real branches in my tank because our pet shop's prices for fake one's are simply outragouse! or at least i think so. but i don't feed him in his normal tank. a friend said that i shouldn't because he will be more likely to bite me. i have a little feeding box instead. he can see out of it and breath and streatch out and he's only in there when he's eating.
by not going near him, will that make him more relaxed or something?

[dragonteen]

Damn bad luck mate... I'm in Victoria, any closer I would have happily come over to give you a hand.

that would've been awsome. oh well. thanks anyway :)

[alessia55]

i never thought of useing a hair dryer, i used the microwave...pretty grotty result.
Oh goodness... microwaves are not the way to heat a mouse. I've had one explode in there once... gross :p You can use the hair dryer method that Shaun mentioned, or thaw it with hot water. Here's a recent thread with some techniques about thawing prey: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/89499-thawing-feeders.html

by not going near him, will that make him more relaxed or something?
Yes, giving your snake time alone will reduce stress and will help him relax more. It's all about time and patience. Once he's eating regularly you can start handling him more. Good luck! :)

[Lankyrob]

i never thought of useing a hair dryer, i used the microwave...pretty grotty result.

i use real branches in my tank because our pet shop's prices for fake one's are simply outragouse! or at least i think so. but i don't feed him in his normal tank. a friend said that i shouldn't because he will be more likely to bite me. i have a little feeding box instead. he can see out of it and breath and streatch out and he's only in there when he's eating.
by not going near him, will that make him more relaxed or something?


This is a total myth - going by the same logic then everytime you remove him from his home he is going to expect food and be more likely to bite.

I feed all my guys in their vivs and apart from our one psycho snake none of them show and cage aggression/defensiveness.

Feeding them in their "natural" environment may make it less stressful and make the snake more likely to take the food offered.

I would repeat once again tho that if he refuses the "dead" prey DO NOT offer him live, just leave him a week and try again with another dead prey item.

[dragonteen]

Oh goodness... microwaves are not the way to heat a mouse. I've had one explode in there once... gross :p You can use the hair dryer method that Shaun mentioned, or thaw it with hot water. Here's a recent thread with some techniques about thawing prey: thawing feeders (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/89499-thawing-feeders.html)
the first time we thawed it out in the microwave, wich ended with mouse gut all over the inside. the second time, i tried the hot water but i left it in there to long and when i picked it up, all the skin came off the tail. i tried the hot water afew times though and he wasn't interested. i'll give the hairdrier a go.

This is a total myth - going by the same logic then everytime you remove him from his home he is going to expect food and be more likely to bite.

I feed all my guys in their vivs and apart from our one psycho snake none of them show and cage aggression/defensiveness.

Feeding them in their "natural" environment may make it less stressful and make the snake more likely to take the food offered.

I would repeat once again tho that if he refuses the "dead" prey DO NOT offer him live, just leave him a week and try again with another dead prey item.

hmm i never thought of it like that before. i'll give it a go.

by the way, what's the ideal size of the mouse i should be feeding him, he's just over a meter long. i've been feeding him the small adult mice we buy from the pet shop. is that to big/small?

[Lankyrob]

Carpets will eat prey that is upto 4 times their own girth (tho 4 times is pushing it a little) i always try to get prey that is around 2-3 times the girth of my carpet.

[dragonteen]

Carpets will eat prey that is upto 4 times their own girth (tho 4 times is pushing it a little) i always try to get prey that is around 2-3 times the girth of my carpet.

ok thank you

[ZARADOZIA]

Hyas DragonTeen!

Microwaves are bad for defrosting because of:
1. they can create hospots inside the mouse/rat
2. they can explode the prey
3. they can COOK the prey
4. they alter the smell of the prey

It's not your fault you didn't know. I learned this from experience.

Here is a thread we have recently been discussing on how to defrost prey
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/89499-thawing-feeders.html (clicky clicky)

We each have our own ways, find the one that works for you. Do not use boiling hot water. Hot tap water is hot enough and will deforst in about an hour with changing the water out. If you have a meat thermometer you can plae it in the water, temp of 120F (48-49C) is plenty hot :)

Another thread that may help you:

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/85341-feeding-f-t-techniques.html (clicky clicky)

[dragonteen]

Hyas DragonTeen!

Microwaves are bad for defrosting because of:
1. they can create hospots inside the mouse/rat
2. they can explode the prey
3. they can COOK the prey
4. they alter the smell of the prey

It's not your fault you didn't know. I learned this from experience.

Here is a thread we have recently been discussing on how to defrost prey
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/89499-thawing-feeders.html (clicky clicky)

We each have our own ways, find the one that works for you. Do not use boiling hot water. Hot tap water is hot enough and will deforst in about an hour with changing the water out. If you have a meat thermometer you can plae it in the water, temp of 120F (48-49C) is plenty hot :)

Another thread that may help you:

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-thought-forum/85341-feeding-f-t-techniques.html (clicky clicky)

thanks! i'll cheak them out

[Kayla90]

My friend Kat puts hers in a ziplock bag and then puts the zip lock into the hot water to defrost it... This benefits you in two ways, one it stays extra smelly (So if he won't eat dead cause the smell gets washed away this should help.) and two it's not getting soaked so you don't have to worry about the fur falling off..

[shaunyboy]

i never thought of useing a hair dryer, i used the microwave...pretty grotty result.

i use real branches in my tank because our pet shop's prices for fake one's are simply outragouse! or at least i think so. but i don't feed him in his normal tank. a friend said that i shouldn't because he will be more likely to bite me. i have a little feeding box instead. he can see out of it and breath and streatch out and he's only in there when he's eating.
by not going near him, will that make him more relaxed or something?

real branches are ok as long as its not a type of pine tree,pine oil/sap is toxic to carpets

feed him in his normal tank as thats where he will feel most secure/relaxed

please don't use the microwave to heat prey,as that will actually start to cook the rat not just heat it

re feeding in the tank
people saying that feeding in the tank,will make him associate his door opening with feeding and make him more bitey when you go in the tank is wrong

if you were to apply the same logic to taking him out to feed,then surely he would associate being taken out with feeding,so get bitey everytime you took him out

its only carpets i keep and into double figures,all get fed in their normal tanks and none of mine are biters,except one jungle who's been a crazy biter since a hatchling

please let us know how the feeding goes

cheers shaun

[dragonteen]

real branches are ok as long as its not a type of pine tree,pine oil/sap is toxic to carpets

feed him in his normal tank as thats where he will feel most secure/relaxed

please don't use the microwave to heat prey,as that will actually start to cook the rat not just heat it

re feeding in the tank
people saying that feeding in the tank,will make him associate his door opening with feeding and make him more bitey when you go in the tank is wrong

if you were to apply the same logic to taking him out to feed,then surely he would associate being taken out with feeding,so get bitey everytime you took him out

its only carpets i keep and into double figures,all get fed in their normal tanks and none of mine are biters,except one jungle who's been a crazy biter since a hatchling

please let us know how the feeding goes

cheers shaun


well we actualy have quite afew wild carpets roaming around my house so i decided, after seeing them in euclyptus/ gum trees more than any other, to use branches from that type of tree and we are in no short supply of them. afew times though i used a diferant type of branch from some sort of weird looking tree. i don't know what it was though, it's in my back yard and once or twice i saw a green tree python in it, so i assumed it was ok for my carpet.

yeah, i'm not going use the microwave XD.

i'll post when i can get some dead mice. just as i went to try, mum had told me she threw them all away.


and i assume useing my hands to hold the mouse is not a smart idea, is that correct?

[ZARADOZIA]

and i assume useing my hands to hold the mouse is not a smart idea, is that correct?

You assume correctly. Use a plate or a pair of tongs. You really do not want your hand anywhere near the food source. The snake can't tell the difference between your hand and the food.

[shaunyboy]

well we actualy have quite afew wild carpets roaming around my house so i decided, after seeing them in euclyptus/ gum trees more than any other, to use branches from that type of tree and we are in no short supply of them. afew times though i used a diferant type of branch from some sort of weird looking tree. i don't know what it was though, it's in my back yard and once or twice i saw a green tree python in it, so i assumed it was ok for my carpet.

yeah, i'm not going use the microwave XD.

i'll post when i can get some dead mice. just as i went to try, mum had told me she threw them all away.


and i assume useing my hands to hold the mouse is not a smart idea, is that correct?

i envy you so much having all that wildlife in your garden,it must be just amazing finding wild carpets and green tree pythons hanging around your house:shocked:

proper feeding tongs are not very expensive,i'm sure you'll find them on line over your side of the planet

please let us know how your feeding goes

all the best shaun

[pythons9991]

carpets prefer slightly larger prey items than some other pythons, he should eat a prey item that is slightly larger then the largest part of his body, he will be able to handle it!! try just thawing the mouse at room temp until it is TOTALLY thawed then try warming it with a hair dryer, it dosent have to be HOT just nice and warm. dangle it infront of him with tongs and that should do it.

[Lankyrob]

Carpets easily take prey twice their girth or even 3 or 4 times their girths, i always aim for slightly larger than double the girth.

[shaunyboy]

Carpets easily take prey twice their girth or even 3 or 4 times their girths, i always aim for slightly larger than double the girth.

like rob said,carpets will take 2,3,4 times their girth with no issues

i preffer to give my adult carpets 1 large meal,every 17 to 28 days

i feed hatchlings and sub adults every 7 days,with a prey item 1 to 3 times the size of their girth,depending on how old they are,i increase the prey size the older they get

i also only give 3 ot 4 meals during winter

i keep my feeding and temperatures on a natural seasonal basis

cheers shaun

[dragonteen]

i saw a thing on TV about this man who feeds his bermese (i know that's spelt wrong) python rats useing his hands. he never had a problem until one night when his friend came over and he wanted to video the snake eating. so he held the rat above and infront of the snake and when it struck, it got the mans hand. it let go quickly but the guy had to go to hospital.
how much do feeding tongs cost?
hehe, it's good haveing the pythons around but the venomos ones like king browns and red belly black snakes are a nightmare. we live right on this river and we take our little boat out ever now and again and not to far down stream, is this monsterouse carpet python that lives in one of the trees over hanging the river. he eyes us as we go past if he's awake, buteven when we get up close, he's never realy agressive.
ok i'll try the hair dryer when i get some more dead mice.
right not i only have a bunch of small live mice because our friend nedd to get rid of them (they weren't ment to be pets though, he was a snake breeder for a little while). so should i feed him more often?
during winter, mine wouldn't touch food, not even live food. how old are they before they are classed as adults?

[Lankyrob]

For cheapness you could buy some kitchen tongs, i use pair of 12inch "tweezers" that i was given by the reptile shop.

[millertime89]

You should snag some pics of that big carpet down the water from ya. Would love to see it.
I think snakes are classified as "adults" once they hit optimum breeding size, not necessarily age, but it matters too.

[shaunyboy]

RED INK
your our resident ozzy guy to go to.....;)

how much is a pair of feeding tongs ?

wheres the best place dragonteen can get them ?

thanks in advance,shaun

[ZARADOZIA]

I use regular cooking tongs. They cost 1.00 at the dollar store. I have no idea what the cost would be where you are. But shouldn't be too much. If you are going to use cooking tongs, be sure to look at the end where you will be holding the mouse/rat and make sure they line up and close evenly. If you need a pic to understand what I mean let me know.

[Lankyrob]

For a larger snake then a set of barbecue tongs would be better - longer distance between you and the teeth!! :)

[dragonteen]

i'll try to get a pic if he's there next time we go down the river.
i have some tongs right now but i don't think mum will like the idea of me useing them :laugh:
so when do they usualy reach that size? two, three years?

[Caylan]

Yay! A chance to help someone out. Carpet pythons are my thing! Or at least who I have most experience with other then ball pythons, but they don't count as snakes anymore lol. Anyway I'm going to start with thawing and heating food. My failsafe has always been a slow thaw in lukewarm/cold water. Just throw the mouse directly in the water. When it is thawed(don't be afraid to give it a few pinches to check for ice) then hold it under running hot water, full on hot, for about 10-15 seconds. Take the rodent directly to the snake in its cage and offer by holding at the nape of the neck and pointing it nose to nose with the snake. Wiggle slowly, and occasionally quickly take it away to either side. This is what I find gets a strike response from a reluctant snake. they don't want to eat right away, but they don't want to let the opportunity get away until they know for sure, so they try and grab. When it grabs, continue to wiggle for a bit until she gets a good wrap on it. Then leave the room, turn out the lights, and don't return for at least 30 minutes. I have a jaguar here, that I may have to get to kill the same prey item up to 6 times before she will eat, and even then I occasionally give up because its just not worth the stress to the snake. Best of luck, but I would say give the snake at least 2 months with out trying a live mouse, to get some hunger going as well. You'll be better able to tell how often the snake needs to eat, but I have seen a carpet go 6 months from hatching without eating, and it still lives today, and eats like a champ now. Carpets are hardy, I'm sure yours will do fine as long as it still eats live once in a while if need be. Best of luck, feel free to pm me if you would like anymore help. ~Caylan.S.~

[dragonteen]

ok. thanks!

[red ink]

RED INK
your our resident ozzy guy to go to.....;)

how much is a pair of feeding tongs ?

wheres the best place dragonteen can get them ?

thanks in advance,shaun

Herpshop online if you specifically want snake tongs or forceps

OR

Go cheap and just get BBQ tongs from the reject shop or Woolies

[dragonteen]

ok thanks.
i'm a bit concerne about my snake right now. he hasn't moved in a few days. he only meved when i poked him to make sure he was alright. is that a normal thing for snakes to do during summer?

[Gungirl]

ok thanks.
i'm a bit concerne about my snake right now. he hasn't moved in a few days. he only meved when i poked him to make sure he was alright. is that a normal thing for snakes to do during summer?

I can bet you that he moved. My BP will goes for days looking as if he hasn't moved at all. They move around when they feel safe, normally at night when it is dark and quiet. Then they will settle back down into there favorite spot.

[ZARADOZIA]

I can bet you that he moved. My BP will goes for days looking as if he hasn't moved at all. They move around when they feel safe, normally at night when it is dark and quiet. Then they will settle back down into there favorite spot.

^^100% correct. I always pull Sasha out every few days and give her a good looking over, checking her scales, eyes, etc to make sure everything looks healthy and as it is suppose to look.

[shaunyboy]

if your trying to get your carpet feeding you shouldn't be poking at it and disturbing it pal

i'm NOT having a go at you,but the best way to get her feeding,is to give her peace and quiet,only going near her to change her water as quickly and quietly as possible

offer prey once every 7 to 10 days

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

^^^^ This is so true - if one of my snakes (all regular feeders) misses a single feed then until the next feed they are left totally alone with just water changes, even tho there is a very good chance that they WILL take the next offered prey item.

[dragonteen]

ok.
i haven't touched him for a while now except when i fed him a live mouse. i'm on the last one now so i'll start trying dead food again.

[Gungirl]

ok.
i haven't touched him for a while now except when i fed him a live mouse. i'm on the last one now so i'll start trying dead food again.

The more times you give in and give him a live mouse the longer he will hold out on you knowing that sooner or later he will get what he wants. (live food) Once you decide to feed f/t do not revert back to live unless the snake is starting to loose a good amount of weight. The snake will eventually eat f/t if that is all that it is offered.

[Lankyrob]

^^^^ What she said ^^^^

[beardeds4life]

i envy you so much having all that wildlife in your garden,it must be just amazing finding wild carpets and green tree pythons hanging around your house:shocked:

proper feeding tongs are not very expensive,i'm sure you'll find them on line over your side of the planet

please let us know how your feeding goes

all the best shaun

I envy him very very much to that would be so much fun to see wild gtp's.

[red ink]

I envy him very very much to that would be so much fun to see wild gtp's.

GTPs are in remote country.... I'd dare say very few people have seen them in the wild.

[beardeds4life]

oh...but it would still be so cool!