HELP! Burmese Python not eating..

[Squirtle]

Last week, I tried feeding my burm a black bunny and he wouldn't take it. Last weeks bunny might have not been defrosted enough though. So I skipped last weeks feeding and try again this week with a black and white bunny, mostly white and he still won't take it.. What can be wrong with him? ;( he used to be a monster.. He ate anything I put infront of him (frozen thawed rats or live). I feed him guinea pigs a month ago 3 huge ones one week apart, gave him a rat the fourth week and ordered the rabbits from a user on here and he ate two of them.. Two weeks later he wants nothing to do with them. What can I do? Should I pick up a live ray for him tomorrow? How long should I leave it in his cage? He constantly goes to sniff it and acts interested but then leaves to explore.. If this isn't the right section please move it to the right section..

[Swany]

From what Iv'e picked up here man, if he's missed a feed its no big deal, leave him a week to ten days and try again.

[Lankyrob]

Dont stress you or him out by trying again for at least a week. There are many many reasons why a snake will refuse a meal, double check all you husbandry and if all ok give him a week of zero interaction except water changes, try him again then.

Unless the snake has other symptoms or is losing weight a few MONTHS without feeding wont hurt it :)

[Squirtle]

He's only 13 months old though.. It can't be that he wants to breed right? This is his second week that he's missed a meal.. Should I just pick up a live jumbo eat tomorrow? Will that put him in feeding mode again?

[Gungirl]

Snakes go off feed sometimes... How long have you had the snake?

Some snakes go off food due to the time of year. Some go off food due to an up coming shed. Many things can throw them off. I would rather see a snake miss a feed here and instead of over feeding it.
Snakes are not like people or other animals they can go a few weeks to a few months with out food and be 100% ok. Dont stress it unless it starts to show signs of other issues or weight loss.

[CK SandBoas]

I would not even attempt to feed him for at least a week, as Rob said. The more you offer food when the snake is not interested, the more it will stress the snake out, and will keep him off feed for longer. I know it is stressful to you when an animal won't eat,but i would not try to get it back into feeding mode. It will eat when it's ready to eat:)

And like Rob also said, just double check your setup, just to make sure there isn't something there that might be causing it.

[marvelfreak]

Sounds like it might not have been heated up enough. Did you try soaking it end scalding hot water right before feeding? Could also just be that it's not hungry right now. I do like Swany said a wait then give it a try.

[Squirtle]

Should I just leave it in there anyways for a while? I tried dangling it infront of him, wouldnt take it..

[marvelfreak]

Should I just leave it in there anyways for a while? I tried dangling it infront of him, wouldnt take it..
Being it's already dead you could leave it in over night. I have two snakes that i have to do these for them from time to time. By morning it almost always gone.

[millertime89]

It could very well be that he's in breeding mode, it could also be the switch, try offering a rabbit and if he doesn't take it try a rat. Eliminate variables my friend.

[Lankyrob]

It could very well be that he's in breeding mode, it could also be the switch, try offering a rabbit and if he doesn't take it try a rat. Eliminate variables my friend.


But only attempt one feed every 7 days or you will be stressing the snake and making it LESS likely to eat :)

[KORBIN5895]

I agree with Chuck. Sounds more like a temperature thing to me. If the rabbit wasn't hot enough the snake won't strike. It sounds like it was interested but something about the rabbit wasn't to its liking. One of my bci will only eat if the prey is extremely hot.

[Squirtle]

I heated it up very well and also let it dry under the heat lamp.. still didnt take it.. He's been cruising his cage a lot is that a sign he wants to breed? I'll try to give him a jumbo rat on Friday or Monday.

[marvelfreak]

When was the last time he pooped?

[Squirtle]

He pooped two weeks ago.. a lot of it too lol

[marvelfreak]

Could just be after the second one he decided he don't care for the taste of rabbits. Wait a week and try a rat or guinea pig again and see if he eat then.

[Squirtle]

Is it possible to raise a burm on rats it's whole life? Multiple rats per feeding.. I mean if he'll take rabbits in the future then I'll give him them but I don't think he likes them.. Ill breed the rats for him, not guinea pigs though cause they take long to give birth.

[KORBIN5895]

It takes 5 or 6 months for a rat to hit jumbo size. If he needs 3 rats a meal your looking at about one litter of rats a month and you would need a minimum of 6 females producing litters and space for all of the adult rats. Doesn't really seem feasible to me.

[millertime89]

its possible yes, but all the giant breeders recommend trying to get the big ones on rabbits because, as Kevin (korbin) pointed out, its more economical.

[Squirtle]

Well he ate a small rat my dad brang home for him today without hesitation.. Still too small for him though. Could it be that there was something in the rabbits I was trying to feed him? Whatever it is, I'm NEVER buying from the person I got them from again.. Can't risk my burm getting sick. I'm probably going to start breeding rats for him and the retic I'm getting in a few weeks.. Do they really take that long to grow to jumbo size?

[Snakefood]

rats grow to jumbo in about 6-7 months. the males get bigger, faster.

if you have a livestock auction anywhere near you, guinea pigs are available cheap there.

[theapexgerman]

I'm no python expert when i feed my Arizona mountain king snake i make the mouse really bloody like cut the head open and hell eat it just find then you can try that maybe

[millertime89]

Well he ate a small rat my dad brang home for him today without hesitation.. Still too small for him though. Could it be that there was something in the rabbits I was trying to feed him? Whatever it is, I'm NEVER buying from the person I got them from again.. Can't risk my burm getting sick. I'm probably going to start breeding rats for him and the retic I'm getting in a few weeks.. Do they really take that long to grow to jumbo size?

to keep them healthy yes, you can probably powerfeed the rats, but then they're probably gonna be mostly fat.

[Squirtle]

Man that sucks.. you guys serious about rats growing to jumbo size at 6 months of age? my dad was ready to buy a male and female and get something going lol oh well.. Do rabbits breed the same as rats? I'll probably look for two rabbits on craigslist instead.

[Will0W783]

Rats have a very high fat content, regardless of the health of the rat. Burms tend to be mostly lethargic snakes, so feeding them multiple prey items of very fatty food is not considered healthy for them. It will also take many many rats to fill up a big Burm. My big fellow is 14 feet long and 85 pounds. It takes a 10-pound rabbit every 3-4 weeks to satisfy him, and he's held his weight steady since I got him. He is 11 years old, so his major growing is done.
Rabbits are a lean, high protein food source; therefore they are preferred by most giant python keepers. You might want to feed your Burm a small rat to get him into eating mode, then chase it with a rabbit. Put the rabbit into his mouth as he is swallowing the rat. You can also try starting out with smaller rabbits, even baby rabbits, then as he gets used to them being food you can work up to larger ones. Best of luck.

[KORBIN5895]

Well he ate a small rat my dad brang home for him today without hesitation.. Still too small for him though. Could it be that there was something in the rabbits I was trying to feed him? Whatever it is, I'm NEVER buying from the person I got them from again.. Can't risk my burm getting sick. I'm probably going to start breeding rats for him and the retic I'm getting in a few weeks.. Do they really take that long to grow to jumbo size?

I highly doubt there was anything wrong with the rabbits you purchased. One of my bci ate two small guinea pigs then never touch another. I even offered the guinea pig the when he refused I offered a rat and he ate it without hesitation.

Yes we are serious about how long it will take your rats to hit jumbo. No one her is trying to lie to you or mislead you.

[shaunyboy]

Well he ate a small rat my dad brang home for him today without hesitation.. Still too small for him though. Could it be that there was something in the rabbits I was trying to feed him? Whatever it is, I'm NEVER buying from the person I got them from again.. Can't risk my burm getting sick. I'm probably going to start breeding rats for him and the retic I'm getting in a few weeks.. Do they really take that long to grow to jumbo size?


the food supplier was most likely nothing to do with your burm not eating

snakes can show prefference to certain types of prey,they can also dislike certain prey items

snakes can imo also be not hungry,and skip a few feeds until they are hungry again

i've had pythons that i had to deliberatly skip 2 or 3 feeds,every few months just to keep them feeding

i've also known people to give problem/fussy feeders multi mammots,and the snake WON'T eat anything but multi mammots after that

carpet pythons are known for preffering mice to rats,thats why its always best to put them on rats straight from the egg

glad he ate for you

cheers shaun

[stephanbakir]

Rabbits are the way to go for adult burms, without a doubt. Get them on rabbits as soon as possible to save yourself potential future issues. You can get pinky rabbits for dirt cheap from people who breed them.

[marvelfreak]

Hears a thought maybe the rabbits just filled him up better than the rats or Guinea Pigs so he might have still been full.

[Squirtle]

Are rabbits easier to breed than rats? I'm probably going to get a male and female rabbit since I'm only going to be owning 2-3 snakes until I graduate college and have my own house/apartment.. How fast do bunnies grow? What supplies do I need? How often do they breed? I'll probably just start out feeding him live ones so he can get used to them then try frozen again.

[exwizard]

We considered breeding rabbits but they need a special diet and a whole lot more lighting than what we can provide. Nice thing about rats is that they can housed in our basement with little or no light and eat Kent rat chow... Much easier and cheaper to obtain than rabbit food.

[KORBIN5895]

A live rabbit can eviscerate ( gut) you burm with one good kick. Live rabbits are very dangerous.

Also rabbit urine is one of the worst smells in the world! The males also tend to pee ON everything! I raised rabbits when I was younger and honestly I am not sure I would ever do it again.

[Squirtle]

So what am I better off breeding?

[theapexgerman]

korbin you made me laugh so much on your post

[KORBIN5895]

Personally I wouldn't breed anything as a primary source of food for my snakes. I could easily feed my three current bci for $250 a year. That's shipping included.