Taking away a growing retics hide/ feeding issues

ReticMan123 · 12-04-12, 10:25 PM

Hey all

. So for those who don't kow m 6 month old retic has not taken food for about a month now. He's fed medium live rats I have tried all the tricks and frozen stunned p/k ect. No luck. He is just always ERy defensive. Even when I go to hold him he's calm outside the cage but whenever something including prey bothers him he just gets irritated. So I wanted to make some more open space in his cage to get him used to no hides and have a larger hunting and ending space. So now his 4 foot by 1 foot by 2 foot high and is just aspen bedding floor and a medium size banch and water dish. He mostly stays on the warmer side ow because he likes the branch. I feel like he misses his hides I eel so bad

. Should I return them? Or just let him get used to it. I did cover the front with a towel for security. Temps are mid 70s most of the day and night with a hot spot in the 90s. Everything seems perfect. Yesterday I tried a small live rat to less intimidate him but it was a no go. I just don't get it. I had feeding issues when I first got him as a hatchling then he was doing so well and now he's off feed again. So basically, when should I panic? What more can I do to help him and make him comfortable? I am sorry for so many posts I just worry and like to hear others opinions I don't know personally many people in my life with the hobby

Thanks so much everyone for the advice over time hopefully I'll have good news soon. Btw he is about 1100 grams and 5 foot lavender albino many pics in my other posts I need him to eat! So he can become the gorgeous giant I paid so much $ for lol

**millertime89** · 12-05-12, 12:29 AM

put them back in.

Lankyrob · 12-05-12, 04:38 AM

Hmmm - breeding season maybe? Also i would put the hides back in

Gungirl · 12-05-12, 04:46 AM

Put the hides back in and stop handling him. Offer food no more often than every other week. It sounds like he is stressed out more than anything else I can think of.

ReticMan123 · 12-05-12, 12:16 PM

Ok I put them back in. I hate not handling because I want him to evoke as tame as possible and it's so little interaction I'm scared he will never become docile like my others

Will0W783 · 12-05-12, 12:40 PM

Most retics are not "aggressive/defensive" by nature. I handle my female about once a month or so, and she's never struck at me. Retics can fly out of the cage when you first open the door- they are generally quite focused on feeding- but most relax once they realize no food is coming. Some individuals will never tolerate handling; this is the way it is for any species of snake though.

I do not think that not handling for a few weeks or even a few months will negatively impact your snake's temperament. More likely, overhandling and stressing him out will make him turn defensive and snappy eventually. Leave him be, give him clean water and places to hide to feel secure, and only offer food once every 2 weeks. I think that 4 feet long x 1 foot wide is too narrow for a retic personally. I have my girl (6 feet long at the moment) in a 4 foot x 2 foot x 1.5 foot tall Vision cage. Retics need lots of floor space...height is not as important.

Lankyrob · 12-05-12, 01:59 PM

I agrree about the viv size, i have my SD n a 4x2x2 foot viv and he is about 6ft or so and uses all the space available to him

**millertime89** · 12-05-12, 03:00 PM

I agree with Kim and Rob on the viv size.

Will0W783 · 12-05-12, 03:17 PM

Keep in mind that as the snake grows, you will need to have adequate, increasingly-large enclosures ready.

If you are currently housing him in a fish-tank-type enclosure, that could be causing some of the problem. They are impossible to properly secure, and they do not allow for enough humidity for a retic to shed.

Terranaut · 12-05-12, 04:11 PM

Only take hides away from snakes that do not use them at all. Seems to me your set up is a bit cold I assume you measure your hot side with either a temp gun or a probe that sits right o the hot spot? Strange it would be 90 and the rest of the viv in the 70's ? Sounds to me like your hot spot is to small and not hot enough . I would bump it up a few degrees. Even at 100 it won't burn the snake or anything and will get air temps up a bit. Please post a pic of your setup and what substrate. I honestly don't know to much about relics themselves but a not eating snake is either seasonal or husbandry related.

Squirtle · 12-05-12, 07:16 PM

I took away my burms hide when he outgrew it, will be doing the same for my retic. I don't see why you won't leave it in there if he can still fit in there? My retic was only a week old when I got him, and he was also off feed. Once I added a hide in his cage, he ate for me shortly!

**millertime89** · 12-06-12, 10:07 AM

Even big females will curl up under paper if big enough sheets are used. Most will stop using hides but every so often they'll get the itch to hide from the world.

ReticMan123 · 12-06-12, 07:34 PM

He ate

so happy left a live small rat and I missed the feeding but he ate. The ides weren't in there and I held him yesterday so should I keep the hides out? I feel like the hides limit his hunting space and confine the cage too much but he does use them. I will get a 6x2x2 Visio cage when he's like 7 feet I will post pics of its ll later. He sheds perfect all the I've I take care of that. He has a hat pad Uth that covers 1/3 of the tank in te 90s and the rest in high 70s I though that was good u think I should bump it up? I'm going to give him a medium rat in like 5 days with no handling hope he continues

. Thank you all and Sri for all the ?

nick654377 · 12-06-12, 07:42 PM

please tell us you are not leaving the live rat in there and walking away?

Rogue628 · 12-06-12, 09:52 PM

Some animals adjust to handling quicker and better than others. Some also prefer having hides as opposed to not having the option.

If you have your husbandry correct, which I think yours is a little off, a retic will almost always eat. Keep the hides in there and bump up the temp on the hot side. I agree with what everyone else has said about his viv and temps.

Please do not leave a live rat with your animal without supervision. Rats will BITE. I have seen more than enough of animals with horrible sores from their food biting them.

Since he's eaten, please tweak your husbandry and leave him alone. Try not to handle him at all for at least a week. And when you do handle him, make it a short time a couple of times a week. Trust me when I say once you get him worked through proper husbandry, him consistently eating, and getting used to handling, you will have plenty of time to work with your animal.