help-feeding

[Nef]

Hi

I have a children's Payton that i gut a few month ago, and i am having a hard time feeding it. its skipped one of its meals already, i usually place the pinky in a box and then place the Payton and close the box for privacy..... i have tried and nothing, its been a week. usually it feeds once every week. Am i panicking prematurely? Please help

Also it seems like its been trying to Shed for the last couple of days now with no success. i see parts here and there but nothing else, and the ridges are not smooth like they used to be. Its almost as if its loosing weight ... but how can that be its only been a week.

[LadyParvati]

If it's trying to shed, it won't eat. It can't see as well when it's trying to shed.

You can help with shedding by getting a plastic container with a locking lid that's big enough for the snake to coil up in and be nearly completely immersed and with room for its head to be out of the water so it can breathe. Put some air holes in the top of the container. Put in enough warm (not too hot but not cold--about 85 degrees Farenheit) water for the snake to soak in.

Don't make the water too deep--the snake should be able to rest its head on its body if it needs to do so, though I've read that some people cover the entire body; my ball python book says to do it only halfway up the body, as the snake may become frightened of water that's too deep. Close the container, and let your snake soak for several hours. I've read anything from 5 to 24 hours, so you might try the shorter period and check to see if the unshed pieces of skin are loosened--the soaking helps soften the skin.

Also, check the snake's eyes--it may have a retained eye cap if it has had difficulty removing the old skin. After the snake has soaked a long time, try using a wet Q-tip to lift the edge of the eye cap, or, with care, the edge of your fingernail.

Check the humidity in your vivarium--most pythons need higher humidity than in the average house, and if the humidity's not high enough, that can make shedding a problem, so you may need to increase the humidity for the snake in the future. I don't have the same kind of python, so google some info about the natural environment of yours and maintain the same humidity so it can shed more easily in the future. Good luck!

[Aaron_S]

Children's pythons I believe come from Australia. They have a higher humidity, so it's a good idea to spray the snake enclosure on a regular basis, to bring it up to sufficient heights.

The advice in the above post is good. The snake LOOKS like it's losing weight but it's the dry,old skin still attached. Don't worry, follow the steps in the above post and when the old shed comes off it shall be looking fine! I recommend not trying to feed the snake until it's next scheduled feeding, it will be fine until then.