Not eating!? How soon after brumation to feed?!

[Pareeeee]

As I had mentioned in my other thread, Boaz was going through a one-month brumation to stimulate feeding.

Well, I think I made a mistake. I tried to feed him yesterday (the day after bringing him out of brumation) and he didn't eat. Well, this morning when taking him out of his feeding tub it actually looked like he tried to eat - some of the mouse's insides were hanging out it's bum like it had been squeezed, and the mouse looked maybe a bit darker and wetter. (maybe regurge?)

So maybe I misunderstood since NOWHERE on the internet could I find how soon to feed them after you bring them out.

Anyway, he hasn't eaten since October 22. How do I get him to eat!?!?!?

EDIT: I am feeding F/T, which is what he was used to eating.

[youngster]

A trick I used to get my corn to eat after I got her was to put her in a bin with nothing in it except the mouse and put a shirt over it.
She usually eats in 10 minutes if I do that but I would say don't do that longer than an hour because your snake may get stressed.

[Pareeeee]

Ok, thanks. I hear so many different opinions it's hard to know what will work on Boaz, some people say that you should put them in the bin over night, but I think you're right about maybe it stressed him and made him regurge.

PS: Here are the things I tried, before and after his brumation:

Before:

-Laying the mouse on a rock in his tank.
-Dangling the mouse with tweezers.
-Taking him out of the tank and offering it to him on the floor.
-Braining the mouse.
-Poking the mouse so it smelled like blood.
-Bumping it against his nose to make him annoyed with the mouse.

After:
-Putting Boaz in the tub with the mouse overnight.

Each time he becomes interested to the point I think he will strike, then it's as if he goes "Meh" and slithers away.

[shaunyboy]

did you go straight from brumation twemperatures to normal temperatures in a 24 hour period ?

imo its best to gradually increase the temps over a few weeks

after my diamonds cooling cycle,i up the temperatures gradually week by week,until at week 4 the tanks at normal temperatures

i feed on the 5th week

your snake may be in breeding mode hence the refusal to eat

i brumate my diamonds for 4 months of the year

only feeding 6 months of the year

cheers shaun

[Shmoges]

Have you been weighing the snake? Is he getting smaller? I have some snakes that are pains in the butt and after trying F/T first I then offer live and wham!! What kind of temp fluctuation did he go through? 60-80 over night?

I am doing the same thing you did with a hognose that is losing weight and not eating. I hope he lasts through the cold period I am exposing him too. My fault, I should have done it sooner.

[Pareeeee]

I don't have anything to weigh him with but he doesn't look skinny. I'm still new to snake keeping but I think maybe I tried to feed him too soon after brumation ended. Also, his scales look weird. He doesn't have blue eyes yet but I'm starting to wonder if he's in shed? how would I be able to tell otherwise? He is really active around maybe 5pm onward until I shut his light out. Also I am going to change his substrate from sand to this recycled paper mulch bedding stuff as I have been advised that even the reptisand isn't very good for them.

[KORBIN5895]

What kind of snake? And its only been 6weeks right?

[shaunyboy]

most ny snakes shed after coming out brumation,so your shedding theory may be correct mate

let us know how it goes

cheers shaun

[Pareeeee]

Thanks, hope it's just a shed. His eyes look kinda funny today like there's little (I don't know how else to describe it) 'wrinkles' but not quite like wrinkles though...it almost looks like he has a film on his eye.

Phew, I'm fairly new to snake keeping and this not-eating business is so stressful! They are so different from lizards. I'm used to keeping lizards.

Changed his bedding today, this stuff is a lot nicer. It is made from reclaimed cellulose fiber (also called reclaimed virgin wood pulp). Better than the recycled paper mulch bedding because it has no inks, dyes or chemicals.

ANYWAY, he explored the big soft chair in the room while I changed bedding, decided to take a quick video of him before putting him back. Could you take a look at his scales in the video? I think it's probably from a bad shed in the past but not sure. BTW, right now he is exploring like crazy and trying to burrow. I think he likes this bedding way more than the sand!

Boaz the Rosy Boa - YouTube

[youngster]

The film/wrinkles is definitely trait of pre shed.
Those scales don't look too bad, maybe he got poked with something?
I can't see it too well, maybe someone can answer you better

[alessia55]

The scales your worried about look like pre-shed film/wrinkles as Eli said. I wouldn't worry about it... Let him shed and see if it's better after that He is very cute by the way!!

[Shmoges]

Honestly, it looks healthy and shiny. Active and curious as well. I don't think I got it from you so I will ask again what did/have you been feeding it? I just fed our smallest rosy a live pinky rat and he also happens to be the pickiest and most finicky rosy we have. Either I got lucky or he prefers live. How often do you offer water again? 1-3 days a week?

So I would suggest trying a live pinky rat in an isolation chamber with some room but not super cramped and cover it obviously and also cover the whole thing with a towel and leave the snake over night with it. I use a shoe box.

[Pareeeee]

Is it safe to put a live pinky rat in with a snake overnight?? I heard that it's very dangerous to leave live rodents with snakes since the rodent may chew on the snake's skin? Anyway, he is on F/T mice so I'm afraid if I give him a rat he may get a preference to rats and become more fussy? I have been thinking of buying a live mouse to offer him if he fails to eat again.

Yes, water 1-3 days a week. Also, glad that you guys think that it's a shed! It's probably his whole problem!

He always feels cold even though he has belly heat of 80-85 degrees F.

Anyway, here is his feeding record from the store I got him from, and with my additions on Oct. 30.
Sept. 2/11: 1 adult f/t mouse
Sept. 9/11: Did not eat
Sept. 12/11: 1 adult live mouse
Sept. 23/11: 1 adult f/t mouse
Oct. 1, 2011: 1 adult f/t mouse
Oct. 8/11: 1 adult f/t mouse
Oct. 14/11: 1 adult f/t mouse
Oct. 22/11: 1 adult f/t mouse
Oct. 30/11: Did not eat
Nov. 3/11: Did not eat
Nov. 9/11: Did not eat
Nov. 15/11: Brumation begins
Dec. 12/11: Begin warmup/brumation end
Dec 13/11: Did not eat (probably tried too soon after warmup...)

[KORBIN5895]

Ummm nice box Shmoges?

[Pareeeee]

I have a medium sized black bucket with a lid that used to have protein shake powder in it. (of course I cleaned it)