Baby retic will not eat.

Shadow1014 · 07-17-12, 07:34 PM

I recently purchased a reticulated python. He is very young an the breeder I bought him off of I recently discovered is a very good talker. Not really something I was happy to hear. The breeder said he was eating, but I'm starting to doubt it. I hav tried many things that have been recommended. I didn't want to go live but I even tried that. I am planning an overnight soon to see if that works. I don't want to force feed. I have tried assisting but he so young I'm afraid to hurt him. Please if you have any methods, anything at all, please help!

alessia55 · 07-17-12, 08:04 PM

More info would be helpful

How old is the retic?
How long have you had him?
What setup do you have him in? (enclosure, temps, etc)
How often have you been offering food?

Lankyrob · 07-18-12, 03:14 AM

We can help a lot more if you can provide details of all its enclosure, size,temps, humidity etc etc. How long have you had him, what size and type of food are you trying, how often are you trying etc etc

The more info we have to work with the better the advice will be

Shadow1014 · 07-18-12, 12:08 PM

I got him when he was 3 weeks old. He now is about 9 weeks old. I've have him for around 6 weeks. He's in an aquarium with fresh water everyday, heat lamp, a hide and good humidity. I have been offering food at least once a week. Never once has he been very interested.

Wildside · 07-18-12, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow1014

I got him when he was 3 weeks old. He now is about 9 weeks old. I've have him for around 6 weeks. He's in an aquarium with fresh water everyday, heat lamp, a hide and good humidity. I have been offering food at least once a week. Never once has he been very interested.

He probably does not have good humidity if you are using a heat lamp

MoreliAddict · 07-18-12, 12:12 PM

It's best to offer food no more than once a week, offering food too frequently could stress your snake out. If a snake of mine is not eating, I offer food every other week.

Do you know what the breeder had him eating (mice or rats)? Were they live or frozen/thawed? Also, snakes need a hot end and a cool end. So, assuming that heat lamp is at one side of the tank, and not over the middle, what are the temperatures of the cool side, and hot side? Does he have a place to hide at each end? You say he has "good humidity". What is the humidity in there? How are you measuring it? Pictures of the enclosure and snake could still help.

Shadow1014 · 07-18-12, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoreliAddict

It's best to offer food no more than once a week, offering food too frequently could stress your snake out. If a snake of mine is not eating, I offer food every other week.

Do you know what the breeder had him eating (mice or rats)? Were they live or frozen/thawed? Also, snakes need a hot end and a cool end. So, assuming that heat lamp is at one side of the tank, and not over the middle, what are the temperatures of the cool side, and hot side? Does he have a place to hide at each end? You say he has "good humidity". What is the humidity in there? How are you measuring it? Pictures of the enclosure and snake could still help.

I have a certain day every week that i feed my other snakes. That is when I offer it to him. I know that snakes can go a long time without eating but I am very worried. The breeder claims he had him eating frozen hoppers. I have read other places that sometimes you need to go with live just to jumpstart the eating process. That didnt have any effect either. the cool side stays between 73-67. The warm side stays between 74-82. He very rarely goes the the warm side. He only has one hide and it is at the warm end. The humitity stays farely steady with a 55-60%. I have a theramometer that not only reads temp. but humidity as well.

Shadow1014 · 07-18-12, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

He probably does not have good humidity if you are using a heat lamp

what other than a heat lamp should I use?

Lankyrob · 07-18-12, 12:54 PM

YOu need to bump your temps up on the hot side up to 88-90f, if it is too cold he wont eat as he needs the heat to digest. Also the humidity needs to be up nearer 75-80%.

All snakes also need a hide at BOTH ends of the viv so that they can hide and thermoregulate.

Lankyrob · 07-18-12, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow1014

what other than a heat lamp should I use?

heat lamps per se are not an issue, it does depend on the whole enclosure tho. I use ceramic heat lamps inside solid wooden vivariums and have no humidity issues. With an aquarium with a semi open top then the heat lamp WILL cause humdity to disappear.

Wildside · 07-18-12, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow1014

what other than a heat lamp should I use?

You can continue to use your lamp, you'll just need to find a way to bring up the humidity as LankyRob explained. I could be wrong but from your initial post I'm assuming the "Pet Shop" probably help you get set up and you're doing the glass cage with screentop thing, right?

Shadow1014 · 07-18-12, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildside

You can continue to use your lamp, you'll just need to find a way to bring up the humidity as LankyRob explained. I could be wrong but from your initial post I'm assuming the "Pet Shop" probably help you get set up and you're doing the glass cage with screentop thing, right?

Yes, i do have the screen top. I have a folded towel on one end (on top of the screen) and the heat lamp on the other side. Every so often during the day I spray room temp. water from a spray bottle. This seems to help with humidity along with the light.

Lankyrob · 07-18-12, 01:10 PM

Unless you enclose the top completely i think it is unlikely you will get the humidity up to 80% consistently.

Shadow1014 · 07-18-12, 01:13 PM

Ok, so I'll make sure to bump up both heat and humidity. Ill get another hide too. Are there any methods on the actual feeding time?

ps. I just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who has replied.

Wildside · 07-18-12, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow1014

Ok, so I'll make sure to bump up both heat and humidity. Ill get another hide too. Are there any methods on the actual feeding time?

ps. I just wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who has replied.

Retics are hungry critters. I think once you get the husbandry ironed out it won't be long before it starts eating. You can always make that second hide a humid hide