Jungle Carpet Python: Feeding Pause.

[Gorgon]

Will do. Thank you again, Chairman!

P.S. Yeah I hate feeding live. I mean, it is kind of fascinating but constriction has got to be one hell of a slow, painful death.

[Gorgon]

A perfect shed yesterday (4/26)! However, she still hasn't eaten. The chicken broth approach didn't work but that could have been because she was going into shed then and didn't feel like eating at that point, particularly.

But I suppose, as most of us know, a snake right after finishing shed is when he or she is most likely to feed (given the environment is set right). Hence, my question is, when I attempt to feed her in 4 days, should I do an f/t or a live? At this point, she hasn't eaten for 9 months and, during that time, she's lost ~250g. (She's currently 2 years, 9.5 months old and her weight is 1850g.) All I have attempted are f/t feedings but it has finally started to warm up here in ABQ so I feel like she's more likely now to feed than ever before.

I'm thinking perhaps I should try one more f/t right when I see her this evening on 5/1. If she doesn't go for that, I think I should put her in her temporary, small enclosure (like I usually do when cleaning her main, large enclosure), give her an hour or so to relax, and then attempt a live feeding right in that temp enclosure.

Chairman -- I'd be particularly interested in your thoughts here but of course anyone is more than welcome to reply. I really feel like I need all the help I can get so thank you in advance to anyone who can offer it..

Aaron

[chairman]

Go ahead and scent the prey (or dry thaw it and rub it with a paper towel to release its natural scents more) and leave the rat in the cage overnight.

My female carpet python skipped a lot of meals over the winter (perhaps all) but started eating about a month or so ago, so you might be right about the timing of spring at your altitude (Albuquerque is a high desert climate, right?).

[Gorgon]

Thank you Chairman. Sorry, I'm just checking the forum now and should have checked this morning.

So you really think she'll go for cold prey? I remember trying this before when I first got her and it not working but if I can save the lives of the couple of live mice I have now, it'll be worth it.

What if I leave 2 mice -- one scented with broth and the other not -- in her enclosure to see if she'll go for one, the other, or both? Or will she feel threatened if she senses 2 prey items in her enclosure at once?

If this doesn't work, I feel like I really need to get food in her so I'm afraid I'll have to do a live feeding tomorrow eve. She's coming up on a year of not eating and I haven't ever heard of a snake going longer than that.

Does my thinking/plan sound good to you?

Thank you again for all of the help,
Aaron

P.S. Yes, Albuquerque has a high-desert climate. Thank you for asking about that.

[chairman]

You can leave two, she might eat both. My carpets are big enough to take large rats and my male will look for additional prey after taking a large. (My female won't take larges but will happily take multiple mediums if someone else decides not to eat.)

Another question for you, at night does your snake ever perch and stalk? It'd look something like this:

[Bannef]

Has Medusa eaten yet? I hope her and you are doing well.