My first Retic! - Page 4

Great Mormon · 03-16-14, 08:28 AM

Alright great, I'll see if he accepts the food item tomorrow then. This is all very exciting and I cant wait for him to take his first meal in his new home.

**Tsubaki** · 03-16-14, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mormon

just checked again, hes in the box...

the water bowl is sitting at 25deg celsius. His hide is 29.1 deg celsius. The average temperature in the tub is 28deg celsius.

This is the temps taken at night about 915pm. I'll have to take the temps again in the morning.

According to the previous owner, feeding time should be just around the corner! The last time he was fed was last week. And monday is feeding day. Should I feed him or let him settle in a little longer before giving him food again?

I think that he can benefit from a small heat-mat on the other side of the enclosure, just so he has a hot spot around 35C ( 28 is a little low for that ) I would do that before feeding, several retics prefer a hot-spot for digesting their food. If the temperature does not drop below 20/22 at night i wouldn't heat anything at night. If you use a mat you wont influence the ambient temperature too much, so the cool side won't heat up too much.

Great Mormon · 03-16-14, 07:38 PM

I would be very lucky should the temps even hit 20. The temps are usually at a min of 25 due to the air conditioning. I'll try the heat mat.

**Tsubaki** · 03-17-14, 05:23 AM

I'm so happy i don't live there haha, i can't even sleep here when the night temp is 16ish degrees at night during the summer.

but then it's very easy, you don't have to offer any heat source at night ! With a heat mat creating a hotspot during the day, i think everything will be right. Have fun with him, retics are the best in my book

Great Mormon · 03-17-14, 09:07 AM

Mmmm, he killed 2 prey items, but doesnt eat it. Does this mean that I should give him a week off before feeding again?

He did bite and coil around the prey to kill it, but after 5 mins, he just let the prey go and went about his usual business.

I've been to Sweden once for a holiday, I guess thats the nearest i'll ever get to the Netherlands. It was late summer and im already freezing my butt off during the day

MCB · 03-17-14, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mormon

Mmmm, he killed 2 prey items, but doesnt eat it. Does this mean that I should give him a week off before feeding again?

He did bite and coil around the prey to kill it, but after 5 mins, he just let the prey go and went about his usual business.

I've been to Sweden once for a holiday, I guess thats the nearest i'll ever get to the Netherlands. It was late summer and im already freezing my butt off during the day

Has he always been fed live food? Sometimes my retic smashes his feed, goes through all the action of killing and just ups and leaves for 5/10 minutes, comes back and eats. Guess thats a natural instinct of making sure the prey is dead?

Did you remove the prey to quickly......?

Great Mormon · 03-17-14, 10:03 AM

Yes, he has always been offered live rats or mice.

On my first attempt, I removed the dead prey after about 15mins of him not consuming it, my gtp is rather delighted with the free lunch.
On the second attempt, he killed the prey again, and left it alone. Its still in the hide box, lying next to him.

I'll give him a night to decide if he still wants to eat it, if not my BP can have a second serving.

I have never experienced this before. Even with my GTP... if she doesnt want food, she'll just completely ignore it. And as for my BP, shes always hungry.

With regards to stress, could this be an issue with move stress? And he is just killing the prey since its intruding into his private space? Should i leave him isolated for the next 1 week and see how it goes again?

Great Mormon · 03-17-14, 10:06 AM

Oh i forgot to mention, it gets kinda hot in the day with the temps. It can easily hit 32 deg celsius without any heating. And the temps fall to 25deg min at night with my AC on.

MCB · 03-17-14, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mormon

With regards to stress, could this be an issue with move stress? And he is just killing the prey since its intruding into his private space? Should i leave him isolated for the next 1 week and see how it goes again?

Could be stress related, just leave it a week and offer again, just don't get 'hung up' on it, good luck and I'm sure he'll eat in a week or so.

Great Mormon · 03-17-14, 07:35 PM

Thanks mcb, I'll let him settle in more. I just ordered a heat mat. Let's hope that will make him more cooperative

dave himself · 03-17-14, 11:28 PM

Mate first of all I want to say I have the greatest respect for you, you've took everything on board that everyone has suggested and are doing your best for this little retic. Many people would have just ran a mile and never came back. And I must say paying for the snake when it's possible to get one for free from the wild is something I think most of us on here if we were honest is not something we would do. I wish you all the best of luck

athms · 03-17-14, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave himself

Mate first of all I want to say I have the greatest respect for you, you've took everything on board that everyone has suggested and are doing your best for this little retic. Many people would have just ran a mile and never came back. And I must say paying for the snake when it's possible to get one for free from the wild is something I think most of us on here if we were honest is not something we would do. I wish you all the best of luck

Damn right no better way of saying it he has my full respect to

Great Mormon · 03-18-14, 04:13 AM

You guys sure have a very flattering tongue :P

I have lost a GTP before due to respiratory infection. I'm sure some of you guys experienced a loss before. I must say i got pretty upset and sad over the loss and wouldnt want another repeat of the incident again.

Although snakes, exotic pets or not, may not be as interactive as a dog, i personally feel that they should be treated with no less care than how one does to mans best friend.

MDT · 03-18-14, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mormon

Mmmm, he killed 2 prey items, but doesnt eat it. Does this mean that I should give him a week off before feeding again?

He did bite and coil around the prey to kill it, but after 5 mins, he just let the prey go and went about his usual business.

My SD is somewhat similar, great feeding response in that he will strike and constrict, but will often just ignore it afterward. About 1 in 5 times. Very frustrating, but he is growing, so maybe that's just him...

Keep up the good work GM...

dave himself · 03-18-14, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Great Mormon

Yes, he has always been offered live rats or mice.

On my first attempt, I removed the dead prey after about 15mins of him not consuming it, my gtp is rather delighted with the free lunch.
On the second attempt, he killed the prey again, and left it alone. Its still in the hide box, lying next to him.

I'll give him a night to decide if he still wants to eat it, if not my BP can have a second serving.

I have never experienced this before. Even with my GTP... if she doesnt want food, she'll just completely ignore it. And as for my BP, shes always hungry.

With regards to stress, could this be an issue with move stress? And he is just killing the prey since its intruding into his private space? Should i leave him isolated for the next 1 week and see how it goes again?

Mate my little retic will constrict and then let go of the prey item if there's any movement out side the viv, I've learnt to feed her last so she has no distractions. The next time you feed him try putting a towel over his tub as this has worked in the past for me