newborn wont eat

[kenn777]

how much time will a newborn need to eat their first food? i'm having a baby python molurus, and it's already 1.5 months old.. never eaten yet... is it normal?

[Serpentine99]

Ball Pythons can be picky eaters, what are you trying to feed it at this time? Also I'm not sure how long a ball python can go without their first meal, but i do know they are notorious for going extremely long periods of time without food.

[jompiej]

python molurus isnt't a ball python, it's a Burmese python.
they can go without food for quite a while.
on A dutch forum, I read about a Natrix maura, who hase just bin eating for the first time, and it was born in spring 2007!

try to put him in a small plastic box over night whit a mouse or rat or something.

sorry for my bad writing.

[Serpentine99]

oh sorry, its so early in the morning over here i thought it said ball python instead of baby python and that molurus was the pets name.(really gotta read things twice)

[enigma200316]

how big is it, is it in shed, is it set up with hides and good temps,most babies begin on pinkies, or fuzzies, and never leave a snakes in a box over nite with a grown mouse or rat, not that it happens all the time but they are known to attack the snake and cause bad injuries.........

[jompiej]

you're right!
It should be a dead mouse/rat.
knew I was forgetting something :P

[enigma200316]

Originally Posted by jompiej

you're right!
It should be a dead mouse/rat.
knew I was forgetting something :P

and remember it depends on the snake if it will eat live or dead, they are
very picky, but when you get them started on one thing they usually stick with.......I had a red-tail boa that ate anything even squirrels............

[kenn777]

it's size is a normal for a baby molurus... it wont eat pinkies or house lizards.... i've given him more heat as i read that snakes metabolism is faster whn the temp is higher.. is it true?

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

hey there. I've got a good bit of expierience with keeping picky eatin' pythons as I deal with carpet pythons and they can be fussy babies. Burmese python babies are a little on the big size to be offered pinky mice. Try offering a fuzzy or a hopper. If he wont take them try offering him rat pinkies or rat fuzzies. your snake probably would'nt even have any trouble downing a small adult mouse. remember to try all of these prey items in different ways, such as live, fresh killed, brained, and frozen thawed. if you don't know what braining is, it is breaking through the skull to expose the fluids surrounding the rodent's brain. This often entices a fussy snake to eat. These are the same fluids that are said to help a snake find the head of the rodent when he prepares to swallow it.

When I have a new snake that's being picky... I do the following. I buy one live mouse of corresponding size. I offer it alive. if the snake won't take it, I kill it, usually a quick whack off the side of the cage is an instant death. Offer it again to the snake. simply leave it lay there in front of the snake and walk away for 15 minutes. If he still hasnt eaten it, take a sharp object and cut through it's skull and expose it's brain. put it back in the cage and walk away for a good half hour. if this still has not worked... well feed it to another snake that wants it or throw it out. Then try that same kind of animal frozen thawed. If he doesnt eat it, move on to a different animal. For example if you jsut tried fuzzy mice, try a rat pinkie instead. repeat the whole process wth the rat pinkie. Usually this way allows you to find out quickly what your snake likes and how he likes to eat it!

Just a note... make sure he's not in a high trafficked area. baby snakes are VERY sensitive to their surroundings and are unsure of you because, well, you are much bigger than them and their instinct is that you are a predator. So make sure at feeding time your snake is generally unaware that you are there by moving slowly and keeping his attention on the mouse. Also, do NOT handle the snake the same day you try to feed him. you pick him up once and bam he could be stressed for the rest of the day and not want to eat.

hope this helps!

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I forgot to mention to try other animals such as quails, gerbils, and hamsters. also make sure that you have the proper set up required by a burmese python. and make sure that his cage isnt too small or too large. if you put a snake in a cage too large without enough places to hide they will start to wander aimlessly and feel lost.