This was really helpful. Haven't used it yet, but once I get my snake I'll be able to use it before any problems arise.

hey, great thread, just a head's up, the link to the shedding post is a dead end...is the thread gone?

Unique Situation
 

Hey all, i was reading through this thread and found it helpful, but doesn't seem to solve my specific problem. I have a corn snake, picked him up at a reptile show about 5 years ago, and he was just a lil guy then. Ergo, he's about 5 years old.

We've never had any problems with him until recently. He seems to have lost the ability to feed. It used to be every saturday we would feed him, but lately the following occurs.

He'll go after the mouse like normal and start to eat. However after about 3-4seconds, he simply opens his jaw and lets the mouse drop. I've tried wet and dry, even cut it open so the scent of blood would encourage him, but the same result every time. Would this be caused by some infection/disease? We're growing concerned because it's been a good 4 weeks since he last fed.

I don't think it's cause for concern. If you're really worried, take him to a vet. But snakes like to stop feeding during cold weather/breeding season and so it's probably nothing. Snakes can go a very long time without food. So unless he's dropping weight, there's nothing to worry about.

Yup Yup
 

If you see significant weight loss, then I would worry. Or, if you want to forcefeed, you can blend the food, and **** it up into a childs syringe.Put that in the snakes mouth and veoala, rat smoothie. LOL

I drink those all the time...I mean....<.< >.> *Sebb runs away**

Lol! Man, that brings up some nasty mental images!:eek:

New Ball Pythons
 

Just got Crusher and Jaws last week. Fully grown ball pythons. One had just shed .
Q: How often do they shed? Websites state what to look for prior to shedding and how to aid shedding but not any real timeline for shedding. Help please, Bluedon

Usually they'll shed every one to two months. If they're fully grown, they won't shed as often because they're not doing as much growing as babies.

Yeah, babies will shed often, like every 1-2 months, because they are growing fast. Adults are barely growing for they might only shed a few times a year.

Apophis (the smaller red one) regurged today. I fed them yesterday and he took his pinkie just fine. I believe the problem was that it was just too big. It was hard to find them small enough. I know I have to wait a bit before feeding him again so his stomach acids can build back up. My question is, should I just wait for next week's feeding?

I have 2 mice about to pop, so getting smaller ones this time won't be an issue.

I know I have read on this but can't remember where and I just reread all the posts I could find on these forums. Sorry for the noob, and possibly repeated, question.

*Sparck*

Uh oh, poor little guy. I've heard you should wait two weeks to feed again, just to be safe. And if you can find a smaller prey. It's hard to get pinkies any smaller though so just get the smallest one you can find. Also, don't hold Apophis for like 48 hours to let his stomach settle and stuff. Hopefully it doesn't happen again!

Wait 3-4 weeks. That's how long it takes their stomach acids to build back up. If you wanna preserve the pinkies in their small size, you can freeze them and he should still take them just fine.

3-4 weeks seems like a long time for a little one barely bigger than a pencil. Poor guy :) It shall be done though. Thank you guys. I really appreciate the help :)

It seems like a long time, but he'll be fine, I promise! I made the mistake at the pet store of feeding a baby boa a mouse .... The thing was picky as hell and would only eat a white hopper .... Would not eat a pinky or fuzzy, wouldn't eat a brown or "fancy" ((those cute little white ones with the brown and tan spots)) hopper .... Only white. So after two months of her refusing food altogether, I finally said hell with it and fed her what she wanted, even though hoppers were too big for her ... She regurged, I made the mistake of feeding her a week later and her stomach like .... imploded or something D: That's when I did my research and learned about the 3-4 week rule .... I felt bad :( I had actually hoped to bring her home with me at one point .... She was either a hypo, or she was seriously the most gorgeous normal I've ever seen x.x Soooooooooo pink .......

Do not feed live. it is bad for your snake and incredibly cruel for the rat. snakes will always eat dead.

I have run into that exact same problem and the way I have found that fixes it is that I buy live and i euthanize them myself. I use CO2 in a chamber that I built myself. Because I euthanize them myself they are still warm when I dangle them in the vivs to feed. I just acquired a new boa the beginning of Nov and I was told that he absolutely would not eat dead. I fed him the same way I have been feeding my python and he has not had any trouble at all.
If you need plans and pics for a chamber just let me know and I will re-post it all.

Biran, that was a really old post you replied to. It's from March of 2008.

I don't think I've ever seen that user on here before. Haha.