Hi everyone, I recently purchased a royal python, It is about a year old, and it hasn't eaten anything since I got it, I have tried everything, peircing the pinky's head, different sized pinky's, warming it up, wiggling it around, My tank is an exo terra 1 and a half foot long by about a foot wide and half a foot tall, I use chippings as substrate, and it has a single log at the hot end and a small water bowl at the other end. Any help is much appreciated, as I am getting really worried about him.
A royal at a year old should be on minmum rat weeners. why are you feeding him pinkys?
also how long you had him? you should leave him at least about a week in most peoples opinions to settle in.
In my opinion the tank is only just big enough for him also. He is ready for the next size up. Is there hides? there sould be a hide in the hot and cold end.
A royal at a year old should be on minmum rat weeners. why are you feeding him pinkys?
also how long you had him? you should leave him at least about a week in most peoples opinions to settle in.
In my opinion the tank is only just big enough for him also. He is ready for the next size up. Is there hides? there sould be a hide in the hot and cold end.
Hi Thank youy for your reply, I now have a hide box on either end of the tank, and a branch in the middle, I was told by the man in the shop that small pinky's would do. I will upload photo's of his tank, him and the pinky's he has been on. Sorry about the other reply, iyt was just a quote.
How long have you had him and is he losing weight?
I don't think he is losing weight, as he is still active when held. I was told that folds sometimes appear in their skin when they loose wieght, but he does not have any. i cannot tell the temp of the tank yet. The starter kit I bought did not come with a thermometer, but according to the thermostat the temp in the hot end of the tank is around 82 f at the hot end. I am going to get a thermometer and humidity guage next time I go to the pet shop. I have heard lots of clashing info on pythons, especially about humidity, so could you give me a rough idea on what the humidity guage should read? Thanks again for your reply
If you look at this link you can compare what your feeding to what you should be feeding,as the other have said at 1 year he should be on weaned rats or extra large mice.Try to feed prey the same thckness as the thickest part of the snake. http://www.theroyalpython.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=62
82 may be a bit cool for him to be able to digest, so he may be choosing not to eat. 90-92F should be about right for the hot end, however, this shuold be checked on a thermometer as stats are not very accurate.
Also, if he's not losing weight, don't worry, a lot will naturally fast at this time of year. However, I would recommend not handling (apart from to weigh once a fortnight) until he's eating as the handling may stress him out.
if it's an E-T glass viv he might also be feedling a bit vulnerable and exposed. try covering 3 sides of a glass viv to make them feel more secure about their environment which can, in turn, get them feeding.
also where are you measuring the temps and what with? thermometer probes should be on the substrate where the snake is and dial termos are notoriously inaccurate!
I don't think he is losing weight, and his behavior is normal, I will try to feed him again tonight, I looked at the chart, and it conflicts with what the pet shop told me by miles. The pet shop told my mum my royal should be fed those really tiny pinkies that are about an inch long, but the chart says he should be on large or x-large rats! I need to investigate this further, but thank you for your help.
i wouldn't normally have bothered with a pinky, they're definitely too small for any size Royal, it was in desperation, trying to get him to eat anything!
Gingerpony, what alternative can I TRY, i can only get hold of chicks, pinky's, and maybe rats, I might be able to get live chicks from my friend's chicken farm, I heard this can be used to get them eating again, should I give it a go?
I'm going to try feeding him again tonight, but I only have small pinkies, is there a failsafe way of enticing them to eat, I'm getting really worried now, It seems as if I am doing everything wrong, he has already bit my Mum, He won't eat, and this whole situation is turning into a nightmare, every little thing that could possible go wrong is going wrong, temperature, humidity, feeding, just everything!
Don't worry. We've all been through the "AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! F*****G SNAKE !!!" stage too. Just keep calm and stick with it. I still have to feed my bad-ass, psychotic adult corn snake with gloves on. Your royal will chill out sooner rather than later.
Like the guys were saying earlier, it could be refusing because of the temps. I have to irritate the living hell out of Sherman, my royal, with his food to get him to eat it at the moment. Just be patient and it will take it eventually. I get soooooo bored sometimes that I end up doing a puppet show with the rat while I'm waiting for him to take it .
As they say in the Adam Sandler films, "You can doo eeet!"
Let us know how you get on and don't be afraid to ask. There is no such thing as a silly question .
Hey, thank you for the reply, very uplifting, seeing as I just tried to feed him again with no luck, and by the way my name is Cameron not John, I just wanted to see if anyone would notice that I had put the same fake name as Doctor Who always uses, so yeah, I'll chane it soon. Thanks again, the puppet show idea is a really good one by the way, I might try it.
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Posted - 06/01/2009 : 18:43:58
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!!!" stage too. Just keep calm and stick with it. I still have to feed my bad-ass, psychotic adult corn snake with gloves on. Your royal will chill out sooner rather than later. 
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, so yeah, I'll chane it soon. Thanks again, the puppet show idea is a really good one by the way, I might try it.