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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
 Posted - 27/06/2012 : 22:53:51
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Hiya. Thanks for the link il look at that in a second. I dont know too much about feeding her live food as I wouldnt know where to get the live food from and also im a little uncertain as I wouldnt want any harm to come to my snake if she were to encounter a mouse that wanted to make a final stand for its life. I have tried braining but it hasnt worked for me. I heard somewhere that if you buy a royal from a pet store they are likely to never feed by themselves but if you buy from a breeder you wont have much hassle. Is this true? I would feel so relieved if she was to strike and feed by herself.quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Hey Mikeyboy, sorry I missed this thread the first time!
Firstly I wouldn't worry about her eating too much, you said she was 161 grams when you got her and now she is 165 her weight isn't really changing at all so I would consider now a good time to stop assist-feeding, assist-feeding should only really be done if you absolutely have to get food into the snake (ie: if they are dangerously weak and need food) royal pythons only eat rarely, we get some golden ones which feed every week but most royals go through stages of fasting (I have an adult male of about 1400g that hasn't eaten in about 12 months and also a young female who despite being almost 3 years old is still only 200g whom only eats once a month) also while you're forcing food into her mouth although she's getting nourishment it'll be a stressful thing to have done and thus make her less likely to willingly feed (I had the same problem with a very weak royal whom I had to assist feed to get some food into her, after that she was stuck assist feeding for a while and I only got her onto eating herself with a live feed)
As others have suggested braining is a good option, as is scenting with chick blood or other such things (some people use chicken stock I believe) I've never gotten any success from scenting or braining personally but others swear by them. If it were me I'd have a lot of patience now and keep a constant tab of her weight every week she refuses, if it starts to lower rapidly (like from her 165 down to 110) then I would consider getting a vet's advice and start assist-feeding again but otherwise just wait and wait and wait :)
If you absolutely want her feeding again (I'm just a guy online I've not seen the snake, you'll know if you think she's healthy or not better than I will) then you can do live feeding, live feeding for the benefit of a snake that refuses frozen/thawed food is not illegal so long as you do not video it and stick the video online named "SNAKE VS MOUSE" or something stupid like that. If you do choose to live feed please seek additional advice from us, a vet or an exotics shop before you do it though.
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Stewy-C-
Yearling
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:02:26
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Hi,
You say the thermostat is set to 34 Degrees. Have you got a thermometer? if not, get one. Thermostats aren't that accurate at all. If you can feel an ambient temperature change when you open the viv, and your using a mat, my guess is that the mats running far to hot. Heat mats are not ideal for royals, as has been said.
STOP handling her, leave her be until she eats a few times alone (I never handled my non feeder for over 6 months, she is now an animal an never misses). Not handling is hard to new comers, but its neccessary.
Make sure the set up is correct, check on you tube at INSTRUCTIONAL type video's (not idiots just showing theirs off, as they are usually poor).
As for the assist feeding, everyone has mixed views on what to assist. Personally in your case I would make sure 100% that my set-up and temps are correct, and I would ditch the mat. Then I would leave it alone for 2 weeks (only water changes), before trying a feed again. After a month or so if she hasn't ate, post her weight's and pics and ask if people think assisting is wise.
If you do choose to carry on assist feeding, please get someone to show you properly!
I had a none feeder for 8 months, and finally got it feeding a month ago, not sure why as everything has been spot on for her. Although in the last 3 weeks I have fostered 3 non feeders, 2 I had strike feeding in 2 weeks, the other took a drop feed yesterday. AMAZING what the correct set-up and piece and quiet can do.
Not sure if I have covered everytthing I wanted to do, as my eyes are closing as I type. YAWN!
Stewy
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1.0 Spider Royal
0.1 Pastel Royal
0.1 Snow Corn
"The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about"
"On the internet you can be anything you want, its strange that so many people choose to be stupid" |
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:02:44
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That's not true at all I have a lot of store-bought royals and they all strike and feed when it suits them, unfortunately it sounds a lot like you weren't aware of what kind of snake you were getting royals tend to do this non-feeding stuff, people say they're "infamous" for it but really it's just the way their bodies work they just don't need to eat regularly. I know how you feel though even now 2 years into my collection and 11 snakes up I still get so frustrated on refused feeds.
As for live feeding you do need to supervise it to make sure that the snake and/or prey does not get injured in any way, personally I had a chop-stick on the ready to use if I needed to keep one from biting the other and I just used it to block their mouth. In all likelyhood the prey doesn't realize what the snake is, so does not perceive it as a threat and some times will even approach to have a sniff of him. But it doesn't sound like your girl is bad enough to require live feeding just yet - give her time and space, make sure her vivarium is packed solid with lots of hides and shade for her to feel safe in and just play the waiting game :)
quote:
Originally posted by Mikeyboy1992
Hiya. Thanks for the link il look at that in a second. I dont know too much about feeding her live food as I wouldnt know where to get the live food from and also im a little uncertain as I wouldnt want any harm to come to my snake if she were to encounter a mouse that wanted to make a final stand for its life. I have tried braining but it hasnt worked for me. I heard somewhere that if you buy a royal from a pet store they are likely to never feed by themselves but if you buy from a breeder you wont have much hassle. Is this true? I would feel so relieved if she was to strike and feed by herself.quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Hey Mikeyboy, sorry I missed this thread the first time!
Firstly I wouldn't worry about her eating too much, you said she was 161 grams when you got her and now she is 165 her weight isn't really changing at all so I would consider now a good time to stop assist-feeding, assist-feeding should only really be done if you absolutely have to get food into the snake (ie: if they are dangerously weak and need food) royal pythons only eat rarely, we get some golden ones which feed every week but most royals go through stages of fasting (I have an adult male of about 1400g that hasn't eaten in about 12 months and also a young female who despite being almost 3 years old is still only 200g whom only eats once a month) also while you're forcing food into her mouth although she's getting nourishment it'll be a stressful thing to have done and thus make her less likely to willingly feed (I had the same problem with a very weak royal whom I had to assist feed to get some food into her, after that she was stuck assist feeding for a while and I only got her onto eating herself with a live feed)
As others have suggested braining is a good option, as is scenting with chick blood or other such things (some people use chicken stock I believe) I've never gotten any success from scenting or braining personally but others swear by them. If it were me I'd have a lot of patience now and keep a constant tab of her weight every week she refuses, if it starts to lower rapidly (like from her 165 down to 110) then I would consider getting a vet's advice and start assist-feeding again but otherwise just wait and wait and wait :)
If you absolutely want her feeding again (I'm just a guy online I've not seen the snake, you'll know if you think she's healthy or not better than I will) then you can do live feeding, live feeding for the benefit of a snake that refuses frozen/thawed food is not illegal so long as you do not video it and stick the video online named "SNAKE VS MOUSE" or something stupid like that. If you do choose to live feed please seek additional advice from us, a vet or an exotics shop before you do it though.
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\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:10:27
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Yeah I agree that waiting and not handling her is very tough for me. I adore her. Here is a picture of my little girl. Tell me what you think after looking at this.
 quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
That's not true at all I have a lot of store-bought royals and they all strike and feed when it suits them, unfortunately it sounds a lot like you weren't aware of what kind of snake you were getting royals tend to do this non-feeding stuff, people say they're "infamous" for it but really it's just the way their bodies work they just don't need to eat regularly. I know how you feel though even now 2 years into my collection and 11 snakes up I still get so frustrated on refused feeds.
As for live feeding you do need to supervise it to make sure that the snake and/or prey does not get injured in any way, personally I had a chop-stick on the ready to use if I needed to keep one from biting the other and I just used it to block their mouth. In all likelyhood the prey doesn't realize what the snake is, so does not perceive it as a threat and some times will even approach to have a sniff of him. But it doesn't sound like your girl is bad enough to require live feeding just yet - give her time and space, make sure her vivarium is packed solid with lots of hides and shade for her to feel safe in and just play the waiting game :)
quote:
Originally posted by Mikeyboy1992
Hiya. Thanks for the link il look at that in a second. I dont know too much about feeding her live food as I wouldnt know where to get the live food from and also im a little uncertain as I wouldnt want any harm to come to my snake if she were to encounter a mouse that wanted to make a final stand for its life. I have tried braining but it hasnt worked for me. I heard somewhere that if you buy a royal from a pet store they are likely to never feed by themselves but if you buy from a breeder you wont have much hassle. Is this true? I would feel so relieved if she was to strike and feed by herself.quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Hey Mikeyboy, sorry I missed this thread the first time!
Firstly I wouldn't worry about her eating too much, you said she was 161 grams when you got her and now she is 165 her weight isn't really changing at all so I would consider now a good time to stop assist-feeding, assist-feeding should only really be done if you absolutely have to get food into the snake (ie: if they are dangerously weak and need food) royal pythons only eat rarely, we get some golden ones which feed every week but most royals go through stages of fasting (I have an adult male of about 1400g that hasn't eaten in about 12 months and also a young female who despite being almost 3 years old is still only 200g whom only eats once a month) also while you're forcing food into her mouth although she's getting nourishment it'll be a stressful thing to have done and thus make her less likely to willingly feed (I had the same problem with a very weak royal whom I had to assist feed to get some food into her, after that she was stuck assist feeding for a while and I only got her onto eating herself with a live feed)
As others have suggested braining is a good option, as is scenting with chick blood or other such things (some people use chicken stock I believe) I've never gotten any success from scenting or braining personally but others swear by them. If it were me I'd have a lot of patience now and keep a constant tab of her weight every week she refuses, if it starts to lower rapidly (like from her 165 down to 110) then I would consider getting a vet's advice and start assist-feeding again but otherwise just wait and wait and wait :)
If you absolutely want her feeding again (I'm just a guy online I've not seen the snake, you'll know if you think she's healthy or not better than I will) then you can do live feeding, live feeding for the benefit of a snake that refuses frozen/thawed food is not illegal so long as you do not video it and stick the video online named "SNAKE VS MOUSE" or something stupid like that. If you do choose to live feed please seek additional advice from us, a vet or an exotics shop before you do it though.
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:13:39
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| Aye she looks lovely, wouldn't say she looks unhealthy :) but it can be hard to tell from the picture - what do you think? has her behaviour changed recently? |
\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Stewy-C-
Yearling
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:15:45
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| She looks a nice healthy size to me. I would double check the set up (specially temperature). Then leave well alone. |
1.0 Spider Royal
0.1 Pastel Royal
0.1 Snow Corn
"The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about"
"On the internet you can be anything you want, its strange that so many people choose to be stupid" |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:19:00
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Her attitude has always been the same. Shes not shy around people, she will slither through anyones hands and round their necks. Im not sure what to think as she is my first snake. Would a picture of her setup help you come up with anything? I dont have a thermometer as of yet, I will try and get one while in town tomorrow.quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Aye she looks lovely, wouldn't say she looks unhealthy :) but it can be hard to tell from the picture - what do you think? has her behaviour changed recently?
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Stewy-C-
Yearling
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:29:40
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| There's your problem right there! You need to know the temps around the set-up. Make sure you get a digital thermometer. Preferably a dual probe reptile thermometer. I highly doubt her temps are right. |
1.0 Spider Royal
0.1 Pastel Royal
0.1 Snow Corn
"The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about"
"On the internet you can be anything you want, its strange that so many people choose to be stupid" |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:40:13
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The habistat I have has a probe that sits right on top of where the map is. There is glass between where the mat is and where the snake lays. There is no chance she can burn herself and she hasn't so far. It turns itself off when it reaches 34 degrees C and then turns back on by itself.quote:
Originally posted by Stewy-C-
There's your problem right there! You need to know the temps around the set-up. Make sure you get a digital thermometer. Preferably a dual probe reptile thermometer. I highly doubt her temps are right.
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 00:16:18
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| Yeah a picture of set up would help a lot Mikey. The reason we say a thermometer is essential is that the thermostat's we use have a tendancy to lie, once you get a digital thermometer onto the viv you'll what the difference in what the thermostat says and what it actually is :) |
\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Stewy-C-
Yearling
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 09:21:14
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I have a small corn snake in a Komodo glass tank. Even with the probe inside the tank, the heat mat struggles to hit 29 degrees. Which could be enough for your royal to not want to eat.
Regards,
Stewy |
1.0 Spider Royal
0.1 Pastel Royal
0.1 Snow Corn
"The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about"
"On the internet you can be anything you want, its strange that so many people choose to be stupid" |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 12:07:54
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Ok thanks alot guys. Il take a series of pictures inside and out so you can get a clear of what I have have here as soon as I get them all together.quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Yeah a picture of set up would help a lot Mikey. The reason we say a thermometer is essential is that the thermostat's we use have a tendancy to lie, once you get a digital thermometer onto the viv you'll what the difference in what the thermostat says and what it actually is :)
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 12:35:55
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Also while im here, could you please upload a picture of what thermometer you would recommend? just so I know what to look for when I go out today. Thanksquote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Yeah a picture of set up would help a lot Mikey. The reason we say a thermometer is essential is that the thermostat's we use have a tendancy to lie, once you get a digital thermometer onto the viv you'll what the difference in what the thermostat says and what it actually is :)
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 12:59:20
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Here is the setup I have for my royal
   quote:
Originally posted by Kelfezond
Yeah a picture of set up would help a lot Mikey. The reason we say a thermometer is essential is that the thermostat's we use have a tendancy to lie, once you get a digital thermometer onto the viv you'll what the difference in what the thermostat says and what it actually is :)
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Stewy-C-
Yearling
United Kingdom
103 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 13:38:10
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I have found an image of one, not the same as mine but similar. http://scalesandfangs.co.uk/reptile_one_thermometer_reptile_lcd_dual_zone_sensor
I would add a cool hide, and maybe a trailing type plant covering most of the tank. I doubt the temps are right if your mat is underneath the "wood?" base on that tank. Sooner you get a thermometer the better. |
1.0 Spider Royal
0.1 Pastel Royal
0.1 Snow Corn
"The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about"
"On the internet you can be anything you want, its strange that so many people choose to be stupid" |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 17:18:57
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Ok I have literally just got in. I did look at those ones with a wire and a little probe but they are £15-£17 each and im broke at the minute. I got 2 of those round ones which you stick on the side though, one at the hot end and one at the cool end. I have taken that section out so she can have the whole space in that tack, I have given her some fake greenery to hide under and when I bought her, I had a half coconut hide so I put that at the cooler end aswell. Il leave the thermometers in there a while so they can adjust to the temps and I will post what they read.quote:
Originally posted by Stewy-C-
I have found an image of one, not the same as mine but similar. http://scalesandfangs.co.uk/reptile_one_thermometer_reptile_lcd_dual_zone_sensor
I would add a cool hide, and maybe a trailing type plant covering most of the tank. I doubt the temps are right if your mat is underneath the "wood?" base on that tank. Sooner you get a thermometer the better.
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blackskull
Fully Grown Royal
United Kingdom
1278 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 17:46:22
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hate to be the one to tell you but those round stick on ones are pants they are not accurate. these are the ones i use
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Digital-Display-Aquarium-Vivarium-Thermometer-UK-seller-fast-dispatch-/261039093704?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item3cc72477c8#ht_2677wt_952
not from this seller but the same ones, they are far more accurate than those round ones. i have over 12 and never had a problem with them |
1.1 normal royal, sully, silver
0.1 pinstripe royal, penny
1.1 pastel royal, lars, clover
0.1 lesser royal, serenity
0.1 black pastel royal, betty
0.1 mojave royal, mavis
0.1 normal het clown
1.0 pastel het clown
1.0 nuclear, ned
1.0 super phantom
1.0 childrens python, myles
0.1 hog island boa
0.1 sonoran x boa, grace
0.0.1 mack snow leopard gecko, munchkin
4.1 cats, stan, dave, marble, binx, daisy
4.1 rabbits, mol, ted, bill, spud, alice
0.1 crazy cat/bunny lady of bridgwater, lucy |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
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Mikeyboy1992
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
35 Posts |
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Kelfezond
The bearded one
United Kingdom
4803 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 20:23:44
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| Neigh perfect temperatures :) |
\v/ Click me for Kelfezond Reptiles Facebook Page! \v/
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Royal Not Eating. Never Stikes
