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gett GTP to eat

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So I got a GTP a few weeks ago at the Manchester show and I'm super happy with my lil guy, but I havent managed to get him to eat. He is an Aru Island GTP, and is very docile.

I've seen evidence of urates in the cage, but not poo - since he hasnt eaten for me. He is little and I'm getting kind of worried. I've tried live and frozen, mouse fuzzies and rat pinks. he is in a shoebox sized cage with the hot side being 93 and the cold side being in the high 70's (its a really long and narrow tub) He has one perch, which is on the hot side of the tub.



anyone have suggestions on how to get him to eat??
 
Thank you for your reply! I lowered the temps and added a couple more dowels and will leave him alone for a bit
 
Try feeding an anole if nothing else works. I've heard they'll be quicker to eat anoles than rodents, sometimes. But I may be wrong.
 
Lena, Do not feed an anole to that snake unless it is still not eating 8 weeks from now - or longer.

Take the newspaper and water bowl out and put 1 to 1.5" of water in the tub. The air temp in that tub should be about 85F.

Wait a week and then offer it a very warm fuzzy from tongs at about 9 or 10 PM.

You can warm the fuzzy by thawing it in scalding hot water from your tap, then towel dry and immediately offer it to the snake.

Grab it with the tongs so you can offer it nose first to the snake. If it is not "awake" then bump it a few times to get its attention and then try to be gentle enough so you get a tongue flick and the snake does not tuck its head in its coils.

If that does not work you can try just leaving the fuzzy draped over the perch. I have actually gotten baby chondros that have never eaten to start taking pinkies this way.

That snake looks like it has had several meals - Nothing to panic about for a couple of months.

Remain calm and carefully read what I wrote above because it works - and I hate non-feeding snakes more than most people.

Good luck.
 
Also, if the snake grabs the fuzzy and either drops it or flings it away - that is good. Many times (MANY TIMES) I have had them take the food item and eat it after they have angrily flung the fuzzy away a few times and also when they have dropped it.

The trick is to get them to bite it so the snout of the mouse is in its throat. There is something about that and it makes them instinctively start to swallow.
 
Peter, I haven't worked with chondros and I am still learning about them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't having 1.5" of water in the tub make the humidity too high?
Also; what's wrong with feeding anoles, if I may ask?
 
if you feed anoles you run a risk of not getting it back to rodents as for the water I would keep the humidity at a level of light fogging on sides of tub get your temps to 85 to 86 at the hot spot and 80 to 82 cool spot and depending on age you might want to go to a smaller tub and feed at night
 
GMTIRRILL said:
if you feed anoles you run a risk of not getting it back to rodents as for the water I would keep the humidity at a level of light fogging on sides of tub get your temps to 85 to 86 at the hot spot and 80 to 82 cool spot and depending on age you might want to go to a smaller tub and feed at night
Click to expand...

I disagree with this. If you feed the anoles to the chondro (or even more tempting to them: tree frogs or house geckos) they will not get stuck on them. They will grow out of it and start accepting rodents, no problem. The problem, however, is that they will surely transmit parasites to the chondro.
 
Reisreptiles said:
Peter, I haven't worked with chondros and I am still learning about them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but won't having 1.5" of water in the tub make the humidity too high?
Also; what's wrong with feeding anoles, if I may ask?
Click to expand...

I have started three clutches of chondros this way. They can stay like this as long as they fit in the tub. There will be no water sores or RI caused by this. They will shed in one piece, every time, though.
 
peter, I will try the water technique and then try to feed again in a few days! thank you for the suggestion!! (I've gotten him to strike at the mouse, and then I left it overnight, but nothing happened... ) Also, the humidity in that rack is fairly high as it is, but i'll try it and see if things change.

Im not gonna do anoles as they are really hard to find around here, unless you want to pay for pet prices.
 
well unfortunetly, after trying everything, I found my baby dead today :(

I did the water try, and tried a live and frozen (wiked hot) pinky, tried at 9 and 10 pm... got him to strike at it, but he never gothimself attached. Last ditch effor to force feed.. got it in his mouth and he waited a bit, then backed it out of his mouth.

Im wiked bummed, but feel like i've tried everything :( dont know if this means im not ready for gtp's or if I should just go for one thats started a bit more (and my mistake, on the basically impulse buy, from a wholesailer..)
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. Sometimes there's just nothing that can be done and you gave a valiant effort to provide the best care you could. my condolenses
 
Never, ever force feed. The stress from that probably caused the death of the snake. You shouldn't even be touching chondros that young, much less force feeding. I don't know how much snake experience you have, but I'd probably get some more under your belt before trying a chondro again. They require a lot of patience and attention.
 
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