I need more tips. My boy hasn't eaten for nearly 6 weeks now, i know it's perfectly normal and i'm trying not to stress out but it's so easily done.

What i've tried so far -

Heating up the prey
Braining
Leaving in overnight
I took his water away for a week then offered a dripping wet mouse
Changed from mice to rats
Scenting the prey with a different rodent

What i'm trying at the moment is a dark towel method. I've placed a black towel over the viv and i will leave it there for a few days without disturbing him at all. Then i need to remove the towel and it's suppose to make make him feel like it spring time :s
I don't know about this method, i was told about it in my local rep shop.

Any other tips for me?

__________________

What is your set up, temps etc and how often are you offering food? It seems like you have tried quite a few things in a short space of time.

Also, how big is your male? (weight) and how old is he?

I offer food once a week.
I tried a couple of them in one go, for example. I defrosted a rat and offered that, he refused so i brained it, still refused and then i left it in there overnight.

Temps in the hot end were 92F but i was told to try increasing it to 95F.
Cool end temps are 87F.
He's just over 2 years old is 1kg is weight.

Also i don't know if it's worth mentioning that his last shed was about 7 weeks ago.

__________________

Have you tried chicks?

They dont have a massive amount of nutrional value but its worth a try,we give ours a mix of mice/rats and chicks at the moment

do you know anyone who can do a freshly killed mouse/rat?

__________________


Cats= Tia and Foxy
Snakes= Bruce banana cali king, Levi and Cookie commen boas and murphy commen boa
and four african land snails

Nope unfortunately and i havn't tried the chicks either.

__________________

The first thing is, don't worry about it. That is probably the most important thing too, as he might not eat all winter if he is in 'breeding mode'.

I personally wouldn't offer chicks. The snake has to eat so many of them to make a decent meal, it's a PITA to be honest. Plus, sometimes they then refuse to eat anything else, ever.

I would first of all make sure his set up is right. Temps etc seem fine, but if he is in a viv, make sure it is REALLY packed out with plenty of hides.

Then weigh him, record his exact weight, and leave him. I would probably totally ignore him for at least two weeks, preferably three or four if you can stand it, and only do essential water changes. Otherwise, ignore him.

Then, quietly, late at night in a darkish room, offer him a med/large weaner rat that has been made very hot head/front only) with a hairdryer. Offer on tongs but not right under his nose, and wiggle it around a little bit. if he doesn't eat it, put it at the entrance to his hide overnight. If it isn't gone by morning, remove and leave him again.

I would weigh him once a month and offer food once a month, on alternate fornights for now. He is an adult snake, and can go months without eating, and the more you offer him the more stressed he is likely to get and not feed. If he does eat the first time you try, offer him again two weeks later. Just watch he doesn't start losing weight/much weight.

I am sure he'll be fine. He will eat eventually when he feels like it, it's just a royal thing.

Thanks for that, it was very helpful

It's been just over a week now since i last offered and in that time, i havn't handled him at all, just changed his water.
I'll leave him possibly another week and try what you've said

__________________

Hey guys

The Royal Python comes from West Africa

There, it eats gerbils (not mice or rats)

Obtain a gerbil, but make sure its fresh killed, or defrost
(as Gerbils can actually kill the snake, if put in with it alive)

It works for us!

Clem xxx

The mongolian gerbil that we keep as pets are not from Africa but some of their gerbil cousins are.
I keep and breed gerbils as pets so i wouldn't be able to feed him a gerbil.

He's going into shed now anyway so i'm going to wait unti he's finished shedding before i try him on another rat.

__________________

hi i know there pets , i will get hung for this but try a fresh killed gerbil, as people keep rats an mice as food and pets , it must of eaten to get to get that size , but leaving it with out water for a week not good idea im my humble opinion , try wiggling the food warm, i see your point gerbils are pets but sure you could cull one to feed the snake but once its ate a gerbil, it may never go back to mice or rats size and age would help;how long youve had it , how it ate last time ect or have you just got this snake????? pls ppl dont hang me for the gerbil remark its just cheaper to come from you, belive me i know its hard, ok if not a gerbil offer it a fresh mouse