# Green Tree Python won't eat.



## Toxoderidae (Apr 19, 2017)

I have tried everything I can think of aside from live, even force feeding, and this little thing won't eat! It's not a baby since it's starting to turn green, but it refuses to eat any prekilled, I even tried to force feed him and he just regurgitated it almost immediately. I'm at wits end for this guy, since I can't exactly get my hands on live fuzzy mice. What do I do?


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 19, 2017)

My ball pythons take prekilled super easy, why won't this guy? Ambient temperature is about 77-80 degrees, heat spot is around 90-92. Has a water dish but I still spray and directly give him water.


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## Ghost56 (Apr 19, 2017)

I don't know enough about snakes to help, but I do watch a guy called viperkeeper on youtube. He uses something to push the feeder deep into the snake so they can't regurgitate it. Maybe look up his channel and see if that's something you might wanna try.

Reactions: Disagree 1


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## G. pulchra (Apr 19, 2017)

Need a little more information.  How are you attempting to feed, what size are you using, fresh killed or frozen thawed, what time of the day, how often are you handling it, how much hiding spaces does it have in the enclosure.....


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 19, 2017)

G. pulchra said:


> Need a little more information.  How are you attempting to feed, what size are you using, fresh killed or frozen thawed, what time of the day, how often are you handling it, how much hiding spaces does it have in the enclosure.....


He has plants to hide with next to both of his branches (varying heights) as I gathered you don't use hides with GTPs. He has only been handled once, and that was during me attempting to get him to eat via force feeding. I said in the post it's fuzzy mice. I started with just holding the mouse below him after he showed interest in the night, but even after around 30-40 minutes he still just sat there. I've tried force feeding by pressing the fuzzy against his mouth and pushing it in, but after about 5 minutes he regurgitates it. These are frozen thawed, as I said in the post I cannot get my hands on anything else due to my location. 

A lot of this could've been found out in the post.


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## G. pulchra (Apr 19, 2017)

For one, I wouldn't try to force feed again.  It's very stressful for them, and there is a chance he may not be hungry.  Didn't you just bring  him home a week or two ago?

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 19, 2017)

G. pulchra said:


> For one, I wouldn't try to force feed again.  It's very stressful for them, and there is a chance he may not be hungry.  Didn't you just bring  him home a week or two ago?


Yeah. I'm just so used to balls that eat 4 days to a week after being homed in. Do GTPs take far longer? I didn't read anything on this occurring, just people saying some are finicky.

Reactions: Like 1 | Sad 1


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## CWilson1351 (Apr 19, 2017)

GTPs are notoriously picky eaters, especially with frozen/thawed. Some will even strike and after they are satisfied the mouse is dead, they will drop it to the floor. 
One thing you can try that has helped me with other stubborn eaters is instead of using tepid water to thaw out the mouse, try using watered down chicken broth. Sometimes that helps because of the scent. Definitely do not recommend force feeing again. Even with the pinkie pump method, the stress that puts on the animal is awful for the species.
Could you post a photo of him in his cage? One that is more common of his pose when you attempt to feed would help. I read your original thread on getting him. Great looking snake.


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## G. pulchra (Apr 19, 2017)

It can take several weeks easy, we don't have any idea what he went through before you picked him up.  I only fed ones that size one a week max.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 20, 2017)

Here's a picture of him at night, actually the night I just tried to feed him.

Reactions: Like 2


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## CWilson1351 (Apr 20, 2017)

He looks healthy from what I can see. If the chicken broth doesn't work you may have to offer smaller mice. Hopefully he starts eating soon though.


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## basin79 (Apr 20, 2017)

Buy a chick and rub the mouse with it once it's defrosted. That could well kick start the little fella. 

Please don't force feed. That's the absolutely last step when everything has failed and the snake is going down hill. If the snake completely swallowed the mouse then regurgitated it don't try and feed for at least a week.

Reactions: Like 2


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## G. pulchra (Apr 20, 2017)

basin79 said:


> Buy a chick and rub the mouse with it once it's defrosted. That could well kick start the little fella.
> 
> Please don't force feed. That's the absolutely last step when everything has failed and the snake is going down hill. If the snake completely swallowed the mouse then regurgitated it don't try and feed for at least a week.


Or an anole.


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## 14pokies (Apr 20, 2017)

If you keep force feeding him your going to kill him.. He is going to fear food so bad that he even when hungry is going to associate the scent with something unpleasant.

These are not beginner snakes.. Did you ask the vendor if he is CB or W/C another term for W/C hot trash is farmed..

Did you ask the vendor what he was feeding on and how often?

Also remember some vendors will lie there face off to sell you a snake so there word is worth dirt.

Just because he has his head down at night doesn't mean he's hunting.. Whats he to do at night while he's awake just sit with his head in his coils?

Most of the time when getting imported GTPs you are going to have to offer live rat pups/ fuzzys.. They imprint heavily on food and alot won't just take F/T right away..  Wait a week and offer a live rat fuzzy at night then leave the room or if he is in your bedroom do it right before you go to sleep..

How are you offering water and keeping up humidity? They won't eat if they're dehydrated and some especially imports won't drink from water bowls..
You need to mist the snake with luke warm water in the evening just after you turn of the lights and he "wakes up" as these are notorious scale drinkers..

Make sure the sides of the enclosure has a good amount of water droplets also.. The humidity in the enclosure should be about 70%-80% you need to play with ventilation, water dish size and misting to maintain this.. It's trial and error based on your cage, geographic region and time of year.. A large heating pad on the bottom and a thin substrate layer of wet sphagnum moss do wonders in raising humidity..

Speaking of time of year you do realize that males will go off feed for a good portion of the breeding season.. Even at that size.. I wouldn't be surprised if he is producing sperm plugs by mid mid winter if he starts feeding well and is in fact a male..

Now back to that.. Try a live fuzzy rat.. Get him feeding then worry about switching him over to F/T over the next few months.. Right now live food or dead food can't be a priority of yours.. Him eating is top priority.

If he doesn't take the rat fuzzy over night pull it out in the morning and save it for the next night.. The next step is trying to tease feed him with that freshly killed rat pup.. Wait untill dark when he is awake and open his cage and grab your tongs so the rat can be offered as soon as you kill it so that it's still close to normal body temperature.
Grab the rat by it's tail and swing it hard against a dresser or door jam.. As long as it's something solid it doesn't matter your goal is to kill it first swing.. If it starts bleeding from the nose or mouth that's even better as the smell of blood/brains can entice even the most picky feeders to atleast investigate the prey.. If all this sounds repulsive remeber you bought an advanced snake and now it's well being is up to you.

So when it's dead grab it behind the neck with your tongs and gently raise it to your snakes face and move it from side to side slowly.. If that doesn't elicit a strike within a minute or so gently push the rats head against it's lips.. Gently! If after about a minute or so of that and no strike gently touch the rats head across the snakes back in kind of an eratic fashion.. Your goal is to piss the snake off so that it strikes the rat and hopefully decides to hold on and consume it.. This may take awhile.. If that doesn't work take another set of tongs or a long wooden spoon and gently touch/ tap the snakes tail with them while following its face with the rat..
In nature and sometimes in captivity they coddlelure to attract prey sometimes messing with it's tail while keeping the rat by it's fase is enough to elicit a strike.. The other reason that it works is because all snakes hate having there tails touched especially arboreals that rely on that tail as an anchor..

I have kept dozens of these guys over the years and most ( litteraly 98% ) ended up feeding using the methods above.. I have tried scent transfer with chicken soup/feathers, frogs, lizards and none have worked.. Do what I said and be patient but persistent giving the snake a week between feeding attempts and eventually he's going to feed for you..

If after about 3 months or he looks to be losing body mass fast the first step is to take him to a vet that specializes in reptiles and get a fecal exam.. If he doesn't start feeding after they dose him with panacur or whatever they decide to use research assist feeding.

Reactions: Like 1 | Award 2


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 20, 2017)

14pokies said:


> If you keep force feeding him your going to kill him.. He is going to fear food so bad that he even when he is hungry he's going to associate the scent with something unpleasant.
> 
> These are not beginner snakes.. Did you ask the vendor if he is CB or W/C another term for W/C hot trash is farmed..
> 
> ...


Thank you so very much! I knew force feeding was a bad idea, I just got worried. 

Yeah this is an advanced species, and I've been watering him the way you said (and watching him drink!) so I know he's doing that well. Killing is no issue for me, like at all. They're mice. Would a feeder anole work next week if I can't get my hands on feeder fuzzy mice/rats? This area is absolute garbage for feeders. 

I'm aware this is an advanced species, and the guy I got it from is one of the best breeders of GTPs here, said he was eating live though, which has been my biggest issue. I got the GTP because I figured I've dealt with native arboreals and the sort and done well.


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## 14pokies (Apr 20, 2017)

Toxoderidae said:


> Thank you so very much! I knew force feeding was a bad idea, I just got worried.
> 
> Yeah this is an advanced species, and I've been watering him the way you said (and watching him drink!) so I know he's doing that well. Killing is no issue for me, like at all. They're mice. Would a feeder anole work next week if I can't get my hands on feeder fuzzy mice/rats? This area is absolute garbage for feeders.
> 
> I'm aware this is an advanced species, and the guy I got it from is one of the best breeders of GTPs here, said he was eating live though, which has been my biggest issue. I got the GTP because I figured I've dealt with native arboreals and the sort and done well.


It's good that he's drinking.. Deffinately don't feed him any anoles! They harbor parasites that are little risk to them because they evolved with them. They will wreak havoc on your GTP though.. 

It could be  a long road switching him to F/T.. Start with live then go to pre killed and then F/T.. If he is an established rodent eater I'm kind of surpised he isn't taking F/T from tongs.. You may not be heating them up enough. They rely so heavily on there thermo receptors it isn't funny.. Think about it they're strict nocturnal hunters.. Vision means squat to them..

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 20, 2017)

14pokies said:


> It's good that he's drinking.. Deffinately don't feed him any anoles! They harbor parasites that are little risk to them because they evolved with them. They will wreak havoc on your GTP though..
> 
> It could be  a long road switching him to F/T.. Start with live then go to pre killed and then F/T.. If he is an established rodent eater I'm kind of surpised he isn't taking F/T from tongs.. You may not be heating them up enough. They rely so heavily on there thermo receptors it isn't funny.. Think about it they're strict nocturnal hunters.. Vision means squat to them..


Yeah, I tried with the chicken broth the other night (when I started getting all worried) he watched it for a bit, but I guess it got cold since he just forgot it existed apparently.


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## G. pulchra (Apr 20, 2017)

14pokies said:


> It's good that he's drinking.. Deffinately don't feed him any anoles! They harbor parasites that are little risk to them because they evolved with them. They will wreak havoc on your GTP though..
> 
> It could be  a long road switching him to F/T.. Start with live then go to pre killed and then F/T.. If he is an established rodent eater I'm kind of surpised he isn't taking F/T from tongs.. You may not be heating them up enough. They rely so heavily on there thermo receptors it isn't funny.. Think about it they're strict nocturnal hunters.. Vision means squat to them..


Just for clarity, I never fed mine an anole.  Many, many years ago I had a WC before the CB's really became an option, and of course it wouldn't eat.  After many months of non eating and losing weight, I used an anole to scent a mouse.   It worked, but I had to continue scenting for about 6 months until it ate on it's own.

Reactions: Like 2


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## basin79 (Apr 21, 2017)

Obviously too late now but when you found out it was a live feeder you should have just walked away. 

It is however very possible to get him to switch. Offering a warm F/T item and jerking it around a lot might trick the little fella into taking it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 21, 2017)

I almost got a picture of it, woke up to see him coming all the way down from his branch to drink from his waterdish, so he's certainly drinking outside of the spray. 

Yeah, in hindsight that should've been how I went, I didn't expect it to be this hard to get F/T to work/ find live here, I mean I'm in Atlanta, stuff like this shouldn't be hard to find.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Toxoderidae (Apr 24, 2017)

Well the little snot struck at me through the glass last night. I was walking past, and he struck. Walked back, and he coiled up, ready to strike again. Spent the rest of the night exploring his home.


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## leaveittoweaver (Apr 24, 2017)

You should just leave the snake alone for a week or 10 days, it sounds stressed from all the trying to feed.

Reactions: Agree 3


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