# Jungle carpet python not eating



## Scolopendra55 (Nov 11, 2008)

I got a little baby JCP on the 18th of last month and she still hasn't eaten. She's about 17"-18" and I was told it was taking frozen thawed peach fuzzies. I've tried feeding her at night, in the morning, and just about every other time of the day and she still will not eat. Does anybody have any suggestions?


----------



## Ritzman (Nov 11, 2008)

Hmm, I got a coastal that is about 30in that never refuses a F/T meal.

Have you tried warming the mouse up(not by microwave but hot water)?

I always feed mine at night and warm the mouse(mice) with hot water.
She sits up in the branches at night waiting for food. Always.

Has your carpet shed in your care? Do you know last shed? Does your snake forage the tank or hide in it's hide? Heat/Humidity fine? Do you hold it to much? Does it try to bite you? How does it act in general? When were you told it ate last? These guys are sometimes hard to get to accept F/t at first but once you get them on 'em there pigs.

She should be able to take down fuzzies as well.


----------



## Will Hunting (Nov 11, 2008)

Has it eaten before in your care? How long have you had it? Is it in the process of shedding?


Firstly, don't be too worried. These things happen often, sometimes at random. Most snakes can go for quite a long time without food, so it shouldn't be a "problem" unless you can't feed it for a month or so. I'd say wait even up to a week, and then try feeding her a f/t mouse.


----------



## ballpython2 (Nov 11, 2008)

Scolopendra55 said:


> I got a little baby JCP on the 18th of last month and she still hasn't eaten. She's about 17"-18" and I was told it was taking frozen thawed peach fuzzies. I've tried feeding her at night, in the morning, and just about every other time of the day and she still will not eat. Does anybody have any suggestions?


Have you tried live? I say try live at least once, then go to pre-killed after you get it  eating. (pre killed meaning get a live mouse/ rat whatever you feed it and kill it right there so its already warm then feed it.) after a week or two of that you should be able to do frozen thawed.

The trick here is just to get it eating in general.


----------



## Red Eyes (Nov 11, 2008)

A few more questions, Whats the size of the enclosure? You were told it was " ...  taking frozen thawed peach fuzzies ... " What were they, rat fuzzies or mouse fuzzies? Were they live or f/t? Are you offering the same type of prey? Do you have any kind of record as to it's eating habits? Can you contact the person you bought the JCP from? 
     There are some that are picky eaters right out the egg and then there are others that will eat almost anything. As tempting as it may get, don't try to feed it everynight, give it a week in between tries or you will just frustrate yourself and perhaps scare the snake into not wanting to eat.


----------



## Jmugleston (Nov 11, 2008)

*Switch prey or try live.*

Depending on who you bought it from, the "eating f/t" may not have been too honest. Find out if it was eating rats of mice. I've had some carpets that would only accept one and not the other. If she/he doesn't eat after switching the prey item, try live. I've had one coastal, and numerous Irian Jayans that would only eat live at first. Eventually they switched over, but for a few months I was throwing live hopper mice or pink rats in the cage.


----------



## mindlessvw (Nov 11, 2008)

My JCP is the most ungoddly picky eater I have ever experienced. He got to the point where he would only eat SOLID white mice from a certain pet store. I know it was a smell issue but sesriosuly. I could not get him on FT no matter what I tried. I tried rats and that was a big no! I have had many, many snakes and this guy is the most frustrating animal I have ever owned! 

Having said that...I do love the little bastard... so I had to figure out exactly what he would eat and that was live, white, mice from one store. Maybe give him a bit of settling time and try a live mouse (stunned if possible)and you can continue with FT gradually.


----------



## DrJ (Nov 11, 2008)

Definitely try going with live.  I have had to use live on my snakes before so they would switch back to F/T.  Also be sure to make sure the F/T item is really warm.  You want it to be body temperature, so it should feel warm to the touch.  Not hot, but warm enough that you can tell it is warm.  This usually makes the transition smoother.  Also try rubbing the rodent (live or F/T) on a lizard - geckos seem to work best.  

Let us know how it all works out.


----------



## mcem (Nov 19, 2008)

I hatched JCPs this year and many of them were quite a pain to get started. It took patience and a lot of pestering the snakes to get them going. Many of these guys (and snakes in general) have a great feeding response if their tail is messed with. Gently tap their tail with something as the food item is placed right in front of their face. When they grab and hold, be very still and just let it eat. This is how I got my babies started...1-2 times of this and they started eating live on their own. I've used this trick on many species with great success.


----------

