I have a baby farmed chondro that has only eaten 3 times for me in 6 months. It is a runner and just doesn't want anything to do with the pinkies I am trying. Do any of you guys have any tips for getting it to eat. I got it from someone I trust greatly and was told it had eaten atleast a dozen times for him but since coming here has been a complete pain. Here is a pic of my set up if that helps. I keep temps at 86 warm end and 78 on the cool end. It is in a 6 qt rack system with back heat.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/clsutt29/DSCF1254.jpg
http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll208/clsutt29/DSCF1251.jpg

Thanks for any help you can offer

Have you had it checked for any parasites?

Try putting in some fake ivy in there to let it hide and feel more secure. Where's the water bowl? Do you mist it any?

I do have ivy in there now. I took the water bowl out for the pics. They are from when I first set the tub up. I mist atleast once a day depending on how quickly the tub dries out.

Have you had it checked for parasites? (have you taken it to the vet?)

Sorry forgot to answer that one. Yes it has been checked. No parasites.

Are you feeding it live or f/t pinkies?

Have you talked with the guy you got it from and asked them how they got it to eat?

F/t but have tried live too.

Yes I have talked to him and he said he just exposes a little of the brain on f/t which I have tried only worked once.

I don't keep chondros, but I would think making it feel more secure with fake plants and things should help it to eat. I've also had success with stubborn BP's by putting non-clear tape over the front of their tub so they wouldn't feel as exposed.

I don't have chondros, just trying to tease out anything that might help.

Is that the ambient air temp or right up against the heat source?
Are you using a temp gun to check it...sometimes other thermometers can be off a few degrees.
He might just be running a few degrees too cool to digest or too warm and is stressed.

Any regurges?

Not sure how big he is...
have you tried a rat pinky to see if that spurs a different reaction?

Are you taking him out and feeding him in a separate container?
If so maybe he just needs to stay put with more vines etc as stated before with a nice warm f/t prey item given a wiggle and perhaps a nose bump to tick him off?

Also the humidity, you already know that though.

Any signs he cannot open his mouth easily or has a mouthtooth issue going on?

Only other thing I have heard people doing for little GTPs is scenting the mouse/rat with a lizard or bird or alternatively rinsing the mouse off really good prior to offering it.

He sure is a good looking little guy.

I use a temp gun to check temps. He is perfectly healthy. I actually got him to eat today with some suggestions from Rico Walder and some other guys on the Morellia Viridis forum. They told me to pretty much smack the snake with the mouse until he got mad enough to start striking. It worked took about 10 strikes for him to actually grab and take it. Thanks for your suggestions and help.

They told me to pretty much smack the snake with the mouse until he got mad enough to start striking. It worked took about 10 strikes for him to actually grab and take it.

There you go. Seems strange to tick a snake off to eat, but a time tested method.

I would bump your warm side temp up 2-3 degrees too.

I use a temp gun to check temps. He is perfectly healthy. I actually got him to eat today with some suggestions from Rico Walder and some other guys on the Morellia Viridis forum. They told me to pretty much smack the snake with the mouse until he got mad enough to start striking. It worked took about 10 strikes for him to actually grab and take it. Thanks for your suggestions and help.

Glad that worked for you!!! I have a little one that runs away if I try that, makes it worse.:mad:

Simple fix. Get some baby chicken(chick) down and cover a warm fuzzy with it. It works every time.

Simple fix. Get some baby chicken(chick) down and cover a warm fuzzy with it. It works every time.

Not every! LOL!:cheers:

Another thing that often works is quail soup....ok, not real quail soup, but I scramble a quail chick's brains, and make a little soup with about 2-3 tbsp. of hot water,a nd use that for scenting. Great to hear the tease feeding worked...hopefully it will continue in the future.

Another thing that often works is quail soup....ok, not real quail soup, but I scramble a quail chick's brains, and make a little soup with about 2-3 tbsp. of hot water,a nd use that for scenting. Great to hear the tease feeding worked...hopefully it will continue in the future.

:eek: That sounds nasty! lol

Yeah, but it smells GREAT!!!:yes:

Another thing that often works is quail soup....ok, not real quail soup, but I scramble a quail chick's brains, and make a little soup with about 2-3 tbsp. of hot water,a nd use that for scenting. Great to hear the tease feeding worked...hopefully it will continue in the future.

May have to try this on one of ours!:cheers:

Another thing that often works is quail soup....ok, not real quail soup, but I scramble a quail chick's brains, and make a little soup with about 2-3 tbsp. of hot water,a nd use that for scenting. Great to hear the tease feeding worked...hopefully it will continue in the future.

:eek: That sounds nasty! lol

Yeah, but it smells GREAT!!!:yes:

ya gotta do what ya gotta do! anything to get the baby eating!

Sorry to hijack the thread, but would quail soup work for an adult too? I have a massive female emerald tree boa that I've had since March. She's been treated for parasites and supposedly ate well for the previous owner (would go off feed for several months here and there and start up again) and he said he gave her f/t rats. Well I have not gotten her to eat once for me, and it's almost 5 months, and I'm starting to sweat.

Sorry to hijack the thread, but would quail soup work for an adult too? I have a massive female emerald tree boa that I've had since March. She's been treated for parasites and supposedly ate well for the previous owner (would go off feed for several months here and there and start up again) and he said he gave her f/t rats. Well I have not gotten her to eat once for me, and it's almost 5 months, and I'm starting to sweat.

Give it a shot, the worst that can happen is that she still doesn't eat...

I got Bruce's "picky" one to eat a pink the other day using Ron's drop of dishsoap thing that he uses on corns! F/T, then use a drop of dishsoap in your hand and run it under warm water. Rinses off the dishsoap while warming it. Then just chucked it in the cage where it likes to perch while it was cruising, in the morning it was in it's spot and had a lump and the mouse was gone.:yes: