• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
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    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Papuan Hatchling Feeding Issues (continued)

R

Rakshasanyc

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On December 24, 2006 Kierkegaard, my hatchling Papuan python, ate a live rat fuzzy. (More precisely, he slept beside it until it was dead, then decided to eat it as I was removing it from the cage). This was the first thing he had eaten since I acquired him on November 26, 2006: I also believe it was his first meal.

Since that time he has not eaten again. He has been given a dose of Flagyl and Panacur by our vet (Dr. Steven Wyler, who is excellent), and has checked out as healthy in all other particulars, save his appetite or absolute lack thereof.

I do not have steady access to live mouse or rat pinks and fuzzies. I can get them occasionally at one pet store near me: most other stores in my area refuse to sell anything but adult live feeders. While I may be able to get another pink or fuzzy within a couple weeks, I can't be sure when the next ones will come in... and I'd really like to get Kierkegaard on f/t for everyone's sake. (I so do not want to be dealing with a 13'+ snake that will only eat live piglets and rabbits). So while I will probably try live again in the near future, I'm hoping to find some trick that will get him taking frozen/thawed pinks regularly.

At present I'm trying the seclusion approach. I've covered his container with sari fabric, thereby blocking his view of the outside world. Save for occasional changes of his water dishes, I'm bothering him as little as possible and introducing a food item (currently mouse pinkies) each week. If he doesn't take that one, I figure that next week we'll try again. This appears less stressful on Kierkegaard and is definitely FAR less stressful on me.

According to Dr. Wyler, force-feeding will only be required if we start seeing emaciation, listlessness & c. -- and so far he appears perfectly active, alert and healthy. So I'm guessing the only thing to do now is sit this one out and wait patiently. But just in case, any other pointers will be greatly appreciated. We have previously tried, without success: f/t mouse pinks, f/t rat fuzzies, f/t mouse hoppers, all of the above in an enclosed container, fuzzies in a pillowcase, brained fuzzies, fuzzies dipped in chicken broth, fuzzies wriggled on the floor, fuzzies dangled on hemostats, fuzzies dropped in his hide -- if there's a way to tempt a snake with a fuzzy, we've probably tried it already. But I'm always happy to hear something new.
 
This is more a last-stop-before-force-feeding approach, but what about assist-feeding? Basically, you just open his mouth, stick the nose of a smallish (relative to his usual prey item size) dead mouse in his mouth, then either *very* slowly put him somewhere dark and isolated, or just sit there with him absolutely rock-still as he eats. Many times, the snake will just automatically start swallowing the mouse once it gets over the shock of having it placed in their mouth. It's sort of a compromise: you aren't quite force-feeding, but neither are you entirely leaving him to his own devices.

Henry
 
Kevin,, I wouldn't worry about FT or what you might have to feed a few years down the road, if he doesn't eat your not going to have to worry about live pigs..
Have you tried egg white for scenting ? chick down? Frogs? Lizard? Often movement will get them to take, buzz that mouse around..

With tough cases I'll give them whatever they want to get them eating. When they are older and able to take a good fast I'll push the issue of getting them to eat FT.
I've given baby Chondro's and other non eaters- Lizards,Frogs, and even birds to get them to eat something. Assist and force feeding IMO are a last resort after everything else has failed, Shoving food down their throats just stresses them out !! stress and a starved snake are a recipe for a dead snake.

Find someone near you that has live fuzzies, often Petco will have some small mice come in with the rest. Or buy a pregnant mouse from a pet store or just explain to them why you need a fuzzy and if it cost you more well you have to get him to eat.. Good luck and keep us posted on how he does...Randy
 
ravensgait said:
Kevin,, I wouldn't worry about FT or what you might have to feed a few years down the road, if he doesn't eat your not going to have to worry about live pigs..
Have you tried egg white for scenting ? chick down? Frogs? Lizard? Often movement will get them to take, buzz that mouse around..
Click to expand...

We tried a frog: no interest. We tried chicken broth: no interest. Haven't yet tried chick down, egg white or scenting with geckos or anoles. I just tried another mouse pink this morning, with no immediate success although I suppose there's always hope he'll eat it before I remove it tomorrow morning.
If I stumble into a steady source of live mouse or rat pinks -- or even find ONE store that has them -- I'll try that next. (Live baby quail would also be a great find).

As far as moving the prey goes: if you move it too quickly he gets scared and runs into his hide. If you move it too slowly he loses interest and wanders off. If you just leave it there he slithers around it. Only rarely have I even been able to get him interested enough to bite - and when he does that he lets go almost immediately. :censored:

Right now I'm thinking I will continue to offer him food until the weather warms up. At that point I may think about rehoming him with someone who has a steady supply of live food or who has more experience than I do with picky eaters. (Since my first snake was a Burm, I'm much more familiar with gluttonous herps than anorexic ones). I paid $350 for him and have already spent at least that much in vet care but would gladly give him away to someone who has the time and experience required to get him eating. Right now I'm more concerned about Kierkegaard's well-being than about any money I might be out of pocket for him.
 
Well lets see if we can keep you from having to get rid of him. Not sure where Elmhurst is how far from the Jersey border is it?? I have Baby Soft fur rats!!! as well as frogs lizards ETC,,I have baby Chondro's right now and they can be a bit trying to put it mildly lol.. So I keep these things in case of need... Drop me an email...Randy
 
Sorry to hear of your problem. I have raised 3 baby Apadora, and all were voracious eaters from the start, even 2 newborns. BUT, I kept them in sweaterbox/shoebox racks from the start so they were not stressed. How is his cage set up? What are the temps, humidity, hide situation, etc? Are you avoiding handling? Give me the cage details, maybe we can change something.....
J
 
Jasin said:
Sorry to hear of your problem. I have raised 3 baby Apadora, and all were voracious eaters from the start, even 2 newborns. BUT, I kept them in sweaterbox/shoebox racks from the start so they were not stressed. How is his cage set up? What are the temps, humidity, hide situation, etc? Are you avoiding handling? Give me the cage details, maybe we can change something.....
J
Click to expand...

Temps range from 81-82* on his cool side to 88-92* on the warm (I've been running them on the high end). He has a hide on his warm side and a hide on his cool side: he also hides beneath one of his water dishes. On the advice of my vet I've been misting daily: humidity is usually around 70-75%.

He's in an Iris sweaterbox (app. 30" x 13" high). This is large for a 30" snake, but he was a neurotic madly striking little demon in a smaller tub and has only eaten since we moved him to this box. The box is generally covered and we're handling him as little as possible until he starts eating regularly.

I've now gotten him to eat twice (both times rat fuzzies) in the two months I've owned him. While monthly feedings are far from ideal he will survive for a good while on that schedule. So for now I'm trying the "cover the box with Sari cloth, leave him alone, and try to feed him every 5-7 days for a couple minutes, longer if you see feeding strikes and less if he just seems stressed" approach.
 
That's good he's eaten a few times now. It sounds like your set up is ok. I would maybe spray every other day. Is this a WC, or Captive Born from Bushmaster?
 
Jasin said:
That's good he's eaten a few times now. It sounds like your set up is ok. I would maybe spray every other day. Is this a WC, or Captive Born from Bushmaster?
Click to expand...

He is CH from Bushmaster Reptiles: I got him from Regal Reptiles on November 26, 2006 at the White Plains show.
 
On the advice of my vet I've been misting daily: humidity is usually around 70-75%.
Click to expand...

I know I harp on about this, but IMHO, it's warranted: long-fiber sphagnum moss. It holds huge amounts of water, is great for maintaining humidity for weeks at a time without re-moistening, and never molds. Pop some into his hides, and humidity issues will vanish (I grow tropical plants on my apartment windowsill, in part thanks to this stuff). It should be available at any garden center, as well as Lowes and Home Depot (and sometimes Walmart), though it may be sold as "orchid moss" (it's used as a potting medium). If in doubt, check the small print on the bag.

Henry
 
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