White lip not eating!!!!!?????

[Whitelipp]

Hi there guys.
Well this has been sayd over and over and over again. White lipped pit vipers are flippen tough to get on pinks well enough said.
My white lip isnt eating. Shes been on pinks for a while but I've only had her for a month and the first time I had to feed her I didnt even get a strike. Took her to the guy I got her from and she ate

Now 3 weeks later I tried feeding her: tapping the tail,the head, scenting the pink with those lizard drops from T-Rex(does it work?) and I left her in a small container over night with the pink still nothing. I even brained the pink and nothing.

So what next guys I feel like a failing herper.......

[dendroaspis]

There are many things that could possibly go wrong. Saying "my snake is not eating" on the 'net is like telling a doctor "I don't feel well" over the phone.
Tell us about your setup, humidity, temperatures etc. From there we can see what might be wrong.

[Whitelipp]

Ok right.

Its a glass tank. 400x250
Substrate is normal astro but looking to change it to pottingsoil.
The humidity is 70-80% and the temp is 28-30 in the day and about 21 at night.
Ive got more than enough branches and hiding place.

Hope this will help.

[xerophak]

hi Whitelipp.
my opinion, are doing well in maintenance.
I understand only 3 weeks is not alarming (no problem) I like the look and weigh (kg) of my animals.

monitoring the weight loss (kg)

you see that lack fat (reservations)?
I once in my worthingtoni (not the same thing but one example)
do the same from one day to another stop eating, prove particularly during month and a half, I decided to completely change the substrate, my surprise! eat the same day!
sometimes seems stupid question, but a bad smell for a day or a mouse dead leaves trail ,,,,,,, a mouse of the day to night on one site can heat could leave a very bad track.

try to change the substrate and thoroughly clean the terrarium, it is a bit of work, but why not try?, takes! discard more than one thing
one posibility more

regards sorry my inglish

[Nasicornis]

Do you know what kind of setup she used to be kept in? Sometimes some animals can be quite sensative to a change in environment. The reason why I am leaning towards this is beacuse you mention that you took her back and she ate there. Possibly try and recreate her old setup as closely as possible.

[Whitelipp]

Well yea she ate there but she ate in a plastic container. The same container I transported her in. I'll go to the nursery today and get some black potting soil and put that in.

[Alan Hyde]

White lips tend to find a favourite roost and will stay there regardless of whether the temp is suitable or not, they tend to go off feed if they're too hot.
Also, I don't know about other white lip keepers but mine went through seasonal fasting also.

[bradmiller]

I have had constant issues with my males during the winter months...
although my female eats all the time.
Have you tried to use pinkie parts... not sure if that will help. How big is she anyways?

Have you treid feeding at different times? i.e. day light and night time.
I also noticed that if there is allot of activity around the cage they do not eats as well as if I can careful not to disturb them before a feeding session.

I have also noticed that they are more likely to accept food after they have been misted. Not sure if this is the norm or just coincidence...

[Whitelipp]

She is 32 cm. She shed a week ago. I just changed the whole cage setup today. Got black potting soil and planted dwarf umbrela plants in the tank.

I will try feeding her again on thursday because in the area Im in I cant find live pinks any time of the week.

I tried feeding her at different times tho and she hates being misted.

[bradmiller]

you do know that these guys do not really drink out of a water bowl and prefer to drink the droplets off their own bodies and from the leaves and such like.

[Whitelipp]

Yea I know that. When I had a normal non natural setup I use to put the water container half way over a heated pad and this would make the enclosure very humid and that formed droplets and condensation on the tank wall. But yea I know they only drink off themselves or off leaves and the tank walls. But thanks.

[Whitelipp]

This is my girl. This was her old enclosure.

[EkSkynHeilig]

I speak under correction here:
the flash on the photo may be misleading me, but that looks like a male to me?
Am I wrong?
It looks as if there is a whitish line running down the body of the snake?

[Alan Hyde]

It's definitely a Female. Females can have a pale yellowish/off white line

Cheers,
Al

[Whitelipp]

No flash used. But this is a female. But one more question. Is it smart to drop the temp a bit to the mid 20s say about 24-26 and just leave her and not bother her with food? And then in a months time raise the temp to about 29-30 and try feeding her again? Shes not loosing any condition so I'm not to worried.
If you guys have any other suggestions please share.

And before I forget force feeding is not an option. Iwant her to eat on her own