New baby

[guidofatherof5]

350° is plenty.

[aquamentus_11]

I switched over to a CHE and she seems to be much happier. I also had some cork board pieces that I had planned to use for something else, but stuck them on the outside of 2 of the sides of her tank instead. I think it makes her feel a bit more secure to have a few sides covered. I also bought some fresh rainbow trout filets and sliced a few thin pieces off the belly for her. How could she resist? She did resist though. Highly frustrating. I also tried dropping a worm into some shallow water. She seemed interested in its thrashing, but didn't care to check it out. I know it's only been 2 weeks, but that's too @#*$ long in my book. I ended up putting 2 of the trout slices under her hobbit-hole hide (that's really what it looks like) while she was in there. We'll see if that works. Doubtful.

[EasternGirl]

Just make sure that you have a paper towel down or something so that she doesn't drag the fish into the substrate while she is in her hide. It always works for Hermes. I put a paper towel down on his substrate...then put a little plastic lid down, put his food on it, put his hide over it...and stick him in there. He usually eats when I do that. He wouldn't eat for two weeks when I got him until I did that. What about chopping up the worms? Have you tried that? Remind me again...where did you get her and do you know what she was eating before you got her?

[aquamentus_11]

i got her from garterchick 2 weeks ago. she was eating pinky pieces and worms just fine for her, but i'm apparently doing something wrong. i did try the worm slurry for a few days like you suggested, but she doesn't want it. i put paper towel under there as per your instruction. it's weird, she turns her head away whenever i present food like she can't stand the sight of it. i don't chase her with it and present it at least 3cm from her nose. she has no problem basking right out in the open in front of me and i can reach in and remove her water without her running away, so i don't think she needs to settle in anymore. maybe the cool temps while she was being shipped made her go into winter mode? i also tend to keep things cooler in there during the night and run the heat lamp roughly in line with the current sunrise/sunset times. maybe i should switch to summer hours? i'm just impatient and don't like not having control of the situation. in the end, it's up to her to eat, but i want to make sure that i give her every opportunity to thrive.

[guidofatherof5]

2 weeks isn't a long time for her to be off food. Sometimes these adjustment periods can be longer.
Keep offering the food like you've been doing and be patient.
As long as she has access to water she should be OK for now.

[EasternGirl]

Night temps shouldn't have anything to do with it as long as you aren't going down below the 60's. I wouldn't think that the shipping time would influence her that much either..but I don't know for sure. Maybe a PM to garterchick to ask her exactly how she fed her might be an idea...maybe it's how you are going about doing it that she is not used to. But like Steve said...I wouldn't worry too much yet...I know that's easier said than done. I worry too when my snakes aren't eating...and I totally hear you about liking to be in control of the situation . Hang in there...we'll figure it out.

[aquamentus_11]

Yeah, I tried a day or 2 after she arrived just to get prepared, but that was via e-mail. I should PM.

[EasternGirl]

No response? If you are giving her the food she is used to eating...she must not be hungry enough yet. I think if she gets hungry enough, she will eat. You could try the deli cup trick. Get a plastic deli cup and poke some holes in the lid for air. Then put Ivy in the cup with some food. Then put her back in her enclosure. Try putting her in the cool side and cover that side with a towel...or you can leave her out of the enclosure and just put her (in the cup) somewhere dark and quiet. Leave her in there for about a half an hour to an hour. The breeder I got Hermes from used this trick with his babies.

[aquamentus_11]

Well, no response to the e-mail, but that's no biggie. I just shot her a pm. I'll try the cup again; didn't do it for very long last time. I assume she'll eat when she gets hungry enough, I just want to get her beefy and mighty (I love that the females get so much larger).

Ivy is tentative btw. I am still considering names. The forerunners are: Sorsha (like the red-haired babe from Willow), Hydra and Marceline.

[EasternGirl]

It's tough leaving them in the cup. I couldn't do it with Hermes. Yeah...Cee Cee is my big, fat girl. It's really funny when Seely tries to mate with her because he is so little compared to her. He rides around the tank on top of her back...it's very cute. I like Hydra. Try doing a google search for water goddesses and nymphs...there are a whole bunch of names.