ChiefsDaddy
Gray-bearded Member
Hi all!
I am very worried as this is Chief's 2nd night without sleeping a full night. A little back story first. On Monday, my wife found a small (10") "baby" snake in her office at work and brought it home. We did not know what kind it was and decided that we would take it to the reptile store to get identified after work (it turned out to be a fully grown adult Crowned Snake). Coincidentally, Chief leash/harness arrived that afternoon. We decided to take Chief along to the pet store as well. The owner is also the breeder and thought it would be nice to pass by and show him how fast Chief is growing. This was Chief's first time on a leash and also his first car ride. To be honest, he was a little freaked out, but not too bad really. It was a quick ride there and a quick ride back. He kind of wanted out of his leash right as we were getting back home. I set him free and he was his regular self, running around and having a good time. I fed him a waxworm for being a good boy at the store. After a little freedom time, I put him back in his cage and tried to feed him his Reptiworm dinner. He was being difficult and turned his nose at them, he wouldn't even take one from my hand. I tried again a couple of times that night, and he was not interested. He was just being a brat. When his lights turned off, he realized that he would go without eating if he kept up the attitude, and decided to eat at this time (kinda late, I know). After eating, I removed his food bowl and he hid under his rock and did his little relaxed wiggle butt thing he does before sleeping. He never goes in his hide or hides under his rock (he normally sleeps on his hammock). We figure he was mad at us for the stressful afternoon and left him alone. He laid there for a while, but never actually went to sleep. I woke up throughout the night and he was never sleeping when I checked on him. I hoped it was a one time thing, and continued on. Next day, he acted normal, ate fine (3 meals a day), pooped fine. Just being his regular old self. I took him out in the afternoon and he seemed tired, so I wrapped him in his blankie and let him fall asleep a little early. I let him sleep for an hour or two outside his cage until it was time to go back. I thought for sure he would sleep last night, but that was not the case.
Yet again, he was up all night long. I woke up super early this morning and took him out. I let him rest on me and talked to him softly and petted him until he finally fell asleep. Again, I let him sleep for a few hours to regain what he had lost. This morning yet again, he ate fine. He does have a red heat lamp that stay on at night in his cage, but he has been sleeping fine with it there since day one. Never had a problem with it. But tonight, I'm going to let him sleep without the light and see what happens.
So a couple of options here:
He all of a sudden hates his heat lamp and it is not letting him sleep (very possible as he does fall asleep outside)
He doesn't like that we brought home a snake (seems kind of unlikely to me, he didn't seem to dislike the sanke, but he could be jealous)
He is still mad at being put in a leash and driven around (he does not seem mad at me at all and still likes to cuddle with his daddy)
Or it another problem with his cage altogether that I haven't figured out yet
What do you guys think could be wrong with him?
Here's a little info:
Chief is two months old. I haven't measured or weighed him in a while, but he is about 12 inches long now :shock:
I think he is male, but I really don't know. Sometimes, I can see two bumps, sometimes I can't, so I'm waiting until he is a juvi and has better developed parts
He has a 29 gallon tank, repticarpet as substrate (I clean cage at least once a week), ReptiSUN 10.0 tube <1mo old, 75w basking bulb, 110F Basking Spot, 80F cool side, taken with acurite digital therm w/probe
He's currently being fed turnip greens and squash (He eats his veggies every morning, except today ) and medium Reptiworms 3x a day. I dust with multivitamin 2x a week, and calcium+d3 once a week.
He poops at least once a day, sometimes twice
I bathe him about 2-3 times a week, I only mist when he is shedding
I am very worried as this is Chief's 2nd night without sleeping a full night. A little back story first. On Monday, my wife found a small (10") "baby" snake in her office at work and brought it home. We did not know what kind it was and decided that we would take it to the reptile store to get identified after work (it turned out to be a fully grown adult Crowned Snake). Coincidentally, Chief leash/harness arrived that afternoon. We decided to take Chief along to the pet store as well. The owner is also the breeder and thought it would be nice to pass by and show him how fast Chief is growing. This was Chief's first time on a leash and also his first car ride. To be honest, he was a little freaked out, but not too bad really. It was a quick ride there and a quick ride back. He kind of wanted out of his leash right as we were getting back home. I set him free and he was his regular self, running around and having a good time. I fed him a waxworm for being a good boy at the store. After a little freedom time, I put him back in his cage and tried to feed him his Reptiworm dinner. He was being difficult and turned his nose at them, he wouldn't even take one from my hand. I tried again a couple of times that night, and he was not interested. He was just being a brat. When his lights turned off, he realized that he would go without eating if he kept up the attitude, and decided to eat at this time (kinda late, I know). After eating, I removed his food bowl and he hid under his rock and did his little relaxed wiggle butt thing he does before sleeping. He never goes in his hide or hides under his rock (he normally sleeps on his hammock). We figure he was mad at us for the stressful afternoon and left him alone. He laid there for a while, but never actually went to sleep. I woke up throughout the night and he was never sleeping when I checked on him. I hoped it was a one time thing, and continued on. Next day, he acted normal, ate fine (3 meals a day), pooped fine. Just being his regular old self. I took him out in the afternoon and he seemed tired, so I wrapped him in his blankie and let him fall asleep a little early. I let him sleep for an hour or two outside his cage until it was time to go back. I thought for sure he would sleep last night, but that was not the case.
Yet again, he was up all night long. I woke up super early this morning and took him out. I let him rest on me and talked to him softly and petted him until he finally fell asleep. Again, I let him sleep for a few hours to regain what he had lost. This morning yet again, he ate fine. He does have a red heat lamp that stay on at night in his cage, but he has been sleeping fine with it there since day one. Never had a problem with it. But tonight, I'm going to let him sleep without the light and see what happens.So a couple of options here:
He all of a sudden hates his heat lamp and it is not letting him sleep (very possible as he does fall asleep outside)
He doesn't like that we brought home a snake (seems kind of unlikely to me, he didn't seem to dislike the sanke, but he could be jealous)
He is still mad at being put in a leash and driven around (he does not seem mad at me at all and still likes to cuddle with his daddy)
Or it another problem with his cage altogether that I haven't figured out yet
What do you guys think could be wrong with him?
Here's a little info:
Chief is two months old. I haven't measured or weighed him in a while, but he is about 12 inches long now :shock:
I think he is male, but I really don't know. Sometimes, I can see two bumps, sometimes I can't, so I'm waiting until he is a juvi and has better developed parts
He has a 29 gallon tank, repticarpet as substrate (I clean cage at least once a week), ReptiSUN 10.0 tube <1mo old, 75w basking bulb, 110F Basking Spot, 80F cool side, taken with acurite digital therm w/probe
He's currently being fed turnip greens and squash (He eats his veggies every morning, except today
) and medium Reptiworms 3x a day. I dust with multivitamin 2x a week, and calcium+d3 once a week.He poops at least once a day, sometimes twice
I bathe him about 2-3 times a week, I only mist when he is shedding
