Feeding Problems

[Noh]

I've had my snake, Penelope, since January 6th. I've been attempting to feed her a f/t pinkie mouse every saturday with no luck. She's shown zero interest in the mice. I even let my roommate poke a hole in a pinkie's head because he "read that might entice her." It didn't.

I went to a hobbyist store today and they said she might want live mice, and if not those then feeder snakes or anoles. I have no problem feeding live animals except for the danger it poses to Penelope once her prey is old enough to fight back.

I bought a live pinkie mouse and put it in her viv, I hope she eats it.

They said it was unusual for kingsnakes not to eat. She even shed two weeks ago. But still hasn't eaten.

Regardless, any tips if she doesn't eat the live mouse? It sounds difficult to obtain small snakes or anoles to feed her. I'll do it if I have to, but dang.

[IDvsEGO]

Kings are usually good eaters but I have one that won't eat if anyone is in the room.. I have to put the pinky in and leave it for 10-15 minutes.

[Noh]

I've been leaving them in her tank, and have done so for up to several hours(i learnt after the first time that they tend to decompose quickly) and she absolutely ignores them. Several weeks ago I tried putting her in a separate, smaller enclosure to feed and she refused to acknowledge the mouse's existence even then.

[EL Ziggy]

How old and how large is your king and what are your temps like Noh? If the temps are definitely dialed in I'd try a small live feeder. Sometimes that will jump start their appetites. A live mouse pinky or fuzzy can't hurt your snake.

[craigafrechette]

How old is the snake and how much does it weigh?

What size and type enclosure is the snake in?

What are your temps?

What is your setup like?

What was the snake eating before you brought it home?

[Albert Clark]

Definitely find out what it was eating at the place where you purchased it. Second, you will have to triple check your husbandry bc that is primarily the place to start with non feeding animals. Temperatures, hides, substrate and security are all important.

[TRD]

And in most regions they are just about this time to start emerging from brumation...

Check your temps/humidity...

Temps should be around 28C/82F ambient down to about 24C/75F, and a hot spot (as measured by an IR temperature gun!) of about 32-35C/90-95F... I'm assuming here it is about the CA kingsnake as per your signature(?).

If by March the snake still didn't eat, stick snake together with 2-3 defrosted pinkies in a small plastic holding rub with ventilation holes overnight. In the meantime, don't panic.

[Noh]

Good news is she ate the live pinkie mouse!

The snake is indeed a CA Kingsnake. Her basking spot is 91F, and the "cool" side of her enclosure is about 77F, and the warm side is a steady 86F. These have been the temperatures since I've gotten her set up.

I'm not sure exactly how old she is, but she is very small, and I bought her on January 6th this year. I have not weighed her. I bought her at a reptile show and the seller said she'd eaten frozen/thawed before. Dunno why she isn't eating f/t now, but at least she's eating something.

She is housed in a 10g viv with a big plastic vine I curled into a "bush" at one end and aspen substrate. She has a habba hut as well, which she rarely uses. She's in love with the vine I swear, and the amount of tunnels in the aspen are incredible, you can see them on the sides. She is shorter than the viv on its longest side, and she has access to dechlorinated water.

[craigafrechette]

Good news is she ate the live pinkie mouse!

The snake is indeed a CA Kingsnake. Her basking spot is 91F, and the "cool" side of her enclosure is about 77F, and the warm side is a steady 86F. These have been the temperatures since I've gotten her set up.

I'm not sure exactly how old she is, but she is very small, and I bought her on January 6th this year. I have not weighed her. I bought her at a reptile show and the seller said she'd eaten frozen/thawed before. Dunno why she isn't eating f/t now, but at least she's eating something.

She is housed in a 10g viv with a big plastic vine I curled into a "bush" at one end and aspen substrate. She has a habba hut as well, which she rarely uses. She's in love with the vine I swear, and the amount of tunnels in the aspen are incredible, you can see them on the sides. She is shorter than the viv on its longest side, and she has access to dechlorinated water.


Glad to hear she ate. Being a King I'm sure she'll switch over to F/T soon enough, now that a live prey item has jumpstarted her eating.

Just an FYI, your temps seem high to me. I have never kept any of my Kings in temps above 86. Never had any issues at all.

[kazz]

try another type of food object.

[EL Ziggy]

Congrats Noh, I'm glad she ate for you. Next time try offering a f/t prey item immediately after she finishes the live pinky. She should take f/t exclusively after a few feedings. I agree with Craig, your temps seem a bit high. I kept my kings at 86-88 tops.