copperhead feeding

[mikem]

alright, i'm a little worried about my two girls. i've had them since mid september. they both ate within a couple of days after i received them. now, neither one will eat. they've refused meals for 3 weeks now. they are both 2 1/2 to 3 yrs old. oh, and both previous owners of each snake said that they are wild caught... are they programed to just stop eating this time of year? should i keep trying to feed them every week until they eat? thanks

[cantil]

As long as they've got good body weight I wouldn't worry. They do stop eating when winter roles around if the temps drop. Most people overfeed adult coppers anyway so in all probability it won't bother them to go without food for a few weeks. My adults I only feed every two to three weeks anyhow.

[Case]

Hmmmm... I've got the same situation with an adult Sourthern Copperhead I caught in my yard several months ago -- the last of seven. I relocated all the others.

This snake has eaten two mice since I've had it -- the last just over a month ago -- but killed and ignored the latest three since then. Well, it poked around a little at the latest one -- today -- then ignored it.

So that's $3.75 worth of rodents I've fetched from the tank and chucked into the yard.

The snake is active and looks fat and sassy. It's living in a 10-gallon aquarium with gravel substrate, a nice native stone ledge and hidey-cave and a fake tree stump it likes to rest its head on and stare at me on the couch a couple of feet away. There's also a pan of water in the tank. Temperature in the tank hovers around about 70°.

It shed about two months ago.

Anybody got any ideas when I should gamble another buck and a quarter rodent on this herpetological crapshoot?

How long can these critters go without a meal?

I'm assuming the snake will finally eat when it gets enough hunger pangs but I'm somewhat short of experience with copperheads -- and tired of donating dinners to its apparent lack of an appetite.

Edit: I searched and found this topic and now I notice there were several others on the same subject. Maybe lack of an appetite is just a winter thing... I have no idea whether this snake is male or female.

[Matt]

all my copperheads are still eating, but they are all pigs anyways....
i know others who have coppers that have gone off food last month, dont worry, its normal for them!

[Case]

Thanks, Matt -- that's about what I figured.

This snake's metabolism must be zip, since it doesn't have to hunt for a living anymore.

If it starts looking skinny I'll venture another rodent.

[chas*e]

Mine also went off last month...they are healthy so ...no worries mate