Gone off food ...

spyderman · 08-16-03, 11:35 AM

Up until now, My Bull snake has been eating fine. She has refused food for 2wks now. She shed on 21 July. Since them, she has only eaten 1 Rat. She usually takes her food without any hassle. Since shedding, she has scraped her belly on her rough rock & the skin is flaking away. We put her in a new tank, that was 2wks ago, so I have put her in her old tank again. I thought it might be the new tank she didn't like.

Please help. When should I really start to worry? How can I temp her to start feeding again?

Pontus · 08-16-03, 11:44 AM

try a smaller food item but i would't worry to to much has the temp raised alot because i read somewhere the over there in the uk its relly relly hot so it might be that

u can always try a fresh killed small prey item also
can u notice alot on your bull that it hasnt eaten

my bci didnt eat for 2 weeks but then i just put him in a feeding container with a small fresh killed and then put the container with him in it into my closet and left him there for 8 hours and when i looked after 8 hours it was gone and he was back on his way to stop being picky

spyderman · 08-16-03, 11:50 AM

Can't really notice any signs of starving. I have put her a f/t Rat in her hide. I'll leave her with it for the rest of the day. Later tonight I'll change her subsrate & remove the rat if it's still there.

**Andy_G** · 08-16-03, 02:39 PM

It is the time of the year that snakes begin fasting or feeding strangely, so don't be too worried.

Smilts · 08-19-03, 10:49 AM

has she ate yet

marisa · 08-19-03, 12:38 PM

If she hasn't eaten for onl two weeks there would be no signs of "starving" LOL

Two weeks ain't starving for any snake!

I agree with Andy, don't be too worried. And just leave it alone. If it goes past a month or two then maybe something is up.

Marisa

spyderman · 08-19-03, 12:45 PM

SpiderMrs read last night that snakes will go off their food, Drink a lot & Keep hunting out every possible nook & crany in their Viv.....IF they are GRAVID! As far as I know, she's NEVER been near a male. I'm hoping she is, really, that'll be great. Is it possible???

**Andy_G** · 08-19-03, 01:29 PM

If she was introduced to a male at any time for up to a year ago, it is posible that she has retained sperm but it's not possible if she hasn't even been near a male.

vanderkm · 08-19-03, 02:23 PM

While female snakes won't typically lay fertile eggs without some contact with a male (retained sperm is possible) they will produce clutches of slug eggs without ever having been in contact with a male. Their behaviour prior to laying slugs is the same as when they lay fertile eggs - off feed, searching for suitable nest box. We have had egg binding problems in young female corns that were not bred (to give them time to grow up) as well as an older kingsnake that resulted from laying slugs. I would give her a nesting box especially if she is showing the searching behaviour - can't hurt to offer it. Slugs are easy to tell from fertile eggs, hope she won't have any problems.

Our bullsnake also regularly gorged on feed early in the spring and summer and then ate much less in the fall, but he was an older snake, but it might be just a seasonal change in feeding patterns.

mary v.

Big Mike · 08-19-03, 04:10 PM

Two weeks is nothing to worry about. Call us when she hasn't eaten in 2 months. I'd tell you the same thing then too.

As long as the snake was healthy to start with there should be no problems if it goes off food for a few months. Although you have to watch that it is not being caused by another problem. There are a few things that might cause a snake to go off of food so make sure that everything else is OK.

spyderman · 08-19-03, 05:27 PM

Thanks, Everyone. Big Mike What would cause her to go off food? To be forewarned is to be fore armed.

spyderman · 08-19-03, 06:03 PM

She is acting really weird, she's kinda pacing her viv,back and forth alot for her, also seeing as she hasn't eaten for a couple weeks she's looking quite fat on the lower part of her body.
spydermrs warmed up a small mouse to see if she would take that,no way was she having that she got quite a$$ey which is extremely unusual for her as she is very docile.
I can't understand whats up with her as she seems very healthy otherwise.
I wouldn't be anything to do with the corn hatchlings?? we've had the 1st about 28 july this year,the second about a week later, both are healthy.

Lisa · 08-24-03, 06:33 PM

Relax, snakes will often go off food if temp's not right, humidity isn't right, etc. last summer my favourite king went off his food for 2 months cause the heat was too high (we didn't have AC and there was nothing we could do about it). same with some of our corns, heat was too high so they wouldn't eat. soon as it got cooler they all ate like champs. But you're still going to worry til she eats, I know I did.