snake not eating; should I be concerned?

[airman_miller]

Originally Posted by lpbldg18

a 75 gallon tank?! For a kingsnake? That's quite large

i have heard of those having a cage the same size with no issues, as long as the floorspace was kept down. the snake does not seem scared of the environment (moves around freely), just not interested in eating.

[airman_miller]

i intend to move the snake to another room, temps permitting. also, as for the cage size, about the only thing i could do is place him in a rubbermaid container i have, but the container would have to sit in the 75 gallon tank as i do not have another heating pad or thermostat.

[shaunyboy]

with nervous non eating carpet python hatchlings its common to down size the size of tank they are in to make them feel more secure

you could also try taping paper on the sides and back of the tank.allowing it to only see out the front of the tank.i have found this can make nervous eaters feel more secure

from what you have wrote i can see nothing wrong with your methods mate

so it may be feeling insecure in such a large space

i had a nervous feeding carpet hatchling not eat until it was 10- months old with no ill effect

i ended up keeping it in a 11" long x 6" wide x 5" high tub.i placed the tub in a wooden vivarium with a ceramic heat set up

this gave it good ambient air temperatures as opposed to just ground temperatures a heat mat would give

it also could be a case of its just taking a little longer than most to settle in

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by jhiggy69

it's starting to get tiresome ,hearing some people stating (confidently) that snakes can go a year .... in reality some cases its fine ( #1. your animal needs to be of good weight #2. needs to be in vary good health ) i dont thinks its healthy to feed only once a month (i here alot do this) let alone a YEAR!

I dont think anyone is saying oyu should only attempt to feed once a month or once a year - jhust that it isnt a massive problem if the snake goes this long without taking food as long as it is maintaining its weight and drinking regularly.

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

I dont think anyone is saying oyu should only attempt to feed once a month or once a year - jhust that it isnt a massive problem if the snake goes this long without taking food as long as it is maintaining its weight and drinking regularly.

^^^^^
i agree with robs statement


also it all depends on species as well

my diamonds only get fed 6 months of the year

a fat diamond is a dead diamond,so its in their interest to get their feeding requirements correct

cheers shaun

[airman_miller]

k well i went out today and:

* got a 10 gallon tank. put him in there and resetting the feeding clock for 9/3, so I will not attempt to feed till next saturday or sunday.

*I think i overdid it on the lid though, i got one that fits in the lip of the tank and locks, plus the regular screen lid with 8 screen clips. i don't want to loose him, so I wanted the extra security.

* It is also moved to another room. I did manage to get some airflow in there and the room seems roughly the same temp as the rest of the house now, give one or 2 degrees.

*new room has ZERO traffic; the only time the room will be entered is to care for the snake.

*the room has 2 windows in it, so I will let nature run my lighting system lol. i put the tank away from the windows so it will not cook the snake (room gets bright enough anyway.)

*I found it VERY difficult to get a hide on each side, but i managed.

*I bought a small uth (zoomed) and until it arrives i have a ceramic heater on a dimmer switch. also getting an IR thermometer to get a better reading of temps, I do not know if i trust these cheapo thermometers I have...

sound any better? I will post a picture tomorrow when it is sleeping so i don't scare it.

[NennaMeerkat]

That sounds MUCH better Airman. Eventually I am sure you will be able to put your snake in your bigger tank (though with a big empty tank I would see that as the perfect excuse to get another reptile LOL). Since you live in the US keep in mind that most ambient temperatures of your home (unless you like your house overly hot or overly cold) will be enough to keep your snake happy. I know for my western hognose I only have a UTH on one side of the tank for her and she rarely uses it at all. So don't stress to much about the temps. I think King Snakes are generally found in several different regions of the United States.

[airman_miller]

Originally Posted by NennaMeerkat

That sounds MUCH better Airman. Eventually I am sure you will be able to put your snake in your bigger tank (though with a big empty tank I would see that as the perfect excuse to get another reptile LOL). Since you live in the US keep in mind that most ambient temperatures of your home (unless you like your house overly hot or overly cold) will be enough to keep your snake happy. I know for my western hognose I only have a UTH on one side of the tank for her and she rarely uses it at all. So don't stress to much about the temps. I think King Snakes are generally found in several different regions of the United States.

i think for the time being (until i get used to taking care of a reptile) i will just leave that tank for decoration. i will try again when it outgrows the other tank, which i understand will be in about a year. you are right in a way though; i would hate to have an empty tank lol. a project i may endeavor in is separating that tank with dark glass or plastic and have 2 35ish gallon tanks. move the uth to the center so the hot spot is on opposite sides. just have to make sure i do that i can make absolutely sure i can keep the reptiles away from each other. depends on if my significant other wants one as well.

as for temps, my general goal for heating is keep it natural for the environment the snake comes from, which is should not be an issue. the house is 80 in summer, 65 (brrr) in winter, purely for economic reasons. my plan will be to set the ceramic heater in the winter to get the tank temp up to 80 where the uth creates the temp gradient. it is a 100W, so it should handle it no problem.

[marvelfreak]

Sounds like you got it set up perfect.

[airman_miller]

k i got a picture, figures though the time i go in there it is poking its head out of its hiding place lol.

[marvelfreak]

Looks good to me. Now just give him a few days to settle in then try feeding him.

[lpbldg18]

Much better, snake will feel much more secure

[shaunyboy]

if you cover the outside of both the sides and back with paper it will make him feel more secure,as he will only see out the front of the tank

you could even cover some of the front reducing the size of the view for him

cheers shaun

[infernalis]

Originally Posted by jhiggy69

it's starting to get tiresome ,hearing some people stating (confidently) that snakes can go a year .... in reality some cases its fine ( #1. your animal needs to be of good weight #2. needs to be in vary good health ) i don't thinks its healthy to feed only once a month (i here alot do this) let alone a YEAR!

I don't honestly think annual feedings are remotely suggested, There was a case documented of a python that exceeded a year without eating.. Probably where the confusion comes from.

A colubrid like a king snake with it's fast metabolism would perish in a few months time, a baby colubrid would drop after about 6 - 8 weeks without food.

A tiny colubrid with ultra fast metabolism (Like a Dekayi or ring neck) would be skin and bones in just a couple weeks.

Personally, I would keep a baby king in a 10 gallon for it's first year to 18 months.

When I receive my shipments of baby Thamnophis every year, I try to feed every other day...

and to dispel one myth, I have personally had babies eat half an hour after the fed ex driver left.

[airman_miller]

so should i try again on friday? or wait till sunday?