California King snake not eating

KingOriax · 01-26-15, 08:39 PM

I got a California king snake about 4 weeks ago and haven't been able to get him to eat. hes a little more than a year and nearly 2 feet and he won't take anything, I've tried small mice and pinkies but nothing works. The breeder said he was going to feed him later in the day but I had purchased him before feeding so its been over 5 weeks since he ate. I know snakes can go a long time without eating but this snake is still relatively young so I was wondering if theres anything im doing wrong or anything else I should be doing.

**EL Ziggy** · 01-27-15, 01:22 PM

Welcome to the forum and best wishes KO. What are your temps and humidity like? Can you post pictures of your snake and set up? Make sure your husbandry is dialed in first. Are you feeding live or f/t? If f/t are your feeders completely thawed and warm enough when you offer them? It's also just that time of year when a lot of snakes go off feed. Both of my kings have taken long food breaks this year. Some of it is cooler temps and part of it is due to breeding season. If he's not losing significant weight, or showing other signs of illness, I wouldn't worry. If all else fails you can try a small live feeder as a last resort to see if that kick starts his appetite. I had to do this with my Cal King last year after a 3 month fast. Best wishes and keep us posted.

Obsidian_Dragon · 01-28-15, 10:28 AM

If your husbandry checks out, trying changing how you present the mouse. Have you been using tongs? Leaving it in overnight?

One of my snakes will only eat if I leave the mouse on a plate and cover his entire enclosure.

drumcrush · 01-28-15, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obsidian_Dragon

If your husbandry checks out, trying changing how you present the mouse. Have you been using tongs? Leaving it in overnight?

One of my snakes will only eat if I leave the mouse on a plate and cover his entire enclosure.

I used to have to do something similar with my king, I had to leave her in a tub with a towel over it. Now she doesn't hesitate. Sometimes she will just launch after it and it throws me off guard and makes me jump lol

Obsidian_Dragon · 01-28-15, 02:37 PM

My king is also a shy eater, but he's learned to snatch n' grab from his hide, and eats in there.

My garter is the redic "NO ONE CAN SEE ME" one I have to cover. /rolls eyes