bull snake breeding???

spydermrs · 08-31-03, 09:03 AM

We have a 3year old bull snake (female).
She hasn't eaten for 4 weeks now, she's drinking alot, even though she is not feeding she hasn't lost any weight if anything she has put a bit on. She spends most of her time in her hide, today I checked on her and she got really a$$y and started to hiss and strike at me which is extremely unusual for her as she is normally very docile.
We were told she could be gravid, but as far as we know she hasn't been with a male, at least not in the last 2 years.
Has anyone got any advice

Ruth

jaybox_reptiles · 09-22-03, 03:43 PM

What kind of bedding do you use ? she could be inpacted not eating and all............ and as far as her stiking at you im from texas and thats what we expect here i guess so i cant help you there lol but i have never seen a dosile bull snake lol but i would check and see if she is impacted

Jay

spydermrs · 09-23-03, 12:55 AM

She's usually very docile, even my 8 yo daughter holds here and she just slowly wanders through her hands.

She's eaten 1 med rat 2 weeks ago but hasn't eaten anything since. I think we've got a picky eater..lol.......and I thought bull snakes were dustbin eating everything and anything..lol

vanderkm · 09-23-03, 08:32 AM

The change in feeding may relate to winter approaching. Ours, as adults, dropped back significantly in the fall and stopped eating completely over the winter, even when we were not brumating and cages were heated and light was constant. They seem to pick up on other clues in the environment - would be interesting to know how that works in UK as we are in their natural range. Are you sure she is not just coming into a shed? That certainly brought out the worst in ours- would be quite defensive then.

mary v.

spydermrs · 09-23-03, 03:21 PM

we've had a good summer here for a change, got colder in the last 2 days,but apart from that been hotter than usual.

she last shed on the 29/08/03, she could be coming up to another shed in the next week or so,but if she is and doesn't eat again til after her shed that means she'll only be eating once a month.......I think she's got herself confused with a boa on her eating patterns...lol

Scales Zoo · 09-23-03, 03:40 PM

Bull snakes tend to be tempermental in the fall. We have noticed this with the native prairie bulls here in the wild, and also our captives from several localities, including the USA. The southern ones are the worst for attitude in the fall, and even the mexican pines have a hissy fit throughout the winter.

The change in attitude must have something to do with the approaching winter as well, because the pines and bulls we do not brumate are unpredictable throughout the late fall and winter, and tend to not feed much, if at all.