help me feed my snake

elexes

right well its almost a month since my snake last fed . i dont know whats wrong with it not a bloody clue . anyone wana tell me a way to coax it to eat ? is it normal for a snake to suddely loose its hunger and refuse to eat ???

FranknFurter

Well,
There are a few different potential causes for this......

Check the ambient (air) temp in the vivarium, if it is two low, this could be the cause, snakes do not feed when its too cold as it makes them begin to go into a kind of hiberntion. Any food in their bodies would rot so the dont eat.
Raise the temp a couple of degrees (but be very carefull nothing gets too hot!).
Often that works.

Of course it may be medical do whatever you do but consult your vet.

Often a warm bath will make them eat (warm, not hot!).

But all that aside, a month is not a huge amount of time for a snake depending on size, weight, age, condition.

What size / age is he? And do you have a picture?

B

elexes

ill take a pic . i think he was 6 months when i got him so im guessing hes about a year now .. hes small only about the length of my arm ( barly ) when fully streched but tiny cause he dosnt actually move around a huge ammount . ive just bought a new enclosure for him and few bits and bobs to help with the heat thing . what is the ideal temp in or around for a snake

Our man in Havana

I need more info - what species of snake? My royal went nearly 5 months before he ate & hes fine now.

How big is the new enclosure? What cage furniture does it have? Have they been sterilised? Was he captive bred? If not he probably has some kind of parasites - and will need to see a vet. Most reptiles should have a yearly vet check up to make sure things are ok.

How often does the snake shed? What size prey does he eat? is there a water source in his cage?

He may be upset cause you have moved him - Syd my royal did not like it when I moved his viv to another room & he stopped eating - he is now in my bedroom so hes away from the dogs etc.

Faye-Bond

elexes

the snake cage/enclosure whatever its called ...hmmm tank ? is about 4 ft long 2 wide

the snake is about 1.7 ft long as said when fully streched .

i just moved him into this tank yesterday but hes stoped eating for a while now and im just worried / concerned .

hes bing heated by a heat lamp and according to the thermometer the temp is about 21c ( the lamp has been pluged in for over 24 hrs now and is at that temp )

i havent actually got any cage furniture( i put his old tank in the new one to see what would he do but hes just sitting under it atm) and was thinking about what the hell can i put in it so he can wrap himself around it or under and help remove old skin it and could i just grab somthing from outside . which brings me to another question the sterilisation method which is best ? should or can i go outside and get a rock branch of tree and soak them in water that was steralised ?

final question loud noise ? would that affect the snake or harm it in anyway ?

i bought the snake in the boardwalk petshop and thats where i get the mice . and think because of the long drive after ( tho the mice are in a flask ) they might of defrost a bit and then putting them back into the freezer wouldnt be good for them or the snake and perhaps he can sence this ?

and he is a rainbow boa

Our man in Havana

Ok my Royal is in a similar size tank - I use kitchen paper as a subsrate - I use a heat mat with a thermostate he has a brach & a rock both were steralised in bleach water - then rinsed thoroughly & left to dry - maybe even heat it through in the oven on a low temp.

I use a bowl big enough for Syd to soak in - Syd is around about 3 years & is nearly 4 foot & he is VERY STRONG!

Snakes feel vibrations so load noises will disturb him - he should be in a quieter area with little noise of traffic of people. - They can go months without eating - have you tried to bloody the mice? try cutting into the brain - gross I know but it can work - Syd will only ever eat live stuff - he was a wild caught snake & has had to be treated for parasites etc.

Keep an eye on the snake - if he looks like he is losing condition or body weight seek a vets help - have you found a good vet yet? I live in Laois but travel to Bray or Dundrum Co. Dub to the 2 vets I trust.