Coelacanth
04-15-2011, 01:56 PM
I have an adult male creamsicle corn snake (corn x rat hybrid). I have had him every since he was about 5 inches long and as thin as a pencil, so I'd guess he was maybe a month or so old when I got him from a breeder (I'm not certain of his exact age when I got him but he was certainly small and young). I've had him for exactly five years, and he is now just over five feet long and his thickest point is maybe an inch in diameter.
He has NEVER been a trouble eater. He always takes food immediately, and he has his entire life. I buy him live mice and kill them before I feed him (cruel, I know, but he won't touch a mouse if it isn't warm. Even then, I have to move it about because if he even thinks its dead, he won't touch it.) He is fed once every 7-10 days as he has been his entire life.
His habitat is a 20 gallon long tank with a locking lid. I have only ever used aspen shavings for bedding since there isn't any of the oil in it that's harmful to snakes. The contents of his cage include a water dish that is large enough for him to nearly completely submerse himself in water if he wants, a large black plastic tube (was originally part of a leaf blower, but we cut it to a length to fit his tank and I half bury it in shavings so its like a partially underground tunnel), and a large wooden box that I handmade for him since he kept outgrowing anything else I got him (Again, snake safe wood). I have a lamp mounted above half the tank with a 60 watt infrared light bulb that produces a decent amount of heat (I can't get the exact temperatures of his tank right now since I'm currently away at college), so one half of his tank is heated throughout the day while the other half stays cool. I turn the heat lamp off at night though. This is the setup he has been in throughout his life. Nothing has changed -- no new items, no new bedding, same temperature setup. And none of it has ever bothered him before.
He has always been very active and very healthy. He's always moving about in his tank, he's never acted aggressive towards anyone, he's never shown signs of being sick, he's never lost weight, and he's a giant ball of solid muscle. I used to handle him often, taking him out at least once and often letting him explore about my room. The reason he is less handled now is that I'm in a college dorm (and I have been since last august, so approximately nine months now he's been less handled) and can't have him here. Starting next semester I'll be in an apartment and he will be able to live with me so he'll be handled often again. But for now, my sister might take him out once a week, but he's not being handled much.
So a little over two months ago, he rejected a mouse. I didn't think much of it because he was about due for another shed. About a week and a half later, he shed. The shed was in one long, complete piece as always, he never has bad sheds. I tried feeding him again and much to my surprise, he wouldn't eat. I've been offering him food every other week since then and each time, he'll come all the way over to see what I have looking all interested, get to the mouse and then he loses all interest.
So, he hasn't eaten in about ten weeks. I know people say they can go a long time without eating but it just seems odd. After 5 years of the same routine, I don't know why he won't eat. Nothing has changed so I don't think it would be stress, his tank has been heated as always, so I'm rather confused. Other than not eating though, he's acting perfectly healthy and normal. He's still very active about his tank too. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on here? Thanks.
Here's a couple pics of him --
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4992:387649172308/jpeg/BG
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/5413:222825751408/jpeg/BG
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/5211:365206751408/jpeg/BG
He has NEVER been a trouble eater. He always takes food immediately, and he has his entire life. I buy him live mice and kill them before I feed him (cruel, I know, but he won't touch a mouse if it isn't warm. Even then, I have to move it about because if he even thinks its dead, he won't touch it.) He is fed once every 7-10 days as he has been his entire life.
His habitat is a 20 gallon long tank with a locking lid. I have only ever used aspen shavings for bedding since there isn't any of the oil in it that's harmful to snakes. The contents of his cage include a water dish that is large enough for him to nearly completely submerse himself in water if he wants, a large black plastic tube (was originally part of a leaf blower, but we cut it to a length to fit his tank and I half bury it in shavings so its like a partially underground tunnel), and a large wooden box that I handmade for him since he kept outgrowing anything else I got him (Again, snake safe wood). I have a lamp mounted above half the tank with a 60 watt infrared light bulb that produces a decent amount of heat (I can't get the exact temperatures of his tank right now since I'm currently away at college), so one half of his tank is heated throughout the day while the other half stays cool. I turn the heat lamp off at night though. This is the setup he has been in throughout his life. Nothing has changed -- no new items, no new bedding, same temperature setup. And none of it has ever bothered him before.
He has always been very active and very healthy. He's always moving about in his tank, he's never acted aggressive towards anyone, he's never shown signs of being sick, he's never lost weight, and he's a giant ball of solid muscle. I used to handle him often, taking him out at least once and often letting him explore about my room. The reason he is less handled now is that I'm in a college dorm (and I have been since last august, so approximately nine months now he's been less handled) and can't have him here. Starting next semester I'll be in an apartment and he will be able to live with me so he'll be handled often again. But for now, my sister might take him out once a week, but he's not being handled much.
So a little over two months ago, he rejected a mouse. I didn't think much of it because he was about due for another shed. About a week and a half later, he shed. The shed was in one long, complete piece as always, he never has bad sheds. I tried feeding him again and much to my surprise, he wouldn't eat. I've been offering him food every other week since then and each time, he'll come all the way over to see what I have looking all interested, get to the mouse and then he loses all interest.
So, he hasn't eaten in about ten weeks. I know people say they can go a long time without eating but it just seems odd. After 5 years of the same routine, I don't know why he won't eat. Nothing has changed so I don't think it would be stress, his tank has been heated as always, so I'm rather confused. Other than not eating though, he's acting perfectly healthy and normal. He's still very active about his tank too. Does anyone have any idea what might be going on here? Thanks.
Here's a couple pics of him --
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/4992:387649172308/jpeg/BG
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/5413:222825751408/jpeg/BG
http://www.kodakgallery.com/imaging-site/services/doc/5211:365206751408/jpeg/BG