URGENT! Won't eat URGENT!

[benjim]

My two year old corn snake will not eat. It is completely ignoring the food I give it and it has not recently regurgitated. It has been almost maybe a month since it last ate and I'm worried that it may be starving itself or something!

[beautifullywild77]

They can go quite a bit of time without eating before they will starve.

Is your snake a male?

What are your temps? what is your set up?

Offering food too often can cause them not to eat as well.

[benjim]

I believe my snake is a female.

Her cage is the right size for her age type, it is full of lots of hides, a water bowl, a heating pad on the opposite of the water bowl, and a large stick she seems to enjoy climbing on.

For the temps, my thermometers broke recently and I just spray her cage as often as I can.

How long can a two year old corn last without food?

After a while of her not eating, I'll touch her with the rat and it scares the crap out of her. She will do whatever she can to not touch or look at it.

[Nanci]

Does she appear swollen, especially in her lower half, or can you feel a succession of small bumps if you let her crawl through your fingers? She could be ovulating.

[benjim]

I recently held her and she seemed perfectly fine

P.S- what is ovulating?

[beautifullywild77]

You really need to get probe thermometers and see what the temps are!! The heating pad should be regulated with a thermostat. They have been know to reach temps up to 130 degrees. Without a thermostat you run the risk of her burning herself, which is an extremely horrible injury. She can stop eating if the temps are too hot, as well as, too cold. Spraying her cage as often as you can will not properly regulate the temps inside.

A two year old can go a few months without food before it starts to negatively effect her. Some have gone on hunger strikes for quite a few months. Usually, they are males and it is during breeding season. In my personal opinion, touching her with the mouse and scaring her could cause her not to eat, plus it is not very nice. Trying to feed too often can also cause the hunger strike to go longer.

I would get probe thermometers and a thermostat asap. Get her temps regulated. The hot side should be around 80-85 degrees and the cool side should be around 70-75 degrees. Once you get the temps stable, I would wait a complete week before trying to feed her again. I would put the f/t prey in her feeding bin first, then place her in. Make sure it is secure then place it in a dark, quiet place. I wouldn't check on her for 30mins. If she hasn't eaten, I would reheat the prey and leave it over night.

[beautifullywild77]

Ovulating is where she is developing egg follicles. (unfertilized eggs)

[benjim]

Then that's a no to ovulating.

Does anyone know how long a two year old corn can go without eating?

[benjim]

Ignore the part of the last reply where I ask how long a snake can go without eating.

[benjim]

Along with all of that, how often should I feed her?

[Nanci]

I'd try her about once every seven to ten days. You don't need to spray her cage. You do need to know what the temps are.

[benjim]

Thank you all your help, I'll get back to you on the details.

[pizzamieze]

I feel like maybe you should already know the answers to these questions since you already have a snake, but whatever. She should be eating every 10-14 days, depending on her weight and size, and size of prey (I don't know what you're feeding her exactly.) You need a new thermometer, like yesterday. She could really get hurt, and temp could be why she's not eating.

You say you spray as often as possible because you don't have a thermometer, but a hygrometer measures humidity. Do you have a hygrometer, and how often is "as often as you can"? Does she live in a glass viv with a screen top?

Don't harass her with the mouse. Dance it around her for a sec to get her interested, then leave it and leave her alone. Sometimes snakes are "shy" about eating. If she doesn't eat, just try again in a few days. A month is not a huge deal, especially since that's really only one to two missed feedings. One of my corns just quit a three month strike.

I suggest you read a bit more, here or from another reliable source (not Yahoo Answers for example).

[beautifullywild77]

I feel like maybe you should already know the answers to these questions since you already have a snake, but whatever. She should be eating every 10-14 days, depending on her weight and size, and size of prey (I don't know what you're feeding her exactly.) You need a new thermometer, like yesterday. She could really get hurt, and temp could be why she's not eating.

You say you spray as often as possible because you don't have a thermometer, but a hygrometer measures humidity. Do you have a hygrometer, and how often is "as often as you can"? Does she live in a glass viv with a screen top?

Don't harass her with the mouse. Dance it around her for a sec to get her interested, then leave it and leave her alone. Sometimes snakes are "shy" about eating. If she doesn't eat, just try again in a few days. A month is not a huge deal, especially since that's really only one to two missed feedings. One of my corns just quit a three month strike.

I suggest you read a bit more, here or from another reliable source (not Yahoo Answers for example).

All this was already said. The OP is trying and said will make the changes suggested. There really isn't reason to try to smack the OP on the hand and say bad. It happens. Everyone starts somewhere. I give the OP props for coming here for help and having an open mind to make the changes needed.

[pizzamieze]

That wasn't the point, and frankly, I'm only following the examples that have been set on this forum. Almost anytime anyone asks a basic question like that, others say, "You should already know this." I agree that one or two things were already gone over because it didn't display the last few answers before I posted -- so excuse me, I apologize profusely but I don't think I deserve a "slap on the hand" because "it happens". But no, not every single point was redundant, especially my questions that I asked so I could learn more. By the way, what do snakes eat?

[Nanci]

Snakes eat elephants YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT!

[beautifullywild77]

No way they eat crickets..

[beautifullywild77]

I know a lot of members who are trying to approach new people with some patience. I just felt they way you worded your response to the OP was chastising. I thought my response was actually rather nice.

Just because others on the forum are rude doesn't mean everyone is and it doesn't mean it is the norm in responding to new members.

[beautifullywild77]

Now, I do apologize if my words were rude or chastising.