what a waste

[your_only_nightmare]

well both my snakes are not eating (which is why its a waste, throwing all my food out when they dont eat grrrr), my male origionally stopped eating after he frist bred with my female. shes now not eating becuase sehsgravid. can anyone tell me how long it will be when my male will start eating again. he needs to fatten u abit. hes getting abit on the skinny side, hes still drinking loads and very active, thieres nothing wrong with his health but i want him to eat more, he hasnt eaten for about a month now when should h start agin?

i dont know if this helps, they share a tank so hes allways around her but i should be seperating them to day when i get they plugs sorted out on the new viv, will this help him eat now he wont be around her?

[norsmis]

Almost all of my males now and in the past have always went off food during breeding season. Yes, having him in the same tank definitely has something to do with it. The pheromones from the female are keeping him in breeding mode. My males will quit eating even if they are just close to the females during this time. It is not unusual for a male to not eat for 2 months during breeding season. Separate them and move the male away from here and within a week he should start eating again,

[wake_of_dawn]

i bought my cornsnake from a family who have had her for 2 years. i have had her for 3 months. they said they were positive that she is a female, i have not gotten her probed.her tail does look like a female from the pictures that i have seen. But this is my problem she usually eats 2 mice every 6-7 days, she had a very big appetite. but she hasn't eaten in 12 days now and im worried. she isnt getting agressive or anything like that and she is drinking alot. she likes to wade around in her big water dish. im fairly new at this and it is scaring me because she was eating very well. could anyone help me on this it would be greatly appreciated.

[ickle_moose]

Hello to wake_of_dawn and welcome to the site! The search function and FAQ's are a great resource for new owners.

Now, your snake might be off her food for any number of reasons. Breeding season, an approaching shed, temps not right for her, the list goes on. No need to panic for a while, if she's been eating that much then she can go quite a while without eating. On of my hatchlings once went a month and it's teeny tiny! Keep to the feeding schedule, don't offer food every day. Eventually she'll be hungry enough to go for it. You migh want to contact the previous owners to see if she did the same thing at the same time last year too.

Anyway, there are much wiser heads hanging around this forum, so if you're still worried after searching and reading the FAQ's start your own thread and ask away :)

[MegF.]

Wake of Dawn:I would cut back on the food for your female. Two mice in a week is more than she needs and at her age, she's going to start getting fat.
YON: I know what you mean about waste. I occasionally have 3 or 4 of mine go off food. I'm getting smarter though. I heat up only a couple of mice. Then I try feeding the ones that refused last time, going in succession until I get to one that will eat. If all refuse, then it goes to my Green tree python who eats anything anytime. I did have to throw one out last night as I forgot that I had already fed my one male. He had shed and for some reason I thought he had refused a meal so I decided to offer him a mouse. Then I realized that he had eaten the night before. He wasn't pleased about giving up the mouse and the females that refused, refused again. My amel who I've breed this year, probably won't eat for 3 months like last year. They'll start when they are ready, but I'd definitely stop co-habitating a male and female!

[your_only_nightmare]

yeah, i only thaw out one mouse, if he doesnt eat it then i give it to her, but now shes stopped, soo that = now a waste unfortunaly

ive now got them seperated, and for good, ill put em bk toghter next year for breeding again. but i can move him away from her, i cant put them anywhere else in the house, my rooms the only place.
1. my mum wont let me
2. i have little brother, they will get scared of being traed at and having th glass taped most probs. cuz my bros never go in my room!!!

[wake_of_dawn]

the previous owners when i bought her said that she may be ready for two mice, but maybe i did move her into that to fast. i will cut her back to one again once she starts eating again. she didnt seem to regurgitate them but i am using a heating pad on her. it is all the same enviroment that came with her that she was raised in, do you think i sould go to a heating lamp and if so how many watts should i use. i have a heat lamp but it is a 150 watt bulb, more than likely way to hot, so i have never used it.i dont think the heating pad i have for her is warm enough maybe.

[dwyn127]

The heating pad is doing the trick if it has the warm side at around 85. If you don't have a thermometer, spend the $9.00 at Walmart and get a digital w/probe. Put the probe on the warm side, under the hide, down against the glass. Alot of people here use heat lamps, but they have a tendency to dry out the air. I've tried both; I prefer belly heat. If that's what your snakes had for 2 years without problems, I'd stick with it.

Meg, that's what I do too. Feed the male 1st, if he don't eat, the female gets it. I only wish I could say I had this brainstorm before having thrown out a bunch of thawed mice.:bang:

[BeckyG]

I also offer to my more difficult feeders first, then to my better eaters. Still, if for some reason, the mouse/rat doesn't get eaten, I bury it in my flower bed, or under my holly or azaleas. That way, I feel it is not TOTALLY wasted, since it is nourishing my plants.

[wake_of_dawn]

hey that is what my chloe looks like, exactly like the pic you have there. but she is a little smaller.

[ayasha]

Hiya Nighty!

I too hate to waste. So if no one wants it, my cat is more than happy to. She had a litter herself a month back and loves the protien.... We have a liter of puppies now too...kittens love hanging.. Kinda cute a pile of sleeping kittens and puppies... tis the season.....

[your_only_nightmare]

maybe ill go out and get a cat then, lol

[Cycal]

Glad im not the only one who has feed a left over mouse to my cat.