Hungry only for love?

[Cegninedorf]

Fritz, now about 2.5 yrs old, has been an extraordinarily enthusiastic eater since day #1 -- since getting him late Aug of '06, he shot up from 48 g to now 357 g! He's never refused...until now. Last spring, I explained away his continually prowling his tank to my students as "he's searching for a girlfriend" because "spring is the season of love & all the new babies!" However, at least last spring he would eat...now, all he does continually is prowl, prowl, prowl! The last time he ate was Jan 6th. I thought that his subsequent refusal on the 20th (he'd had a big meal on the 6th -- his usual adult & another snake's refused hopper, so I let him go for awhile...) was due to his prepping to shed, but I thought it unusual because he'd also never refused while in blue before...

So, Fritz has since shed, and I tried to feed him again today...ohmigod, every time I touched him, he'd try to escape my hands -- and I noticed a distinct bulge in the nether region...:p (I was just praying that he wouldn't musk on me!) In retrospect, I think that he was trying to take off for the female that I was feeding down the counter a bit from his feeding container, and it seems as though he is constantly either trying to pop through the lid to climb above him (where there is a tank with a female) or dig down (where there is a tank below, with another female). Once I got him into his feeding container, and then took the female away, he immediately calmed down. He still didn't eat, but he relaxed.

Then, I put him back into his tank, and he's back to prowling around again...I like all of the exercise that he's getting, but...is this just Fritz being a man who is only thinking of one thing, and forsaking all else (including food!) until he gets it??? Will he ever eat again, even if he doesn't get "it"? :shrugs:

Thanks! :cheers:

[Bobo's Mama]

I wouldn't worry about him. Last year was my first year of having adult males. Same thing happened to mine. Two of them only ate once or twice over Dec. Jan. and Feb. So 3 months of no food, eh... it didn't seem to bother them at all. I think as long as they have good body condition to begin with, they turn out just find when they are in the mood and not hungry.

[tom e]

I gave my male a couple meals of fresh killed mice last year to get him eating. He's my singular experience with adult male corns fasting for love, but he did take them even when he was turning his nose up at the FTs.

[Cegninedorf]

Thank you...I wasn't too concerned, because he's drinking & being so active, but it's like your first time really being around any kind of adolescent: you never know 'til you try it!, so I did wonder...and then this morning at 4 am, I shot awake & remembered: one of my hatchlings refused her 2 lil'pinkies last week, and Fritz did take care of those for me, so he actually has eaten, though a very small meal. So, I did overshoot with my concern, by a lot...:p

I appreciate, though, your responses! :)

[Nanci]

Zee quit eating about four weeks ago...It's spring!