Frequent sheds & hunger strike

[tradernick]

I gotta post this for my own peace of mind, though I'm pretty sure there's no real problem.

Back in March I bought a adult male corn from Dionythicus. It was a perfect transaction, she is very professional. But I fear the snake is having a hard time adjusting to the different atmosphere (he came from the northwest and I"m in FL...completely different enviroment).

Here's what's happening. He arrived in March and fed the day after getting here, then didn't feed again until June 29. That's a long time but not unheard of. The weird thing is he's shed every 3 weeks since arriving here. When he fed on 6/29 I thought "finally! maybe now he'll settle into a normal routine!". That was just over a week ago and now he's refused food once more and he's going blue again! This will be his 4th shed since march, and with only two mice in the entire period. Is it me or is that a bit odd? The first two sheds were nice and clean...the last one came off in patches, despite the humidity being 60%ish.
I should mention that I don't use any heat system. Temps are 75-80 during the day and 72 at night, unless I'm traveling then it's 75-80 all the time. I've never had a problem with temps due to living here.

As I said, I'm sure he's ok I just wanted to post here to see if any others have had similiar experiences with frequent sheds during long periods with no food.

Nick

[PtDnsr]

The hunger strike can be explained by breeding season - whether or not there's a female anywhere nearby. As for the sheds...what is different about his cage? Have you tried a different substrate or something of that nature? Off the top of my head all I can think of is maybe the substrate is bothering him somehow.

~Katie

[Nanci]

It sounds exactly like my adult male Bacon who arrived in January. He's an adult, had been brumated, I gave him his first several post-brumation meals, he shed on a normal schedule, about monthly, and then he stopped eating in March. He _finally_ was tempted to eat a rat pink last week, and now he's blue again.

[Jessicat]

If this is really what's going on, the snake is "adjusting" to Florida, I find it very odd and kind of... ironic? The corn snake is indigenous to Florida, wouldn't it seem that this should be working the other way around? Snakes from Florida should have a harder time fitting into a "non native" environment, don't you think? Hrmm I wonder if we're been keeping and breeding corns in the North West for so long that they've somewhat adapted to the environment? This doesn't seem possible AT ALL though, considering that we control breedings and temperatures.

Perhaps living in the North West was like one big 'ol burmation for the snake. Now that it has been introduced to a Florida summer he's "come alive".

Another possibility is that the snake stressed itself out during shipping and injured itself somehow. I suppose I'd be worried or stressed out as well if a snake wasn't eating and was shedding as frequently as you say. How old is the snake in question?

[tradernick]

He was actually put into a viv with a female before being shipped to me so I completely agree that the hunger strike was all about mating season. The substrate I use is Aspen, though I may change to newspaper and see how that affects his rapid shed cycles. He's born in 05 so he's not an old snake at all.
My gut tells me this is an adjustment period. I've not handled him at all hardly and don't intend to until he settles into a routine of some sort...one that involves food and not shedding every 3 weeks, I mean.
nick

[Corny Noob]

Well to throw you off.
I have an 06 female who has been on again off again feed since the beginning of winter.
She last ate about a month ago, and it seems as if since spring she's constantly shedding.