Any ideas?

[kelihe]

:confused:I have a 2-1/2 yr. old blizzard corn. He went on his spring hunger strike in late January. He finally went off his hunger strike (I thought) on April 4th. I tried him with a rat fuzzy and he took it. Then he ate on April 11th and 18th..both times a rat fuzzy. So since he had eaten three times for me, I thought I would try to get him back on mice weanlings, which is what he used to eat before the hunger strike. He totally ignored the mouse this past Saturday. Any ideas? Has he possibly decided he likes rats better? Has anyone ever experienced this? Or I also wondered if it could be that after a hunger strike they eat every week then can go for more than 7 days between feedings? Possible he just wasn't hungry? I don't know..he is not out cruising around or anything like he did during his spring mating time. He has shed great. Temps are normal. So I'm just left wondering if he hasn't acquired a taste for the rat fuzzies instead of mice? I will try him again this coming Saturday w/a rat fuzzy and see what he does. Thanks in advance for any ideas as to what may be going on with him.

[mike17l]

It is very possible that he decided that he likes rats. The next feeding time I would offer an appropriate sized mouse, if he refuses wait 30 minutes or so and try the appropriate sized rat and see what happens. If he has decided that he likes rats, there are a couple things you could do.
1. Feed him rats
2. Feed him a live and/or fresh killed mouse (may be enough to entice him back)
3. Starve him a couple months then offer a FT mouse

[kelihe]

It is very possible that he decided that he likes rats. The next feeding time I would offer an appropriate sized mouse, if he refuses wait 30 minutes or so and try the appropriate sized rat and see what happens. If he has decided that he likes rats, there are a couple things you could do.
1. Feed him rats
2. Feed him a live and/or fresh killed mouse (may be enough to entice him back)
3. Starve him a couple months then offer a FT mouse

Thanks for the ideas. I appreciate it. Would there be any problems with him continuing to eat rats? We also have two ball pythons so I always have rats on hand but I also have mice on hand too because we have a mexican black king snake and a milksnake that are young and feeding on mice. All of these are fed f/t. I'm just thinking as long as he doesn't get too plump looking, he might do okay on the rats.
Thanks again for the suggestions.

[mike17l]

Would there be any problems with him continuing to eat rats?

Just that if you decided to sell him, then you may have a disgruntled buyer, you will also have to watch his weight as smaller rats would have more fat on them than a similar sized mouse, you would also need to make sure that you have a supply for the rats. Good luck.

[Nanci]

Is he going blue?

[kelihe]

Is he going blue?

No, he just shed on April 20th, which was last Monday so I would have thought that he would have been hungry by April 26, Sunday. He actually ate the Sunday before he shed. That's why I'm thinking he may have decided he likes the rats better.

[kelihe]

Just that if you decided to sell him, then you may have a disgruntled buyer, you will also have to watch his weight as smaller rats would have more fat on them than a similar sized mouse, you would also need to make sure that you have a supply for the rats. Good luck.


Thanks. I get my frozen rodents from The Big Cheese Factory, which is in Ft. Worth, not too far from me so that isn't a problem. I have to have rats on hand for the pythons. I think the biggest issue will be his weight if he has decided that rats are tastier. lol Maybe he will have to go every 10 days between feedings instead of 7. Well, thanks again, I was just wondering if anyone had ever had a corn that became picky about what they ate. I know ball pythons can tend to be that way. Although my sons ball will eat anything from a mouse weanling to a small adult rat. That's part of what makes having snakes so much fun, they keep you guessing! I think I might try your idea about offering him another mouse, just to see what he does with it. He may go for it since it will be two weeks this Sunday since he has eaten. If not, then I will offer a rat fuzzy, a skinny one, LOL.