Feeding issue

[rachel132002]

Both my snakes are in a dodgy feeding phase. My larger male was eating FINE until he went into blue phase then wouldn't eat anything (which he normally does) so i thought fair enough and gave him time to shed, this happened wednesday so i gave him time to settle after and went to feed him friday and nothin he just backed off i pushed it against his mouth and and he took it no problem so he will eat but only if i put something near there .

My younger female is doing this now she's just cleared from blue so I'm waiting for her to shed then i'll give her 2days and try.

So with my male he's due to feed on wednesday should I try then or leave him till friday (he'll have a had a full week without food then) and see if he eats then? I don't want to be putting them in his mouth so how can i coax him back if he refuses again on wed/fri? scents? I tried a tail, brained and even offered him a pinky (he's on fuzzies).

They're being seperated next weekend and their tank is at 85degrees F and they're fed seperately.

Thanks in advance - Rachel

[CAV]

You will find that sometimes they just aren't hungry. As they start eating larger food items, they won't process the older mice as quickly as pinkies. Once I work them up to fuzzies, I start spreading the feeding out to once a week. My experience as been that initially few will eat a fuzzy twice a week. FWIW, they still shed every 3-4 weeks. That is still the best indicator that growth is occuring normally, IMO. As the snake becomes a yearling and then an adult, they may not eat even weekly. :)

[paulc]

Are your snakes near a window? If so they may be seeing that the days are shorter,and the air temp. getting lower, so they may be going into bromation mode.

[rachel132002]

lol yeah they're right under one theyre beng moved away a bit on a shelf next weekend for seperation should I keep the curtain near them drawn??

Rachel

[paulc]

No i would try a strip light in there tank, on a timer set for 12 hours on and 12 hours off.

[rachel132002]

They're in contico boxes right now and going on a shelf so there isn't a way i can fix a light, HOWEVER i may be getting a 2nd hand viv with a light I was going to use it for a python i'm getting at xmas but i may use it for one of the corns.

Rachel

[paulc]

My corns are all in contico boxes but i keep them in a shed where the light is on a timer, i control all of there light as there are no windows, works well. But i have spotted pythons in my home and they are near a window, the sun through that window makes these snakes very seasonal, they breed at the same time each year and the male goes off his food the same time each year.
Was just a suggestion.

[rachel132002]

Well we're building a small shelf for them next weekend SO i could make it bigger and put a strip light above the 2 tanks on a timer and keep my cutrains close to minimise light, would that work?

Rachel

[paulc]

The light above the 2 contico boxes i think would work fine on there own, do you really want to shut the sun out of house?

[rachel132002]

lol it was only an extra but if it's fine w/ just light i'm happy:D

Thank You

Rach

[rachel132002]

haven't got the stuff yet but my younger one just ate yey one prob down one to go - I think I'll still get stuff for the 'look' lol

Rach