Food refusal with tank cruising and lid pushing

Here's a few things you can stick in your cage that will help...they're free and easy to clean too...


PS: Your snake sounds overweight. If it is, there's probably not too much you can do, except go on a different feeding schedule, and hope she hasn't gotten too much fatty tissue.

You shouldn't feed your snake when it isn't hungry. Try a different approach. Feed it when it's hungry. Learn to read your snake's body language. I wouldn't feed it for about two weeks and see if the behavior changes. All the props and hides will help change behavior. Your snake will hide more, unless there's a problem with temp control. Maybe she's too hot. Also make sure she doesn't get dried out. A humid hide doesn't hurt. Actually, many of my snakes will go into the water jugs occasionally.

When she's hungry she'll start looking for food. I have a gravid female that is very shy and hides most of the time, but when she's hungry she'll come out and lay on top of or in one of the water jugs.

You've got lots to manage and the snake will become easy once you get some more experience with it. That's one reason folks like snakes as pets...they are usually easy to care for, and not time consuming. Good luck grasshopper..heheh!

Terry

I've never really been able to tell when she's hungry. I can't recall her acting any different. I can tell with my legless lizard, he comes to the front of the tank and begs.

Other than running fans I can't do anything about temperature. Mom won't turn on the AC until she can't stand the heat. However, it's not overly hot right now. It's running in the upper 80s during the day and with me running the fans it's probably lower 80s in my room. I've read over at the ball python forum that low humidity results in poor sheds. She's always had a good shed. Doesn't always shed the tip of her tail right, but I always remove that when it happens. Never had a retained eyecap or anything. However, ball pythons are different than cornsnakes, so it might be different.

With the jugs, are they filled with water? I can't tell very well from the picture. I do wish we had a bathtub still, but it got pulled out and replaced with a shower. Else I'd let her swim a bit.

I suppose the weight issue comes from me following the breeder's feeding schedule. They said they fed once a week, so I followed that. Didn't give me much information either. I probably should have asked, but too late now. Didn't think of it at the time.

The jugs do have water in them. The small one cannot be filled too much or it might overflow when the snake gets in. Some snakes like the feeling of security from a tight fit. The gallon jug can be filled about half way and the largest corn will easily fit. Two of my Brazos Island ratsnakes mated in a gallon jug and they are my largest ratsnakes. The water is fairly heavy and keeps the jugs from tipping/moving. The jugs also keeps water from being splashed on the bedding. Ratsnakes like water and often go into the jugs for a bath or to defecate (makes cleaning easy). I also have several that feed from the water jugs. They can eat under water too. BTW, spraying the bedding lightly is a good signal to your snakes that it's feeding time. Often a feeding response can be gotten from spraying.

Hope this helps you see some possibilities...

I recall that when I first got her she'd curl up in her water dish prior to shedding..I also recall the time she decided that her waterbowl would make a lovely toilet. Fun times..What's interesting is that she has the larger hide, but doesn't really use it. She's more content to hang out at the front of the tank around her waterbowl. Wonder if the hide is too tall. I've heard of people using upside down terracotta flower pots, so I'm not sure.

Haven't gotten a chance to go looking for a larger waterbowl or sanitize some limbs either. I was wanting to do it Wednesday, but I ended up having to go into town to get something for college.

I'll look into the jugs bit. I think there's some fruit juice jugs that's almost empty in the fridge. Keyword: think. I have no idea if they've gotten finished off and thrown away or not.

I just thought of something. Did you "brumate" your corn snake last winter, or keep her going/feeding all winter? It makes a difference as to how she's acting now, possibly.

Also, this time of year makes snakes antsy. I have a couple that like to roam and rub a little when it gets hot.

Later...

I did not brumate her. I read up on it and considered it, but decided that I didn't have the knowledge. Plus I like my room warmer than is needed to brumate. So, I kept with the feeding schedule.

How many gallons is your tank?

I'm not exactly sure. It was bought for me as a christmas gift. I measured it at 30 x 12 x 12. According to a website that finds the gallons based on size, 18.7 gallons. So, that's my best guess.

Took a break from homework today and worked on Morana's tank. The upside down ice cream bucket has been there a few days. The extra bedding/jug with water was added today.




She's already been having fun rearranging the bedding.

Originally Posted by Raptor

I did not brumate her. I read up on it and considered it, but decided that I didn't have the knowledge. Plus I like my room warmer than is needed to brumate. So, I kept with the feeding schedule.

Ok, a couple of things...

First, you kept your snake feeding all winter, so the snake didn't get a metabolic break. That means it's been building up reserves and when it stopped eating it probably was wanting to take a break. Feeding your snake once a week is probably too often at this point. I'd switch to one mouse once every two weeks until the snake shows signs of being hungrier. You could probably do that for at least a month or two. Then go to one mouse every ten days, or maybe two weanling mice every ten days.

Second, you could make a good hide by making a bottomless wooden box. Just make a wooden box that fits in your cage, with a bottom and four sides. Flip it over and you have a hide. Of course, it needs an entrance. Use your imagination and put an appropriately sized hole somewhere. I believe you should have a moist hide too. That means you need a large enough container to put some moist sphagnum. Or you can do something I try sometimes, putting gravel a few inches deep in a large plastic container, like a kitty litter box. After you wash the gravel and pour out the excess water, you have a moist hide for a week, or so. Fill it with some old newspaper and the snake will hide there when it needs humidity, like when it gets ready to shed.

Third, it's possible your snake is getting too warm during the day. Be careful it doesn't overheat.

PS: Your snake doesn't look like a corn snake to me. I hate to say this because I don't have the snake in hand and it's hard to tell what it is from the photos, but it looks like it could be a hybrid to me. In other words it might be a "cross" bt. a corn and another ratsnake species, or maybe even a non-ratsnake species. That probably doesn't make any difference in how you should care for it, however. Good luck...

TC