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Another day another feeding problem...

Destani

Destani

New member
So... sorry guys but I have another of my many issues. I recently aquired a Candy Cane Corn (Adult... not sure how old. May 3 years... 4? Idk) anyways I got her last December and it seems in the last 6 months i've had here shes only eaten (AT all!) four times. Not only have I been trying dilegently, with frozen mouse, live mouse, wiggling the mouse around, leaving it in the cage, even braining it and heating it up! it seems not matter what I do she wont eat. She ate a couple times... with disgust. Every time I introduce her to a mouse she turns her head away, and when I put a live one in there she ran away from it! She was more scared of the mouse than it was of her! Anyways- heres the thing- after 6 months, you'd think she'd look like she hasn't been eating, but she hasn't lost any weight and it seems shes as healty as when I got her! I don't know if thats normal, she has a super-crazy slow motabolism or she egg bound, but whatever it is I hope it goes away soon. Any Ideas? :confused:
 
No need to fret overmuch. If your picky eater looks reasonably healthy despite her lack of food, she probably IS reasonable healthy. All snakes have a "super-crazy slow metabolism" when compared to humans. Their metabolic rate is about 1/5 the rate of a human's. Corns can go a long, long while between meals and be fine.

I have a few questions that may help sort out this issue. You state that you acquired the snake recently. Was she a finicky eater before you acquired her? How was she previously fed? Maybe she's holding out for the familiar.

Have you had her checked for parasites? Carrying a gutload of worms around can put one off its appetite.

How often are you offering food? Once per week is plenty often enough for an adult. Paradoxically, offering food too often can actually stress the snake and cause it to decline to eat.

Where are you offering food?

Finally, are you certain the snake is female? Male corns commonly go on hunger strike in the spring and/or early summer. They apparently want to keep their digestive tract empty so that they'll be ready if the opportunity arises to pass on their genes.

In any case, if the snake is an adult it clearly has eaten in the past. That means it will eat again, even if not on the timetable you as keeper and caretaker would prefer.
 
Caryl covered it VERY well, but I'd also like to ask if you've kept the temperatures in an acceptable range for this one. A lot of feeding issues can be linked to viv temps.
 
Well it seems when we got her she ate regularly (every other week) and they told me he fed her frozen mice- and left it in her cage (he didn't wiggle it around or anything). I've tried this various times but it seems she refuses to eat. I know its not the temperature... but perhaps it is the enviornment. Right now she shares her vivarium with another snake- a female- and when I feed her I put her in a big plastic tub. The last time she ate I was holding the mouse with my hand- I had kinda given up on her eating but I gave it a last try before calling that day quits- and she stared at it for quite some time. Then she took it slowly from my hand- this was about 3 or 4 months ago. I haven't checked for parasites... but perhaps this could be an issue. I doubt it but I never know... And every week or so I offer her mice. Perhaps I should wait a week or two? Lastly, im sure she's a female. We probed her twice... but then again probing isn't 100% correct. When I put her in with a male they showed no interest in each other... perhaps she is a male? Snickers- her vivarium partner- also has a problem. She's been taking frozen mice regularly and one christmas I gave her a live one as a treat, and now she takes it rarely- also with disgust. You think she want's live, huh? :)
 
Oh, well the problem is that the snakes are co-habitated. You need to split them up (along with any other snakes you have co-habbed). It's extremely likely that being in close quarters with another snake is stressing them out and making them unwilling to eat. Certainly wouldn't be the first time. There are a bunch of other health reasons involved in why co-habbing is bad.
 
BobbyHill said:
Oh, well the problem is that the snakes are co-habitated. You need to split them up (along with any other snakes you have co-habbed). It's extremely likely that being in close quarters with another snake is stressing them out and making them unwilling to eat. Certainly wouldn't be the first time. There are a bunch of other health reasons involved in why co-habbing is bad.
Click to expand...

Bobby's right. Corns are solitary in nature, and stress from living with another snake can cause them to go off food. This is well documented, and you can do a search if you're interested in more info. Snakes' digestion takes time, during which they're more vulnerable. If a snake feels less than safe, it may not eat.

If you don't have a separate viv available, you might consider dividing the one you have, at least temporarily. You can do it with something as cheap as a piece of foamboard.
 
You know I have a question about this though, if co-habbing stresses them out why is it that they curl next to each other and follow each other around the cage? Is it just for warmth or...?
 
Basically, yes, it is for the warmth as they are competing for the best place to regulate their body temperature.

Besides the cohabitation being a potential cause for your snake not eating, are you leaving the snake alone with the meal long enough for it to eat (over-night is always my preferred length of time)? Have you tried different colored mice as some snakes will not eat certain colored mice? Have you tried a rat pup (or pinky), F/T and live as that will often get the reluctant snake to eat?
 
Yes I have treid different colors- brown, and white, live, frozen and even small ones. I also have left it in there over night... I just recently aquired a tub and am planning to seperate them when I get more aspen sheddings- tommorow. I'm hoping after a week or two mabye she might be more willing then. I hope anyways... so I have another question.... It might be off topic but I put her in with a male a month ago and they showed no interest in each other whatsoever. It seemed they didn't realize each other was even there. Why do you think this is? Maybe she not giving of the right... phermones?
 
A lot of people have been frustrated this season by snakes that just didn't want to breed. That said, some snakes go off food when they're gravid. The fact that you didn't see anything happen doesn't necessarily equate to no mating. Your snake may be expecting eggs.

As for the "cuddling," that's actually competition as Susan said.
 
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