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new king snake wont eat

E

ETPhoneHome

New member
I bought a black and white California king snake today, its about atleast 4 feet. I left it alone in its cage for a few hours and then I put a mouse in an empty 10 gallon tank, and I was holding the snake in the tank at the mouse, because last time I dropped a mouse in my corn snake feeding tank the snake got bit like 10 times. so I figured I would hold the snake and let it grab the mouse and then put the snake down. but it didn't seem interested in the mouse, I thought king snakes had big appetites so I don't know why it wont eat ? does anyone have any ideas.... I didn't wanna put the mouse in its tank that it lives in cuase it could swallow some of the wood shavings with the mouse.
 
Your snake is not going to eat while being held. Try and feed it f/t that way there is no chance of the mouse biting your snake. You also want to let your snake be for the first week, don't handle or try and feed it. Let it get comfortable with it's new surroundings. After a week try and feed it. When was it's last meal?
 
hey

I would prefer to feed it live food.... do u think its ok to just drop the mouse in its tank that it lives in. I mean I don't think its really gona swallow and of the wood shavings. I put the mouse in last night and took it out after about 10 minutes. but if I put the moust back in in a week that's ok right? I think this snake wants to be fed in its tank I think moving it into a feeding tank upsets the snake and then is doesn't eat ? plus I have two pregnant female mice I really want to get rid of before they have babies. that's why
 
Why do you prefer to feed live, just curious. Live food can harm your snake by biting or by passing along parasites. F/t is a lot safer, they can't bite and the extreme cold temperature kills of any parasites or bacteria that could possibly make your snake sick, oh and they don't get pregnant. One of my snakes that I recently rescued won't eat when moved, but we are working on that. I use a clear plastic tote from walmart to feed in. I try not to feed in there viv's because one day when she is hungry she might mistake your hand for a meal. When they don't feed in there viv there feed response isn't that high while they are in there viv. It's kind of like potty training a dog, you only want them to go to the bathroom out of the house, where as you only want your snake to try and eat something out of her viv. Feeding on the first day you have her she probably isn't going to eat anywhere. May be to early to tell whether she will eat out of her viv. What does your snake weight, what does the prey weight, and how old is the snake.
 
:)

I just think live is more natural for the snake... and plus they were feeding it live mice at the petstore. I didn't weight the snake its atleast 4 feet long. not sure how old it is but its very active. it goes crazy when I open the tank lid but when I get the snake out and hold it , it is really calm and doesn't bite.
 
hey

im thawing an adult mouse right now and am gona put it on top of its log cave in its tank.... if it doesn't eat it within 45 minutes il take it out. I never had a problem feeding my other king snakes. this one is a lot bigger tho.
 
More natural, kind of. Only because the snake gets to kill it's prey. All together tho what's all that natural of keeping snakes in captivity. I try and provide as natural of a viv as possible, not all to worried about her food. One of snakes strikes and coils her f/t prey as of it were alive so I don't think she knows the difference. Some snakes just won't eat f/t, some won't eat live. To each there own. I would invest in a small scale, I got mine at walmart in kitchen isle. Weight your snake so you can track it's growth and better determine prey size. I use the Munson plan for feeding my snakes.
 
hey

well it was smelling the thawed mouse but moved away, so now there is a live mouse in there, it didn't go near the snake yet, all the other snakes ive had ate the same day I got them home.
 
She might be the one that doesn't. The snake I rescued didn't eat for 2 weeks when I got her home. Use some long tweezers and move the f/t around to get the snakes attention. I would wait a couple days and let her settle into her be surroundings.
 
hey

so I called the petshop and asked if they had any problems feeding the snake and they said they never had any problems feeding it but it just ate a few days ago
 
Snakes can go a very long time without eating. Some have been known to go off feed for months at a time. She won't starve herself, she will eat when she is ready.
 
hey

and they had the cage labeled with a male symbol :) I thought king snakes had big appetite all my other king snakes eat a lot. I didn't know they go on hunger strikes. the snakes not skinny or anything it looks healthy and its very active always moving around.
 
I've heard the same, king snakes are easy eaters. It's only been a few days since her last meal and she is in a new place and hasn't settled in. She may also be getting ready to shed.
 
:)

yeah I was thinking that too... that he might be getting ready to shed, but his eyes are not foggy blue they are clear , scales look pretty fresh too.
 
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