Corn snake still not eating.

[Snipes]

I am really worried. Last time it ate was late October, and it was the only time in my care it has eaten. I have tried putting it in a rubbermaid overnight with a pinkie, i have cut the pinkies brain open, i have tweezered the pinkie to make it look alive. It last ate in a 5 gallon tank but then my cat destroyed the top so i move it to a 10 gallon. 3 days ago i moved it back to a 5 gallonish tank to make it feel more secure, put it on a higher spot and stuck some tape around it to keep the cats away. It looks like it is starting to get dull colored, and i dont know if its from sickness or if its going to molt. It molted sometime in early to mid October before i got it. In desperation, i have put a cricket in the cage to see if it will possibly go for it. One end it 80 degrees and the other is 65. What can i do? Im so worried. Here is a pic of the cage btw.

 

[chris73]

my routine for non feeders

1. Put it in a much smaller enclosure - a Sterlite box is usually my choice
2. Cover all the sides except one to help the animal feel more secure
3. Up the temps a bit - IMO your 65 degree cool side is too cool anyhow
4. Leave it be for a few days to settle in to it's new enclosure

Have you tried live prey? If not go for it. Try offering a much smaller food item than is appropriate (i.e. - a snake that should be on Hoppers you can offer a Pinkie to)

Get that cricket out of there before it bites the animal or tries to get moisture from it's eyes and stresses it out even more.

If it's frozen thawed, is it warm when you offer it? If not try that.

 

[Bigboy]

A few pics pf the snake please, close up of the cloaca, back, belly and face please.

 

[Sm0k3d]

Also, I wouldn't trust those cheap dial thermo gauges, they are unaccurate and your snake could be too hot/ too cold and that may be a reason it isn't eating.

 

[Snipes]

A few pics pf the snake please, close up of the cloaca, back, belly and face please.

I hope these are good enough.

 

[Thoth]

Things I've tried with snakes that would not eat:
Braining a f/t pinkie
Rinsing the pinkie
Rubbing the pinkie on a lizard or frog for scent
Half or piece of a pinkie
Live pinkie
Live brained pinkie
Trying a prey item bigger than it could swallow( give it a live fuzzy it won't be able to swallow it but it will get the feeding instinct going and you could then substitute a pinkie. This worked with sand boa that refused food)

Like the others mentioned make sure the temps are right Also feed in a smaller container. Try leaving the prey item overnight with your snake

 

[Snipes]

small update: it is rubbing around and i can see some of its shed skin coming off.

 

[xelda]

If it's not losing weight, don't worry so much if it doesn't eat. I think your temp readings might be off since you've got a Zoomed heatpad under the tank and those tend to get really warm. You might want to try investing in a temp gun (see tempgun.com). The warm side should be more between 88-90 degrees right where the heater meets the plastic, not on top of the substrate.

I don't think size of the cage makes any difference as long as you've got good hides. I use the plastic dog dishes Target and Walmart sell for less than a dollar. They double as both a hide and a water bowl.

 

[chris73]

small update: it is rubbing around and i can see some of its shed skin coming off.

A snake in shed rarely eats - but they come out of it very hungry.

 

[Hedorah99]

65 is way too low. Def raise the temp and see if its hungry after it comes out of the shed. You can also stimulate a feeding response by giving it a soak in warm water, just make sure the tank is warmer than 65 before you put it back in or it won't digest.

 

[carl shook]

corn snake problems

hi my name is carl, and i have a yearling yellow ratsnake as well as a goini kingsnake.some species go into a hibernation phase also is your corn c.b.? let me know if that info helps.also when they are in a shed they will not eat your snake looks healthy,sincerely carl

 

[ingas866]

the pics look like it is in the blue (shedding) they will not eat until they are done. the temp. need to be higher and you need to feed in a smaller area. Makesure you have a good water bowl and the snake gets in and out of the water.

 

[FLESHS_GRRRL]

your critter is probably fine... most likely just going into a semi-hibernation for the winter... my alb cali king hasn't eaten since september, which isn't all that surprising... she's a fat girl and seems to be her healthy inquistive self when i take her out to "play." but, if your snake is getting dull i would say it's probably going to shed soon. check it's eyes to see if they're "clouded" over... if so, then yep it's fixing to shed. in that case you'll want to make sure the humidity isn't too low or it could have a bad shed... with my girls when it's getting close to shed-time i put a humidity box in their tanks. i just take a plastic tupperware container and cut a small entry hole.. i set the tub on a moist papertowel on the heating pad end.. and you should also put a rock or piece of wood in the enclosure.. something to help get the initial skin to shedding/catching. hope that helps.

 

[Snipes]

if anyone is good at this, could you make a sexing attempt based on the tail?

 

[Thoth]

The tail of the female tends to start to taper immediately after the vent whereas the males tend to be thicker for a bit after the vent.

Also number of scales on the underside of tail portion is another indicator. If the total for both rows is a 130 or less its female, greater than 140 its male, between 130 - 140 could be either.

Neither method is as foolproof as popping or probing. Though based on the picture I would hazard female (I'm guaranteeing only 50% accuracy )

 

[reptillian]

wen i got my corn at first it stopped eatin for a year due to winter and other various things i wuldnt worry too much