My corn snake wont eat help

[tigger_my_T.]

My corn snake at first would eat three small mice then last week it was 2 and today its one Im concerned is this a problem or is he just going to shed skin.

 

[Tleilaxu]

It really helps if you post pics and list the parameters of your cage, temp, humidity, setup and whatnot.

I would not be too concered though.

You feed him/her once a week yes?

 

[GailC]

how big is your snake? if it was able to eat 3 small mice at once then its probably time to move up to bigger food. I wouldn't worry about it at this point, as long as it is eating it should be fine.

 

[Tleilaxu]

how big is your snake? if it was able to eat 3 small mice at once then its probably time to move up to bigger food. I wouldn't worry about it at this point, as long as it is eating it should be fine.

Actually my baby corn would pound four or five baby mice even at hatchling size.

 

[tigger_my_T.]

He is about 1 foot long his cage is a 5 gallon and he has coco fiber for substrate and the temp is around 80 85 f.

 

[Tleilaxu]

Yes move him up to larger mice, and since he that big I say there really is no reason to worry. Oh make sure he has a hidebox

 

[Mushroom Spore]

He is about 1 foot long his cage is a 5 gallon and he has coco fiber for substrate and the temp is around 80 85 f.

First off, you probably need a bigger tank. At a foot long, your snake is more than ready to be in a 10-15 gallon. Also in a five gallon tank, are you sure there's even room for a temperature gradient? The whole tank cannot be 85, they have to have a cooler area to cool down when they need to.

Second, about the substrate. Do you feed in the tank? You don't want the snake eating on anything that might get stuck to the mouse and also eaten. A simple cardboard shoebox is fine.

How big is a "small" mouse, even? If you're feeding three of anything, you need bigger prey. It's a matter of the ratio of meat to bone/hair/nails/teeth and other things like that--one big mouse is gonna be better than a ton of small ones. One prey item 1-1.5x the girth of the thickest part of the snake's body, once a week, and you're good to go.

My guess is that your snake isn't eating as many tiny mice as it did because it's just too big to care about prey that dinky. If it doesn't look worth the effort, they often won't bother.

 

[tigger_my_T.]

The thermometer is right in the middle but there is a notice able warm side and cold side. the mice are a little less then a inch. I dont feed in the tank I take him out and put him in a plastic tub.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The thermometer is right in the middle but there is a notice able warm side and cold side.

This is not a good policy. You need to know the temperature of the warm side and the temperature of the cool side SPECIFICALLY. You cannot just touch the area and say that one end is warm and one is cooler. You are a warm-blooded creature, your ability to judge specific temps is pretty weak compared to a reptile. You can't tell if the warm end is eighty-five or ninety-five degrees with your bare hand, but I guarantee you it's extremely important to the snake!

Considering that 85F is described as the maximum temperature by http://www.cornsnake.net/care.php3 I'm gonna guess that your "warm side"--which is warmer than 85 if that's the temp in the middle--is waaay too warm.

the mice are a little less then a inch.

How big around is your snake compared to the width of the mice? Again, they are almost certainly TOO SMALL if you need to feed three of them.