Need help w/ feeding snake.

[Dev]

Hi ppl.

Just need some help trying to feed a stubborn cali king snake. Its been 3-4 months give or take since his last meal. Heating and water is not a problem.
I feed him frozen/thawed mice. Ive tryed braining. No go. Wiggling the mouse in front of him with tongs just makes him go defensive and as far as i can tell, he hasnt lost any weight. So should i start feeding him live animals? or could he be in a state of hibernation?

this be him
View attachment 67664

thx for the help.

 

[Tleilaxu]

He looks to be in proper weight condition. Is that another snake in there or is it a power cord? Anyway just give it time. My python refused food for six months one time. NEVER force feed a snake. This is also the time of year that most of the "snakes wont eat" occur. I think its a seasonal thing though its not set in stone. Good luck. Make sure he has water.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Hibernating animals don't move around much.

Do NOT start offering live prey unless it looks like your animal is actually losing weight and its health is in danger. You offer live prey even once, and it could well refuse to take prekilled prey, which is not a good state of affairs.

How often are you trying to feed it? If you're doing it too often, you're only freaking the snake out. How about once every couple weeks or so you put a dead mouse in a shoebox, put the snake in the shoebox, put the shoebox in the tank and lock everything up for a few hours. Mouse isn't eaten, you throw it out and you wait and you try it again.

Trying too hard is often more than half the problem.

EDIT: I didn't even see that, Tleilaxu. OP, if you have another snake in there, get it out. If you have something inside the tank with a power cord attached, I don't care what it is, get it out too.

 

[Dev]

Is that another snake in there or is it a power cord?

That is a power cord.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

That is a power cord.

To what? This is serious--if you have ANY kind of heating implement physically inside your tank, remove it. Now.

 

[Dev]

It just connects to a small heat mat.

 

[Nich]

Should put it under the tank....Is that a WC? If so its almost full stripe!!!! Nice snake. I wouldnt worry especially if WC, this time of year they are in "chill mode".

 

[Dev]

No he isnt WC hes captive bred

 

[arachnofein909]

sounds to me that its ready to brumate (hibernate) this is the time of year that my kingsnake stops feeding i wouldn't worry it looks healthy and i would put the heat mat on the underside the snake could get some serious burns if it gets too hot.

 

[arrowhd]

My cal. kingsnake stoped eating about 1 1/2 months ago. This is normal. Your snake looks to be at a healthy weight. I would guess that it won't start feeding for 2-3 months now. I use to offer food about 1 or 2 times per month during the winter. My snake never took the food so I just quit. You will know when its ready to feed. It will become very active.

Ps. My Nelson's milksnake has also quit feeding.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

It just connects to a small heat mat.

Those NEVER go inside the tank. Not ever under any circumstances. If a heat source is where the animal can touch it, you're doing it wrong. Get it out.

 

[Elapid]

fortunately there's more than one way to do things in life, otherwise cars would still all be black.

i would not recommend keeping snakes in wood shavings.
ever.

 

[froggyman]

fortunately there's more than one way to do things in life, otherwise cars would still all be black.

i would not recommend keeping snakes in wood shavings.
ever.

it all depends aspen is good

just gotta feed in a different container(really reccomend on any sub)

 

[Mushroom Spore]

fortunately there's more than one way to do things in life, otherwise cars would still all be black.

Are you talking about my post? No, putting heating implements inside a tank is not a matter of opinion. Do I need to go get pictures of what happens when people do this?

i would not recommend keeping snakes in wood shavings. ever.

Wood shavings are a wonderful substrate, provided it's not pine or cedar which are toxic to small animals. Like froggyman said, you just have to feed the snake in a seperate container, which is already a good idea for other reasons anyway.

 

[ktblotchking07]

One thing you might try once the snake comes out of "hibernation" is spraying the prey with bottled lizard pee. This can be found at most pet stores and kingsnakes LOVE it even if they are captive bred. Now dont get the snake used to the prey with lizard pee because that could get pretty pricey, but that is one way to introduce the snake to food again in the spring.