How Long Can They Fast?

[Didymus20X6]

Little Dude and Scarlett stopped eating around mid to late November. But we've had a really mild winter here, and I'm worried that, unless we get a radical temp drop soon, I'm going to have to consider whether or not to start feeding them again.

On one hand, I don't want them to starve while waiting for Spring to set in in earnest. But on the other hand, I don't want to feed them just to have them get cold and not be able to digest their food.

So what do you guys think? Should I hold out for another month, or should I go ahead and start feeding them now?

EDIT: interestingly enough, I'm posting this on Ash Wednesday.

[mb90078]

Do you have any way of heating them, either with a heating pad or a light? Or is your only temperature control ambient temperature?

[Didymus20X6]

I have an incandescent bulb - 60w - over the land enclosure. However, the snakes seem to spend most of their time soaking in the water enclosure, which is not heated at all.

But mostly, I let ambient heat control the temperature. I don't heat that room, and prefer to let them bruminate during the winter.


Which is why I'm worried. By this time, I would have expected some temps down in the 50s. But our winter has been really mild, and the temps have mostly been between 60 and 70 in that room.

I think I'm going to give them another couple of weeks, but if it doesn't cool off soon, I'm just going to start feeding them again, and if it does turn cold, I'll just make sure to keep the land enclosure nice and toasty for them.

[chris-uk]

If they're free to move between enclosures they will thermoregulate themselves, so if they are digesting food you'd expect them to spend more time in the warmer dry part. As long as you're keeping that part warm I'd consider feeding them sooner rather than later as the temps haven't dropped low enough for them to have brumated.

[Didymus20X6]

You're right. It just hasn't been cold enough. And here we are about to enter March.

I'll try to feed them. I'll let them decide if they want to eat or not.

[Didymus20X6]

I put a couple of pieces of fish in the enclosure. Little Dude acted slightly interested, but hasn't hit so far. Scarlett was in the land enclosure basking, but so far hasn't hit, either.

If they do hit, I'll put more in there. If not, I'll just take it as a sign that they're not really ready to start eating again, and wait a couple of weeks.

[Didymus20X6]

Okay. I left the food in the enclosure for a while, and neither snake seemed interested in eating.

[chris-uk]

At least you offered them the option.

[Didymus20X6]

Little Dude ate some tilapia pieces today. I should rename her Little Pig, because that's what she is when it comes to fish. I still haven't seen Scarlett eat anything, but she much prefers worms, and I haven't been able to get any for her.

Anyway, I've decided to feed them. If it turns cold again - which it might, we have been known to get sudden cold snaps near the end of March or early April - I'll just turn on the heating pad. The lamp seems to provide sufficient heat for them, and they seem to like it really really warm. (They love to bask in 90f temps, whereas most people say around 75-80f is ideal for them - maybe they're just used to the Delta heat).

[EasternGirl]

Well good to hear that one of them is eating at least. I have a snake that prefers worms too...he will hold out for them...stubborn little thing. I hope you can get some worms for Scarlett and get her to eat too.