Not eating

[NickeyV]

Hi everyone. I was just wondering what is the longest a snake has gone not eating at all? Lucifer is active and doesn't seem sick or anything. I finally found a worm or nightcrawler in the backyard. I showed her it but wasn't interested in eating it. She's stopped eating her fish and mice. So far its been 27 days of not eating since she shed which was March 3rd. I am starting to get a little worried. I know she is hungry and when she is outside she wants to dig around in the dirt looking for worms.

[chris-uk]

Twenty-seven days is getting to the point where I'd be getting concerned, however I know I've read about garters going far longer than that. We've got a blackneck that barely eats and has probably gone for over a month without eating (he's fussy and will only eat when you aren't looking).
Remind us how old Lucifer is? Do you keep track of her weight? Is she loosing weight.

[EasternGirl]

Yes...like Chris said, it is okay to be getting a little concerned..however, I have had a couple of my snakes go a month here and there without eating and one of them went two months without eating this winter. The vet said it was due to the snakes natural instinct to slow down and stop eating during the winter months. He did begin eating again. Any chance you have a reptile vet near by that could take a look at her?

[NickeyV]

Twenty-seven days is getting to the point where I'd be getting concerned, however I know I've read about garters going far longer than that. We've got a blackneck that barely eats and has probably gone for over a month without eating (he's fussy and will only eat when you aren't looking).
Remind us how old Lucifer is? Do you keep track of her weight? Is she loosing weight.


I don't know how old she is but I've had her 9 months so far and she is 2ft. 2 1/2 in. I don't have a scale to weigh her. When I am holding her her skin moves or like how it is for when baby snakes don't eat and you could see their skin and they are skinny. I am still looking for a vet that sees snakes.

[EasternGirl]

Can you take a pic of her and post it for us? I would like to see what you are talking about with her skin. Make sure she doesn't have something else going on like a badly retained shed. Let me see if I can find a reptile vet in your area for you.

[EasternGirl]

Try this link...you can enter your zip to find a reptile/herp vet near you and you can also enter questions online for reptile/herp vets: ReptileVeterinarians.com (http://www.reptileveterinarians.com/)

Please let us know if you find one near you.

[NickeyV]

I called a couple of vets. One said they don't see snakes and another I had to leave a message. When snakes are refusing to eat is there a way to feel them up with food like a shot or something? Also as of today it is 39 days of Lucifer not wanting to eat. A while ago I showed her some mice pieces and she didn't want it. Then I filled a tub of water which she got in herself and I decided to throw a nightcrawler at her face and guess what? She grabbed it and ate it! She ate another and some fish. I tried it before but with fish but didn't eat it. Now I hope she keeps eating from now on. Tomorrow will mark having her for 10 months so far.

[guidofatherof5]

Good news.

[mikem]

That's great news! Glad she ate for you! Let us know if she stops again. Hopefully she won't.

[chris-uk]

Keep eating Lucifer! You know it's good for you. :)

[Invisible Snake]

Hey just a thought but maybe she wasn't eating because she was in breeding mode?

[guidofatherof5]

Hey just a thought but maybe she wasn't eating because she was in breeding mode?

Good thought.;)

[NickeyV]

That's great news! Glad she ate for you! Let us know if she stops again. Hopefully she won't.

Maybe she will maybe she won't. But I think she is gonna shed soon. How is she still growing if she hasn't ate for this long? Also does anyone use repti shedding aid? Is it okay to use it everyday from now until she sheds?

[NickeyV]

Hey just a thought but maybe she wasn't eating because she was in breeding mode?

They still go into breeding mode even if they didn't hibernate and I thought it was just the boys that do that?

[guidofatherof5]

Brumation only helps to optimize the chance of good breeding. The girls send out a signal and the boys respond.;)

[EasternGirl]

All garters go into an instinctual state of slowing down during the winter even if you don't actually brumate them...and many stop eating during cold months because of this...it may have had something to do with that. They go into breeding mode even if they don't hibernate. Although I am not sure how it works if another snake is not around. I know my male snake doesn't like to eat when he is focused on trying to breed with my female...but I haven't noticed my female going off of food. I also know that they continue to shed even if they have gone off food...they continue to grow...garters can go off food for a couple of months without consequences. I don't now anything about shedding aids...I just keep humidity up by misting the enclosure and use a shed box if there is trouble with a shed.

[NickeyV]

All garters go into an instinctual state of slowing down during the winter even if you don't actually brumate them...and many stop eating during cold months because of this...it may have had something to do with that. They go into breeding mode even if they don't hibernate. Although I am not sure how it works if another snake is not around. I know my male snake doesn't like to eat when he is focused on trying to breed with my female...but I haven't noticed my female going off of food. I also know that they continue to shed even if they have gone off food...they continue to grow...garters can go off food for a couple of months without consequences. I don't now anything about shedding aids...I just keep humidity up by misting the enclosure and use a shed box if there is trouble with a shed.

It's on Amazon.com-pet supplies-repti shedding aid.

[EasternGirl]

I looked at the shed aid stuff. I would be hesitant to put anything on my snake unless I knew the exact ingredients...and I knew other members had used it safely. Is your snake having problems with shedding?

[NickeyV]

I looked at the shed aid stuff. I would be hesitant to put anything on my snake unless I knew the exact ingredients...and I knew other members had used it safely. Is your snake having problems with shedding?

No she isn't. I just thought it would make her skin softer if I would use it now and everyday until the day she does shed.

[kibakiba]

Just keep the humidity up. You don't need any fancy aid for shedding.

[NickeyV]

So just a few minutes ago she ate 2 more worms. It wasn't feeding day but she was hungry. So I tried giving her fish but she didn't want it or mice. All she wants is worms now. I even rubbed the worm on the fish and she still wouldn't eat it. I showed her a worm and she grabbed it viciously from my hand. How can I give her a varied diet when now all she wants is worms?

[guidofatherof5]

Worms are great scenting tools but I think fish has a more powerful scent. I bet if you cut up a few worms in a dish and cutup a few fish in the same dish. Then gave it a good stir she'd probably eat it all.
Some garters can be finicky eaters and others are garbage cans.

[EasternGirl]

Steve's suggestion is a good one. Rather than scenting, I mix food together when trying to get my snakes to eat something new. Just try mixing the worms in with the fish or pinkies until she starts eating them. Then you can alternate food on feeding days...fish one time, worms the next, pinkies the next...or you can use mixtures. I alternate. I feed my snakes about every 5-6 days and I feed pinkies one time, fish the next, etc. As far as the shedding goes, like Chantel said...if you aren't having shedding problems and you keep your humidity levels up in your tank around 50%-60% during shed time...you should be fine. You shouldn't need any kind of shedding aid.