Hasn't eaten in almost two weeks?

[Buck]

Buck isn't eating, and I'm not sure when it should become a concern. She has a few guppies in her tank constantly, and I've tried scenting pinkies as well.

[guidofatherof5]

How long has it been?
Refresh us on Buck's history, please.

[Buck]

Sorry, the title of the thread says the amount of time. Almost two weeks. She ate one small guppy when I first got her and that's it.

[guidofatherof5]

No need to apologize as that was my error.
Two weeks as a rule isn't a long time.
Have you only put the guppies in the water dish?
Have you tried container feeding?

1O36FMumumg

[RedSidedSPR]

My adult WC always, without fail, eats almost nothing in the fall months. He hasn't eaten since October 7th, and I doubt he'll eat for awhile. He just does that. I don't worry about it cuz if he really needs to eat, he will. He just kinda goes into this brumation mode I think.

[Buck]

Thank-you. I have tried putting guppies on the floor of her cage and letting them flop around a bit, but she didn't show much interest. I'll try container feeding tonight. Any other bits of advice are welcome :)

[RedSidedSPR]

Also, don't worry about at this point. If he needs to eat he will, for now I'd just keep offering it to him every few days, some different foods even. Hell eat eventually I would think

[-MARWOLAETH-]

have you tried worms?

[Buck]

I just tried container feeding last night with guppies. Yes, I have tried worms, as well as pinkies. Hasn't eaten yet, but thank-you for the reassurance.

[Light of Dae]

Try Ignoring her for some time. At least a full week or two. Give her time to FULLY SETTLE. The persistence of food being offered n being handled n watched n fussed over can be very stressful to a snake.

Trust me when I say She can go months with out eating. Try COMPLETELY leaving her alone. With the small exception of changing out her water. No guppies in her water dish. no Food offered, No touching of her. Don't stand there with your face right to her tank.. Leave everything in her tank alone, save for the water dish as needed. Give her say 10-14 days to herself. Then offer food. She'll eat.

It'll give her mind full time to relax n wrap around the idea of being in captivity without so much stress n pressure of interaction. That can all come later in due time.

I did this with my captive born n raised Checkered Garter George when I got him and he wouldn't eat when I was trying so hard to get him to eat... I Left him all alone for two weeks. Offered food... Wouldn't you know it he was ravenous!! He ate everything offered that time. Not with me watching but he ate it all.

[SilasBannook]

Both my wild caught Radixes and wild caught Vagrans took about two and a half weeks off of no eating recently. Blew my mind because I was wasting a bunch of pinkies and fuzzies trying to make sure they would eat. The recommendations they others have given has worked great. I ignored them for a while and then put them in the feeding container with worms and each downed more night crawlers than they ever had before.

I exect it is a time of year thing.

[tress29]

My adult WC always, without fail, eats almost nothing in the fall months. He hasn't eaten since October 7th
My hognose is doing the same thing. Every fall/winter he quits eating. I try to offer every other week or so, just in case he changes his mind! My cat will eat any leftovers pinkies though, so no waste!

[Greg'sGarters]

Try keeping him warm. Also try earthworms, I'd like to meet the garter that doesn't take earthworms. If he doesn't eat earthworms, take him to a Reptile Vet ASAP.

[Mandi0284]

My wandering hasn't eaten in about a month. The baby wandering, bitzy, and my radix, Zeus, are eating.
Could it be the same thing? She is in brumation? She doesn't want anything. Not even tadpoles! She doesn't like worms.

[Kantar]

a few of my garters decided they didn't like food for a while either

this will quickly pass, not to worry

[thamneil]

My big checkered girl has been off of food for a little over 3 weeks. I have been feeding snakes in her enclosure twice a week with mice and fish and nothing aroused her appetite.

Grabbed some nightcrawlers today and she seemed interested. Half a dozen later and I think it's safe to say that she is once again feeding.

[d_virginiana]

My adult eastern male has always gone off food in the fall for weeks at a time, because he was kept at indoors room temperature. I think he would go into a not-quite-brumation. This year, where I have a whole room to dedicate to my reptiles, there is a space heater that keeps the ambient temp around 75, and none of mine have slowed down eating.

[ConcinusMan]

Artificially increasing daylight hours and light intensity (use full spectrum lighting if possible) along with warm temperatures helps keep them from going into this non-feeding mode in the fall. Snakes take cues from the shortening days and waning light intensity and think it's time to stop eating in preparation for brumating.

[Artic Exotics]

I'd like to meet the garter that doesn't take earthworms..

My male ordinoides- aptly named Goober. straight hates worms not even kidding.. and he's a northwestern too which it is my understanding practically live off earthworms in the wild. Were talking avoidance like the plague.... drove me insane as a baby. Hes not sickly just ridiculously goofy- eats his FT fish AND mice butt first like he's got a preference for the butt meat lol. Maybe he just cant figure out which is the butt end on worms idk...



Have you tried container feeding?

1O36FMumumg

Just a side note- i totally second anyone trying this idea. This was the saving grace of one of my t.ordinoides once... she's sorta always been a problem child but she's doing much better since i started feeding her this way. I know you said yours didnt take to it but just like human children you just gotta keep trying untill you find that one thing that works for your situation. Dont panic you'll get through it :-)