no eating,

[a.l.e.x]

hello everyone, I come with a problem. I know snakes may be a long time without eating, nevertheless I've seen that my garter hasn't eaten in almos 1 and a half week. I've offered here frogs, crikets, zophobas morio, tenebrio mollitor, guppies, zebra fish, in my desperation even a pinkie and I haven't found the frozen fish you recomended me. What else could I try? I'll take her to the vet for being sure, but it will be until wednesday, cause is the day I can go. What can I do? Could it be stress? Any posible sickness?

[nessy]

My snake has been doin the same!!! it's been refusing food for a week too. i asked a family friend who is a vet, and was told not to worry too much: it could be because of the cold weather, i was told to maybe turn the thermostat up. do you live in europe too?

hope it helps!!

[Thamnophis]

In this period of the year garter snakes (and other reptiles too) tend to stop eating or they eat less than normal.
This is caused, amongst others, by the sorter days (influence from the outside through your window) and it is getting colder. The last the snakes feel the best during the night.
Their instinct tells them it's getting tome to think of hibernation. If you don't want them to hibernate yet, you have to make sure the temp goes up (day and night).
There is ofcourse always a possibillity that your ske is ill, but I cannot judge on that from beghind my computer in Holland :)

[ssssnakeluvr]

It's common for some garters to go off feed this time of the year. A week and a half is not a probelm. I have had adults go a lot longer than that with no ill effects. I would offer feeder fish for another week. If you snake doesn't eat, then give it one more week with no food. Then you can put him down for hibernation. Put him in a tank with a water disha nd a hide box. Put the tank in your garage (as long as it stays above freezing, in the 40-50 degree range) or in the basement. Put him there for 1 to 2 months, checking on him a couple times a week. If you see him getting noticeably thinner, warm him up and bring him back in where it's warmer and start feeding again. I have snakes that go off feed this time of the year. I hibernate them for about 2 months and bring them back up. This usually stimulates their feeding response. If I am going to breed them, then I leave them in hibernation for 3 months.

[a.l.e.x]

I'll try to rise the temperature, cause she hasn't been eating really good in the pst weeks and it may be bad for her if she hibernates, I think. I'm from Mexico, and here the temperature is about 20 or more degrees Celsius. I'll put a termic blanket (is that the name in english?), which is like a blanket that goes under the vivarium and heats the lid. thanks for the help and maybe on monday I'll be albe to go with the vet, is not sure. By the way, there are like green things in the lid and I think are mushrooms or something like that. What may be causing them? My Anolis and my frog have the same one but without that problem. The name is "Jungle bed" of T-REX.

[Cazador]

If you have vegetation, moss, or fungi growing in the top of your vivarium, it is too humid. You can buy a hygrometer (humidity gauge) to be certain, but fungal growth is a bad thing for the health of your captive snake. If you find out that your humidity is too high, just clean out the aquarium. When you replace the Jungle Bed, only fill a corner with the jungle bed and put dry paper towels or bark on the rest. Finally put a smaller water dish in your vivarium. This should cut down on the humidity (if this turns out to be the problem) and should prevent additional growth.

As far as your snake not eating, I have to agree with everyone else. Snakes can go for quite a while without food. They're amazing. However, this is the time of year when many snakes from northern regions naturally stop eating in preparation for brumation/hibernation. Give it another week. Then if your snake still won't eat, start dropping the temperature by a few degrees Celsius per day. Also start reducing the photoperiod, so your snake can prepare to brumate. When you get down to about 8 or 10 hours of light per day, put the snake in a totally dark place where the temperature is around 55 F.

[a.l.e.x]

I went yesterday with the vet, and told me everything was ok with the health, but as this snakes are captured in the wild most of the times, they sren't used to captivity. That's the main problem, and because of that they may not eat. I'll also get the hygrometer for being sure about what you said Cazador. Could I offer my snake slugs? Thanks for the help everyone

[Cazador]

Some Thamnophis species and subspecies eat slugs more readily than others, and they're part of the diet of many wild Thamnophis subspecies. My garters just turn their noses up at slugs, but it doesn't hurt to offer them. I've read that slugs are high in calcium, which is a good thing. It must be intra-muscular calcium since they don't have bones.

Also, good decision on the hygrometer. They're cheap, and you can use the same one on multiple terraria.
Rick

[a.l.e.x]

hello everyone GOOD NEWS!!!!!
She ate at last 2 frog, I put them in front of her head and sudenly attacked. Now I'm more relaxed about that. Thanks everyone for the help!!!

[Cazador]

Hi ALEX,
That's good news about your snake eating, but I want to caution you that the finicky behavior may not be over. If your snake is preparing to hibernate/brumate, it will continue to be fussy. If it starts refusing food again and you decide to brumate your snake, you'll have to give it at least two weeks before you can start dropping the temperature and photoperiod. Hopefully, it will continue eating, and you won't have to brumate it. Best of luck,
Rick