Yet another urgent feeding post...

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Hi all, my name is Daniel. I realize that there are hundreds of other food-related posts on here but I figured I might as well post. My adult female Eastern black neck hasn't eaten for a couple months, possibly longer. Unfortunately I didn't record the exact date of her last meal – the last RECORDED date is December 15th. Anyways, she's had eating problems in the past, especially during brumation, but I don't think she's brumating at the moment. Certainly seems active enough. In the past, her diet consisted of small mice, but I switched her over to pinkies due to the fur. Whenever she won't eat mice, I try minnows. (Yes, I'm aware of thaiminase and parasites.) Of course, she's refusing them as well now, which is why I'm posting. She lives in a 20 gallon terrarium with aspen bedding, two hides, a soaking-size water dish, a branch for basking, a fake fern, and two pieces of juniper wood. Her heat source is an overhead heat lamp which turns off at night, and I recently added a UV fixture, in case that would help her appetite. Any suggestions or comments? It's probably nothing, but it's been long enough since she ate that I'm getting worried.

[d_virginiana]

I'd say you don't have to REALLY worry until you see her starting to drop weight. Blacknecks are notorious for being poor eaters... I've never had any issues with either of mine, but they are in a room set up for tropical herps. Not at tropical temps, but the ambient temp stays steadier. I really think that helps keep them eating. They seem more sensitive to changes in temp and humidity than the easterns. I'd recommend anything you can do to keep the ambient temp steady 75-80.

Other than that and trying a variety of foods I don't really have anything. Good luck getting her to eat!

[gibble888]

I have from time to time snakes that just want to be brumated and seems to reset their eating. Since your snake hasn't eaten lately you're ready to go. Probably doesn't have to be long just a few weeks. It's worked for me but wait for a second opinion from more experienced advice.

[Tommytradix]

i personally would brumate her

[ObsidianDragon]

Well, you could try tweaking her husbandry. I tend to use belly heat rather than lamps--and on the far side of the enclosure, rather than the middle, for a better warm to cool gradient. The overhead light might work for the rest of the year, but perhaps your house temps have dropped enough in winter that she no longer wants to risk eating? Just a guess on my end, I don't keep this type of garter.

[EKS56]

I have male and female Blackneck pair and both of them have been fasting. They eat like pigs or they don't eat at all.

[chris-uk]

I have male and female Blackneck pair and both of them have been fasting. They eat like pigs or they don't eat at all.

I've got a pair of Western Blacknecks, and their eating habits are the same as their Eastern counterparts. My female hasn't eaten since October, the male actually stopped after the female. My male doesn't ever gorge himself, but the female does eat well... For about 4 months a year.

[snipstedy]

I use a heat emitter throughout day and night and a pad also. Seems like to me in comparing to before I bought the emitter that I saw a major increase in eating habits.. I've been noticing also that (with mine anyway ) the tilapia has to be really fresh. Recently she(T.Sauritus) wasn't eating and then I bought some good fresh tilapia and right away she started taking it all down.

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Sorry I haven't updated this. So far no luck. I turned off her heat lamp (and turned on the ceiling fan) earlier today and she crawled under her (hollow) water dish. It's a tighter fit and completely dark, so it's the closest thing she has to a burrow. Do you guys think I should keep her heat off for a while or start using a red bulb 24/7?

[EKS56]

I have the same experience Chris. My Female ate for the first time in about 3 months last night. Skimpy at that, 2 pinkies.

[d_virginiana]

I've noticed my blacknecks seem to be way more in tune with changes in temp and humidity than my easterns. Like, the power can go out for a couple hours and the cool down doesn't even affect my easterns, but my blacknecks will act off for several days; just being generally more anxious and bitey than normal.

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Well, two days ago I set a 75w ExoTerra infrared basking spot lamp on top of her cage. Seemed to go well, she's been very active. However, when I measured the temps just now the high was around 91 and the low around 78. It's turned off for now. Should I keep the bulb, but put the lamp on a stand? I do have one spare.

Also. When I checked up on her, I found this nasty looking defecation (Pics should be attached). What does it indicate? Could it be rotted intestinal contents that didn't finish digesting? Like I said, it's been over two months...

EDIT: I bagged/fridged a small sample just in case, since it's relatively fresh.

[guidofatherof5]

What was fed at the last meal?

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Honestly, I can't remember. I usually record her meals but I didn't have a chart handy at the time... It was either pinkies, live rosy minnows, or a mixture of the two.

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

(Sorry for posting twice in a row) Just wanted to say that I went ahead and put her lamp back on last night. It's hanging from a stand about six inches higher than before. I'll record temps when I get home.

[guidofatherof5]

Keep us posted.

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Temps are relatively stable. Most of the cage is in the low 80s, and the coolest point is 78. The branch I use as a basking spot was 90, but nothing else was that high.

[d_virginiana]

Don't feed rosy minnows. They contain thiaminase which can cause serious brain problems over time and eventually death. If you want to include fish I'd recommend silversides, but pinkies or nightcrawlers are a preferable staple IMO.

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

I'm aware of the issues with minnows. I threw some silversides in a dish yesterday and left them in there with her. Still uneaten as of now. Did you guys ever come up with a hypothesis about the poop?

[EasternBlackNeckedGarter]

Well, she finally ate tonight! Decided to skip fish altogether and thaw a pinkie. It did the trick! I guess she just needed a more constant temp. I'll try again in 5 days or so. Thanks to everyone who responded!

(However, if I should be worried about the defecation, let me know.)

[EKS56]

Cool, mine seem to be coming off a fast also.

[Albert Clark]

I agree with Tommy! Brumate her, it seems like the appropriate thing to do now that her belly is empty. I thought black necks fed mostly on amphibians. That is a pretty specimen you have there. Do you have a male to pair her with? Good luck!

[Albert Clark]

Congrats on her feeding again! I still think you should consider brumating her. Good luck whichever way you go. Lol.

[d_virginiana]

They might eat amphibians in the wild, but we generally advise against feeding amphibians in captivity due to the parasite risk. Most of them adapt to mice, or at least fish, fairly easily.

[Albert Clark]

I was thinking more of captives and them feeding on f/t frog legs as a alternative to tilapia and salmon. F/t frog legs can be obtained at your local fresh fish market. Sometimes they can be obtained more readily at your nearest Asian food/ fish market. I use the frog legs for my garters and they enjoy it.:) :)

[joeysgreen]

Albert, keep offering a variety however, since frog legs is only a part of the frog, and a rather incomplete diet if used as the main ingredient.

[Albert Clark]

F/t frog legs is a nice supplement or alternative to mice/ rat pinks also. Definite alternative to pre packaged tilapia and salmon and even ocean perch which is one of the thiaminase free fish. Variety is what keeps your captives healthy. Peace. :rolleyes:

[Albert Clark]

Albert, keep offering a variety however, since frog legs is only a part of the frog, and a rather incomplete diet if used as the main ingredient.
Thanks Joey, I meant it as a supplement to a varied diet. A definite alternative to prepackaged frozen fish. Thanks in any case. :D