d_virginiana
07-18-2015, 05:25 PM
I've been thinking about this lately, and there have been several threads recently about older snakes, so I figured I'd post this.
Do garters' metabolisms slow down as they age so that they need less food to get by? I figure this would probably only happen as they get toward the "wow, they're still around?" end of the age spectrum. The reason I'm bringing this up, is that for probably the past year my 15 year old blind male (well on his way to 16) will take maybe two pinkies a week if I'm lucky. Sometimes he'll food strike for several weeks during mating season or when the seasons change. And he is BIG for a male; right at 3 ft.
Despite barely eating, he's thinner than I'd like, but not dangerously so. Still has decent muscle tone too, and is pretty active for such an old guy. The only identifiable health problem is a bit of arthritis.
Have any of you experienced this sort of metabolic change with very old snakes? I'm just curious. The fact that mine has gone as long as he has with no real negative effects from eating like that makes me think there's got to be a metabolic shift going on.
Disclaimer: I know 2 pinkies a week is not nearly what is recommended for a snake that size. I offer multiple food types, and give him whatever he'll eat, whenever he'll eat it (he just prefers the mice). I monitor him closely for any signs that he may not be feeling well or that his quality of life is declining, but so far that does not seem to be the case.
Do garters' metabolisms slow down as they age so that they need less food to get by? I figure this would probably only happen as they get toward the "wow, they're still around?" end of the age spectrum. The reason I'm bringing this up, is that for probably the past year my 15 year old blind male (well on his way to 16) will take maybe two pinkies a week if I'm lucky. Sometimes he'll food strike for several weeks during mating season or when the seasons change. And he is BIG for a male; right at 3 ft.
Despite barely eating, he's thinner than I'd like, but not dangerously so. Still has decent muscle tone too, and is pretty active for such an old guy. The only identifiable health problem is a bit of arthritis.
Have any of you experienced this sort of metabolic change with very old snakes? I'm just curious. The fact that mine has gone as long as he has with no real negative effects from eating like that makes me think there's got to be a metabolic shift going on.
Disclaimer: I know 2 pinkies a week is not nearly what is recommended for a snake that size. I offer multiple food types, and give him whatever he'll eat, whenever he'll eat it (he just prefers the mice). I monitor him closely for any signs that he may not be feeling well or that his quality of life is declining, but so far that does not seem to be the case.