Honest answer needed

[garterking]

This might sound familiar to some, but here goes.

I have a male sirtalis who stopped eating in July. He was with a female at the time, and they mated several times. I seperated them about a month ago and he really still has no interest in any food. He is active and otherwise normal. I don't see anything abnormal about him at all. I take him out and when I try to put him back, he tries everything he can to not go back in the aquarium. I have an under tank heater and a spot on the warm side (82-85 degrees when the light is on) and between 70-73 on the cooler side. Light is on about 12 hours a day. He prefers the cooler side 90% of the time I see him.

He has been a great snake for a year and a half now and with him not eating, I know he wouldn't make it thru hibernation if I keep him. In the last 2 and a half months he has only had 4 worms, and 2 pinkies. That was a normal week for him. He started his hunger strike in the hottest month when he should be eating a lot so he could make it thru the winter.

I've changed his home around a couple times for him so it would seem new for at least a while but If he's not happy anymore and never wants to go back in, and he's not eating hardly at all.............................the question I have is...................Should I release him back into the wild where I found him and hope that that would make him happy, and hope that he would survive ?? What do you suggest or what would you do if you were me??
Thanks

[drache]

if you've had him for this long, I don't know that it would be such a great idea to release him
also
if you keep him, the length of his hibernation can be shortened, if you cannot get him to eat now
his survival chances would be better with you than in the wild I think

[Lulu Bennett]

i agree with rhea. he's been with you for 1.5years and he is used to be handed food on a plate lol so it mey be hard for him to adjust with so little time left before winter.
mine went off food for quite a while but now he is eating properly. just give him some time xxx

[ssssnakeluvr]

you can start cooling him down...when I have snakes go off feed th is time of the year (normal thing) I put them down for a month or so depending on size. I usually take my breeders off feed late in Oct and put them in the garage in November. Smaller snakes that go off feed for 2-3 weeks this time of the year get put in the garage for a month for a brief brumation cycle. this usually works.

[enigma200316]

I agree with all the above......................:)

[garterking]

you can start cooling him down...when I have snakes go off feed th is time of the year (normal thing) I put them down for a month or so depending on size. I usually take my breeders off feed late in Oct and put them in the garage in November. Smaller snakes that go off feed for 2-3 weeks this time of the year get put in the garage for a month for a brief brumation cycle. this usually works.


I would try an early and brief brumation, but my problem is it's still upper 70's here during the day, 80 again by weeks end, and upper 50's or 60 at night. I would put him in the basement, but I can't get it to the mid 50's where I think he should be.
That's why I was considering letting him go in the same place I found him. I figured he would know the area, would have time to fatten up a bit, then go to the same place he has the past couple years for the winter. If I am to release him, I have to do it soon.
I just want to give him the best chance on survival. Unless I consider force feeding (which I have never done and not so sure of myself) I don't think he could go the distance, since he stopped eating this early.

Thanks for everyone's help, I'm still in limbo as to what to do so I would appreciate all suggestions.

Mike

[RZL36]

I would say throw some minnows in a bowl. The snake will probably respond to the movement and attack accordingly.

How old is it? Do you know the snake's original locale?

The force feeding has to be a last resort. I think the minnows will work. I still put two flopping minnows in a food bowl with the fuzzies.

[MoJo]

I have had snakes go off food for months at a time with no ill effects. If he is not losing weight and is otherwise well try not to worry about him. He will start eating when he is ready.

I agree with the others that have said that after being in captivity for this long he should not be released.

Good Luck,

Joanna

[garterking]

I would say throw some minnows in a bowl. The snake will probably respond to the movement and attack accordingly.

How old is it? Do you know the snake's original locale?

The force feeding has to be a last resort. I think the minnows will work. I still put two flopping minnows in a food bowl with the fuzzies.

I know his exact location. It's an undeveloped area behind my girlfriends house. He was under an old raincoat. LOL Accually, that raincoat has been home to about 20 or so that I've caught out there. I let all go except for 2. I like the hunt and capture, but after 5 minutes of handling I just let them go right where I find them.
He was an adult when I found him, his last shed was 34 inches.
I've tried feeder guppies, worms, pinkies and he just really isn't interested. He will accually lay his head on the dish and watch a worm move, or fish swim. And I can keep them there all night but they will dry out before he will eat. Man is this guy frustration me.

[RZL36]

Is it getting much skinnier?

When was the last time you tried the minnows? I've never had mine turn a single living one down (they wont go near a dead one). How deep was the water the fish were in?

When mine were eating minnows, I would give the minnows a good bit of room to swim around in.

Also, and forgive me for saying this, he might be dying. If you caught him as an adult, and I'm guessing he is a little over two feet from a 32" shed, he might be old. Could be old age. I mean you caught him as an adult. All the best husbandry in the world can't stop that. Na'mean?

I've never had a garter die on me yet. The wild ones I caught I always let go.

Anyone who has kept one till death, is this pre-death behavior?:(

[garterking]

Is it getting much skinnier?

When was the last time you tried the minnows? I've never had mine turn a single living one down (they wont go near a dead one). How deep was the water the fish were in?


Also, and forgive me for saying this, he might be dying. If you caught him as an adult, and I'm guessing he is a little over two feet from a 32" shed, he might be old. Could be old age. I mean you caught him as an adult. All the best husbandry in the world can't stop that. Na'mean?


Anyone who has kept one till death, is this pre-death behavior?:(

He's not getting much skinnier, I mean he's not unhealthy looking, and doesn't seem to be losing much weight at all.

In the last month I've tried guppies, worms, pinks, hell, I even got a couple frogs to mix it up and nothing. The fish were half in the water so they could breath and move but would splash around a bit. It was also a clear dish so he could see from the side and top.

I have thought about the age thing. I hope not as my girlfriends daughter would be heartbroken if that happens. I know that all things die, and I have read somewhere that when a male is reaching his lifes end that their clock tells them to mate as often as possible to pass on their genes. I was really hoping that this was just a bump in the road as I would never want to watch him (or anything, or anyone) starve himself to death. Could this be pre-death behavior??:(

[duh duh duh]

I suggest the garage thing. If you need to put some sort of heater into your garage to prevent it from getting too cold, then do it.

I had one not eat for 3 months once, but once he started back up, look out.

[GrapefruiTgirl]

I do mention them alot, but my snaky LOVES salamanders.. :) if it's simply a lack of interest, perhaps try one of them if you haven't?
I know if something doesn't want to eat, it doesn't want to eat, period. But, mine will snatch 'manders right out of my fingers or chase them in the water dish. She loves it :)

I wish your snakie (and you) the best -- I hope he's OK.

[ssssnakeluvr]

never heard fo the mate before you die thing..... main thing to watch is weight loss...adults can go for several months without food just fine. if his time is about up, they generally still feed, but lose weight. I had an adult that passed from old age, got her as an adult and had her for 7 years. she started losing weight, but kept eating. have had several since then do that also. as long as he isn't losing a noticeable amount of weight, he should be fine for a couple more weeks til it starts getting cold andyou can put him down for a month brumation.

[garterking]

I suggest the garage thing. If you need to put some sort of heater into your garage to prevent it from getting too cold, then do it.

I had one not eat for 3 months once, but once he started back up, look out.

It's still way too warm here. 70s and 80s in the day and 60 at night.

[garterking]

Update:
Still too warm to put him in brumation, but in a couple weeks I should be good. In the last 3 months he's only eaten at best 2 pinks and 6 worms. Now he is noticable skinnier, and he has a bit of loose skin. I'll try force feeding if I have to, but I've never done it before and not so comfortable with it. I also read it's very stressfull on the snake. Need a bit of advice on forcing so I'm ready if I need to. Thanks again everyone.

[zooplan]

My cellar is to warm all winter, so I put my snakes in an extra refrigerator.

[drache]

I have this area in my basement that used to be a stair to the outside, until they built an uninsulated sun porch on top of it
I suspect it's the prefect brumation area
it's basically an enclosed dry crawl space

[garterking]

My cellar is to warm all winter, so I put my snakes in an extra refrigerator.

It is still 70 during the day and 60 at night. I know when, where and how to hibernate him. It's just still too warm here. What I need help with is the whole force feeding thing.

[anji1971]

I wish I knew more about force feeding so I could help you- I live in the same city! Unfortunately it's not something I've ever had to deal with. Do we have a vet in Windsor who looks after exotics? Maybe he does have some illness? I wish you luck with him, I know it's a big worry.:(

[GarterGirl]

I have this area in my basement that used to be a stair to the outside, until they built an uninsulated sun porch on top of it
I suspect it's the prefect brumation area
it's basically an enclosed dry crawl spaceYea, it's like 4 steps and then its blocked by this window and it has drawers in the wall on either side.

[GarterGirl]

Actually, there aren't drawers in the wall. They're like cubbies in the wall.