when to brumate?

[aquamentus_11]

So, my red-sided female hasn't been eating much since i got her 6 weeks ago. I've tried everything and every kind of food without luck. I was originally worried that her extended stay in the cold clutches of Fed Ex (their overnight shipping doesn't get here until 6pm apparently...) in 45F weather may have sent her into brumation mode. Being one of the most northerly species, I would imagine that her brumation instinct is pretty strong. Since I've tried everything else, I'm considering a short brumation to try to reset her appetite. My major reservations are: 1) she has that tip of her tail that is dead and still needs to fall off. don't want to risk infection 2) she's been staying under the lamp all day in the bright 85-90F basking spot (doesn't sound like brumation behavior to me, but what do I know). On the other hand, she doesn't move much, only going out to bask during the day and to her hides at night. 3) she just ate half a worm 3 days ago (only the 2nd time she's eaten in 6 weeks) and i don't want it rotting in her stomach 4) I don't know what I'm doing

Suggestions?

[kibakiba]

She doesn't need a brumation if she has eaten... Even so, you'd need to wait a week or to for it to be fully digested and out of her body before starting brumation.

[aquamentus_11]

crap, now i'm back to being boned

[chris-uk]

If she's eaten anything and is basking every day, she probably isn't in brumation mode. Maybe just a slow, fussy eater.
One of our Blacknecks has eaten a couple of times since he's been with us, but we're sure he isn't eating every feed, or even every week. Unfortunately he's in the communal viv, and I leave food in overnight for the fussy eaters, so we can't be 100% sure who eats overnight. Obviously not a problem if you just have the one.
Just persevere with the feeding, try different foods, try tong feeding, try leaving it in a dish, try putting it in at different times... Eventually, he'll eat.

[aquamentus_11]

If she's eaten anything and is basking every day, she probably isn't in brumation mode. Maybe just a slow, fussy eater.
One of our Blacknecks has eaten a couple of times since he's been with us, but we're sure he isn't eating every feed, or even every week. Unfortunately he's in the communal viv, and I leave food in overnight for the fussy eaters, so we can't be 100% sure who eats overnight. Obviously not a problem if you just have the one.
Just persevere with the feeding, try different foods, try tong feeding, try leaving it in a dish, try putting it in at different times... Eventually, he'll eat.

i've tried just about every form of food and every form of offering it. i was even considering chop sticks at this point lol.

[EasternGirl]

I have to agree that I don't think she is going to be able to brumate at this point. I think with her getting really cold during shipping and the time of the year, it's just taking her a while to snap out of this. The fact that snakes do brumate and go a long time without eating shows that they can handle it. She knows what she needs and what she wants...we have to just hope that she will eat when she is hungry and needs food. Seeley only eats the bare minimum to get by most of the time. He doesn't eat every feeding, and when he does eat...he usually only eats a few bites. But he keeps slithering along...doing his thing. He's been doing this for over a year now. Every once in a while he suprises me and eats a decent amount and I guess that keeps him going for a while. He has not eaten much at all during the winter though. Perhaps Hydra will start to eat more as spring and warm weather rolls around. The fact that she is basking is a good sign. It may take her a little longer to become more active...like I said before, she may be coming out of a kind of semi-brumation stage...like a winter down time...just slowing down a bit with the cold. But she is active...she is coming out to bask...and then going to hide at night...so that is something. And she ate, not much, but something...it's a start...albeit, a slow one, but a start. Give her a little more time and see what she does.

[EasternGirl]

Actually...have you tried different kinds of fish fillet? Have you tried trout and tilapia? Also...there is this garter goulash that Wayne makes for his babies...you take some pinky and chop it up into little pieces, chop some fish up into little pieces, then you get this turtle food called Reptamin...it's little sticks...ground a couple of those sticks up into a powder and mix it in with the fish and pinky pieces. You can chop the pinky and fish while frozen and dust the reptamin on it, then stick it in a plastic bag and run it under warm water until it thaws. Even Seeley eats the garter goulash. Sometimes I make it with pinky, fish, and worms and reptamin...sometimes fish, worms and reptamin...you get the idea. I make about a half a pinkies worth for my small snakes. Try that...stick it on a little dish under her hide at night. Don't forget to put paper towels over the substrate.

[guidofatherof5]

Since she's eating I would say relax Nate.
I don't think brumation is in order. As stated she may just be a fussy eater for now.
The fact that you are getting any food in her is a great sign.
I wouldn't worry too much about the tail tip as snakes deal with that all the time. Your intervention my not even be needed.
It's good that you are being so diligent in your observations but she is active, eating, probably pooping and shedding.
These are all things to be encouraged by. As long as she's taking in some food it might be best to just go with what she's giving you.
Try some different foods but keep offering what she's eating.
Worms are a good to excellent food. They've been making little snakes into big snakes for a long time.
If she's taking worms I'm guessing she'll take worm slimed pinky legs, tails and heads.

[aquamentus_11]

as stated before, i am neurotic when it comes to things like this. i won't brumate. i've tried squirting worm muck on pinky parts actually, but she won't even eat the worms. what a cruel and fickle mistress.

[aquamentus_11]

the tail is just something to watch as far as i'm concerned. i was only worried about the possibility of it getting infected if i had brumated and her immune response/metabolism had slowed way down. she's such a personable little snake it's hugely frustrating to see her not eating and losing part of the only appendage she will ever have.


thanks again for all the help and patience, guys. my mind races with these things and they're so much more pressing and interesting than studying.