Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: no eating,

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Hi, I'm New Here! a.l.e.x's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    20

    Exclamation no eating,

    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?

  2. #2
    "Preparing For First shed" nessy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    51
    Country: United Kingdom

    Re: no eating,

    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!!

  3. #3
    Dutch, bold and Thamnophis-crazy Thamnophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    1,659
    Country: Netherlands

    Re: no eating,

    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
    It is always advisable to be a loser if you cannot become a winner. Frank Zappa

  4. #4
    Mr Thamnophis ssssnakeluvr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah
    Posts
    4,637
    Country: United States

    Re: no eating,

    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.

  5. #5
    Hi, I'm New Here! a.l.e.x's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    20

    Re: no eating,

    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.

  6. #6
    Former Moderator Cazador's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Alaska, USA
    Posts
    1,608
    Country: United States

    Re: no eating,

    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.

  7. #7
    Hi, I'm New Here! a.l.e.x's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    20

    Re: no eating,

    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

  8. #8
    Former Moderator Cazador's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Alaska, USA
    Posts
    1,608
    Country: United States

    Re: no eating,

    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

  9. #9
    Hi, I'm New Here! a.l.e.x's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Posts
    20

    Re: no eating,

    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!!!

  10. #10
    Former Moderator Cazador's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Alaska, USA
    Posts
    1,608
    Country: United States

    Re: no eating,

    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

Similar Threads

  1. my new fish eating snakes :-)
    By jewel-dragons in forum General Talk
    Replies: 35
    Last Post: 07-15-2007, 01:56 PM
  2. PUGET Babies *update_ all eating well :))
    By mikm in forum Breeding
    Replies: 34
    Last Post: 05-18-2007, 12:54 PM
  3. my im peral milk eating
    By grimmy in forum General Talk
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 03-31-2007, 07:03 PM
  4. Eastern sirtalis eating adult wood frog
    By ClosedCasket88 in forum General Talk
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 03-24-2007, 05:20 PM
  5. parietalis eating
    By Hilde in forum General Talk
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 09-03-2006, 08:29 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •