Seven months without eating

[chris-uk]

We often get people posting questions on thamnophis.com along the lines of... "my garter snake hasn't eaten for two weeks, should I be worried".

I was getting to the point with my pair of Western Blacknecks where I was concerned enough that this week would have been live guppy week. They fed on the 15 October, and have consistently refused food until today. They weren't loosing (much) weight (both have been very inactive, I've almost only seen them on the days I've dug them out of their substrate/hides to check they were still alive). Both of them are on a par size-wise with my infernalis trio born last year, but these two are over a year older than the infernalis.

Today I did a happy dance, twice. Once when I saw that Sybil had eaten some all of her salmon (but left the smelt), and again when I say that Vimes had done the same.

So, seven whole months without eating anything at all. I'm happy today and am keeping my fingers crossed that they eat the extra trout I've just put in for them, and that they go on a feeding binge so they put on weight over the summer. This winter they are definitely being brumated, there's no point keeping them awake when they clearly don't want to be awake over the winter.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Today I did a happy dance, twice. Once when I saw that Sybil had eaten some all of her salmon (but left the smelt), and again when I say that Vimes had done the same.

I detect a Terry Pratchett fan!

[guidofatherof5]

Glad to hear the hunger strike is over.

[chris-uk]

I detect a Terry Pratchett fan!

Really?
Binky, Eskerina, Lacrimosa, Vlad, Sybil, Vimes, Moist von Lipwig, Nobby Nobbs, Adora Belle, Twoflower, Esme, Gytha, and the three infernalis named after dragons.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Next snake you get should be called Mr Teatime

[gregmonsta]

Awesome news

[reptileparadise]

Good stuff Chris and indeed.... Cyrtopsis needs to sleep

[d_virginiana]

Glad to hear that! My dad's blackneck that had gone several months without eating started this past week too.
He said that the day it ate, his guitars went out of tune; apparently that only happens once or twice a year with major barometric pressure changes. You think maybe where they come from really drought-prone areas like Texas, they respond to pressure changes because they mean rain?

[guidofatherof5]

They probably know more about forecasting weather then most weathermen.

[chris-uk]

This week is forecast to be colder and wetter, I'm not sure if the air pressure has dropped but it's possible.