My Snakes Not Eating

[mogoso]

Ok it's been two months since last he has eaten.

He's a small eastern king snake just over a year and a half old, a little past a meter long. As with all king snakes, he's skinny, he's also extremly socialible, curious and an escape artist.

I usually walk him daily, but since he's stooped eating I thought he might need to go into a cold sleep, and I moved him into an enviorment where the temperature is kept in the low 60s F and thought he'd just chill so to speak. but he's as alert as ever, not even a yawn (which I have seen, as well as sneeezes which sound like quieter versions of mine) I know snakes can go without eating for long periods, but last winter as a youngster I fed him weekly for three weekly then stopped feeding him for two weeks as he went through a shed cycle, then back to feeding him. Its been his normal cycle all his life.

Since he stopped eating there has been no shedding. I'd guess he's ok but when will he resumes eating.?

As he's not killing the live mice, so I gotta do it. Frankly I'd prefer he do his own killing.

[udon]

Sorry I can't help you, Joe Blakes are not my scene, but

HTH do you walk a snake?

[Kringle]

Best I can offer is to go here and you can ask a Vet.

http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/REPTI...kebasicfeed.HTM

Snakes are great.

[mogoso]

Sorry I can't help you, Joe Blakes are not my scene, but

HTH do you walk a snake?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty simple I toss him on the ground and follow him around and after he does his businesses and has explored a bit I pick him up and bring him back inside. BTW I referred to the snake as a male, it could be a female I know they can be probed to find out the sex, but doesn't seem very important to me, maybe to the snake it does though.

[mogoso]

Best I can offer is to go here and you can ask a Vet.

http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/REPTI...kebasicfeed.HTM

Snakes are great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you for the link, I think snakes are great, but my Thai wife sure has her doubts, particularily since I got hit by a baby copperhead in September. Really wasn't too bad except for the hospital bills.

[udon]

Best I can offer is to go here and you can ask a Vet.

http://www.talktothevet.com/ARTICLES/REPTI...kebasicfeed.HTM

Snakes are great.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good link, I might pin the url later when more sober......

[ProfessorFart]

Force feed the snake.

Its not pleasant but it is effective.

We once had several Banded kraits which would not feed and force feeding them worked a treat.

Three easy steps.

1) Handle the snake and get it relaxed and comfortable.

2) Open the snake's mouth by gently applying pressure to the rear of the snake's jaw.

3) With a pair of long tweezers insert the food into the snake's mouth as far as you can. Once the food is in, rub the food down into the snake;s intestines.

[Nignoy]

Force feed the snake.

Its not pleasant but it is effective.

We once had several Banded kraits which would not feed and force feeding them worked a treat.

Three easy steps.

1) Handle the snake and get it relaxed and comfortable.

2) Open the snake's mouth by gently applying pressure to the rear of the snake's jaw.

3) With a pair of long tweezers insert the food into the snake's mouth as far as you can. Once the food is in, rub the food down into the snake;s intestines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First of all if force feeding, only use spoon end feeding tweezers so avioding all danger of damage, secondly try offering live pinkies by hand, also we found with feeding difficulties with some of the smaller pythons, e.g simpsoni or childrens , feeding them in a small outside enclosure helped, nignoy

[bina]

for kings, dont forcefeed yet, it could well be he's ready for the cold but it has to be COLD... and then two months or so....

is he glossy and is his skin tight or is he dull and is his skin kind of , dry, limp kind of...

sneezing etc... snakes get funguses pneuomnias etc... our 3 ft python died after long repeated pneuomias even after series of BAYTRIL under the skin injectsions

i hate force feeding cause if not done correctly u injure the snake also many times they throw it up again yuck yuck yuck

feeding dead kill is great!! the jeruslame zoo only does dead kill feeding (they have a special 'box' that kills the mice and then turn them into micicles ratcicles etc... we also prefer the dead kill for thsoe willing...

try giving pinkies (baby mice) or siberian hamsters (the small ones, our kings hated mice but luuuved siberian hamsters!

what about mites: (u might need to dust him with acritin/opigal (a carambate poison used on chickens but mix with talc or corn starch to get right dosage cant remember the percent for snakes, it comes as powder and then u dust him with it)... we do a polidine bath in warm water , dry the snake etc... then dust him and the cage

some kings u can look at the width lenght of the tail to sex them, or open them and chekc (they dont like that one bit and sh.. on u or bite)

we cooked our female by accident unfortunately after her winter cold sleep someone started to let her warm up and put her in her glass box out in the sun... everyone thought someone else would return her and all went out to lunch, came back, had cooked poor snake (california king we had her 7 years!!)

[mogoso]

for kings, dont forcefeed yet, it could well be he's ready for the cold but it has to be COLD... and then two months or so....

is he glossy and is his skin tight or is he dull and is his skin kind of , dry, limp kind of...

HI,

The snakes shinny brite tight and presently wrapped around my left hand. (as I type with one hand one finger its no problem) I wasn't going to try the forced feeding as yet, but the pinkies did occur to me, and they lay undisturbed for an hour or two. I'll try some fuzzies next.

I cooked a blacksnake as a teen accidentally, I felt bad for the snake that it died because of me. Funny I have no qualms about killing something I'm going to eat or anything I presieve as a danger to me.

[DavidGem]

Hi everyone,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

First day on the block, I have never kept a snake before, but I have been having this thought since I was a young boy.

What type of snake will you recommend? Which type of snake is easy to start with? Why and so on...? It is hard to take care of the snake?

Where do you suggest to buy the snake in Thailand? The price and what type of accessories do I need?

Currently I have two dogs, does that affect anything?

I hope I have not asked too much questions...

Cheers,

David

Edited December 28, 2005 by DavidGem

[toddy]

Hi! I live between Buriram and UK - I have a snake shop in Manchester: www.viperandvine.com . I find that most North American Colubrids such as your kingsnake eat a lot less in the hot weather of Thailand. I really agree with Bina and would resist force feeding at all costs. If the snake has eaten dead prey before, I would also shy away from feeding live pinkies as it will be a pain to get it back on the frozen stuff. Try feeding at different times of night and use a hide box with a small hole for the snake to strike from. I would also not handle the snake for a week or so and then try feeding again. A house gecko in the blender and then painted onto a dead pinky is another possibility as is a bit of fluff from a baby chick stuck onto the pinky. AVOID FORCE FEEDING AT ALL COSTS - IF YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, THEN SOMETHING IS VEY WRONG WITH THE SNAKE'S ENVIRONMENT.

All 4 now, Matthew.

[Wes Turner]

Force feed the snake.

Its not pleasant but it is effective.

We once had several Banded kraits which would not feed and force feeding them worked a treat.

Three easy steps.

1) Handle the snake and get it relaxed and comfortable.

2) Open the snake's mouth by gently applying pressure to the rear of the snake's jaw.

3) With a pair of long tweezers insert the food into the snake's mouth as far as you can. Once the food is in, rub the food down into the snake;s intestines.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He's right, though the last bit shouldn't be nescessary.

[rio666uk]

Hi! I live between Buriram and UK - I have a snake shop in Manchester: www.viperandvine.com  .    I find that most North American Colubrids such as your kingsnake eat a lot less in the hot weather of Thailand. I really agree with Bina and would resist force feeding at all costs. If the snake has eaten dead prey before, I would also shy away from feeding live pinkies as it will be a pain to get it back on the frozen stuff. Try feeding at different times of night and use a hide box with a small hole for the snake to strike from. I would also not handle the snake for a week or so and then try feeding again. A house gecko in the blender and then painted onto a dead pinky is another possibility as is a bit of fluff from a baby chick stuck onto the pinky. AVOID FORCE FEEDING AT ALL COSTS - IF YOU HAVE TO DO THIS, THEN SOMETHING IS VEY WRONG WITH THE SNAKE'S ENVIRONMENT.

All 4 now, Matthew.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

would agree with this advice - i dont know about kingsnakes but have kept a royal python for some 10 years now... they seem to be quite picky with their eating habits - mine went a whole 6 months without eating - and the reptile specialist still held back from force feeding.

as above - maybe try night time feeding is worth a try

[mogoso]

Thank you all for your replies, the hunger strike is over. The varmit gobbled up a few fuzzies yesterday, so all is well with the world.

Thanks once again one and all

[Kringle]

Glad top hear and hopefully stays that way.

CVheers,

Kringle