Monday, July 4, 2011

My snake won't eat!


#1:
One mouse a week is plenty for a captive snake, one every two weeks is fine too. They do not use food like we do to keep warm, or to keep their metabolism going like we do, as they are cold-blooded.
Also they do not do much in a terrarium, as opposed to living in the wild.
Over-eating can lead to organ damage, as they accumulate waste in their liver & kidneys, and many other problems, just like humans.


#2:
Snakes can go for months without eating, especially when it is winter in their natural habitat. Corn snakes come from the eastern US and will "burmate" in the winter months and not eat at all in the wild, some captives will do this too from hereditary.
Ball Pythons are notorious for this, 6 months is not uncommon.

#3:
Make sure the food is not too large for the snake, they sometimes refuse if they feel the food is too big. Try smaller mice.

#4:
Always maintain some vitamins in the drinking water & buy some and "ParaForce" or "Worm Gard" Tea, natural herbal intestinal cleansers (I regularly give this this stuff to all my reptiles, works wonders & they love the taste too!) from your pet store.
You can also use "Stimulap", an appetite stimulant if you are so inclined after a couple of months of not eating.

#5:
Maybe you bought a sick snake?
They hide their illnesses very well.
If the feces is runny you have a sick snake.
Maybe it is just old?  Old snakes and full grown snakes do not require as much food as one that is still growing.

#6:
Stress!
If the snake is stressed for any reason, ie. being played with too much, too hot, too cold, too damp, etc., etc., it will also not eat and can die.

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