>>Hello,

>>

>>I have a question about humidity for E. climacophora, Kunasir variety.

>>

>>I asked about humidity on yellow rats before and I was surprised to learn that higher humidity helps there, so I thought I'd ask about this other 'problem' rat snake I've got.

>>

>>He's been a very difficult feeder (he ate well in the spring and early summer, nothing most of the summer, just took a mouse a week and a half ago), but I've chalked that up to his species, since I've heard they can be prone to fasting. But just to make sure I've got all my bases covered just in case, what kind of humidity works best with these?

>>

>>Thanks,

>>Billy





Billy, all ratsnakes like some humidity, including this one, but high humidity is not mandatory. Ratsnakes seem to respond to increases in humidity or rain showers. I usually spray my cages just before feeding and it acts like a "cue" to the snakes. Dampness, increase in humidity = food. Anyway, it works some of the time, to get them trained that way. Also, a moist hide during the shed cycle sometimes helps. And finally, I usually supply a little extra heat after eating in the form of an undercage heat pad.



Kunisar Island ratsnakes have a very short active season in the wild. They often go off feed very early in the Fall. We either have to have some tricks up our sleeves for getting these problem, cold-weather feeders to eat, or we have to find a way to cool them for a long period of time.



At present I've been trying to keep my South Korean Dione's ratsnakes active. It's easy with the young ones, but the adults really slow down in September. That doesn't mean they won't eat at all. I can usually keep them going until the end of October by treating them with a lot of care and changing some feeding strategies. For one thing, keep making the food items smaller until they take them. They also will probably only take live. They may only eat once every two or three weeks. Longer than that and it might mean the end of the season.



PS: Some of my cold adapted snakes have brumated up to five, or even six, months. Good luck....



Terry

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