I received a wild caught 5' Yellow Ratsnake back in early April who started off life in captivity as a great eater. He used to eat about 6 frozen thawed mice a week until the middle of May when he went off feed. From that point on he has refused food, until mid July when he took a live rat. After that he has refused any more adult mice and adult rats I have offered him until last night when I was feeding some young kingsnakes frozen thawed fuzzy pinky rats. I had just sprayed his cage with a handpump mister that I filled with hot tap water when all of the sudden he crawled out of his hide box. Since he was out I offered him one of the fuzzy rats from tongs and he took it straight away. He proceeded to eat 6 of these before retreating back to his hidebox. In between these feedings I tried an adult mouse, which he smelled with slight interest before going back into his box.

Do you think this snake is so sensitive that he requires higher humidity in my desert climate to not be too stressed to accept food and then only fuzzy rats??? This snake is extremely thin and I am hoping that he will be able to gain back the weight he has lost since May. Does anyone have experience with a tempermental ratsnake like this? Any suggestions of what I could do to help him get back to health?

He is being kept in a large cage by himself, of course, that is 3'x2'x2'. Day temps are about 84 and nights are about 75. He has a warm basking spot also.

This snake is gorgeous and with a very interesting personality. I would hate lose him.

Thanks!
Chris Anderson

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• Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - canderson, Wed Oct 8 10:19:35 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - draybar, Wed Oct 8 16:52:20 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - canderson, Wed Oct 8 23:26:19 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - draybar, Thu Oct 9 17:27:02 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - canderson, Fri Oct 10 10:40:57 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - canderson, Fri Oct 10 14:10:22 2008
• Photo - canderson, Fri Oct 10 14:17:52 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - draybar, Fri Oct 10 20:07:16 2008
• RE: Yellow Ratsnake - Troublesome Feeder - canderson, Sat Oct 11 10:03:07 2008
• He's gone - canderson, Mon Oct 13 09:15:46 2008