Posted by:
DISCERN
at Mon Oct 18 00:36:50 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by DISCERN ]
I think the key in this situation would be to find out what exactly is causing her stress to prevent her from wanting to eat on a more consistent basis.
Check to see if the proper temps are in place. I believe pits do better in slightly cooler temps than kings. 78 to 82 works good, but I actually keep mine at 79-80 at the most, with a nightime drop of around 74-75. Hotter than 82 and they seem to be uncomfortable, cruising cages constantly.
Also, make sure, since this may be stress related, that she has a hiding box/spot that makes her feel really secure. If she already has one, add another hiding box/spot to the cage. See if that helps with her feeling secure. In doing so, she may become more relaxed, and this may aid in her wanting to eat more. Multiple hides are always a good idea, IMO.
Is there too much commotion and distraction going on when she is being fed? Is she being watched, or are you allowing her to be completely alone, perhaps with the lights out, when she is offered food? Some snakes prefer to be left alone when fed, as for those particular individuals, the stress level may be too high if there is constant movement around their cage at feeding time, resulting in distraction.
Then, there may be the simple fact that she, at times, may not be hungry. If there are times that she eats 4 at a time, then, the possibility of her being full for a while should be thought about, and she may not want to eat for another few weeks. Since snakes are individuals, some may eat any time you throw food in their cage, no matter how big the last meal was, and some may decide they simply do not want to eat. I have seen both examples. Perhaps offering her consistent sized meals, once she eats, can help. In other words, if a good meal for her is 1-2 good sized items, keep it at that. Then, in doing so, she can work off her meal, and be hungry the following week, if weekly feedings are what you are aiming for.
As long as her weight is good, and she has not gone off food completley, I would not worry about it too much. I would stress though, to key in on her root problem of her stress. Just experiment with different techniques to see what exactly works best for your individual snake.
Hope this helps!
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Genesis 1:1
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RE: Feeding troubles - DISCERN, Mon Oct 18 00:36:50 2010
