Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I adopted a very old L. z Zonata 3 weeks ago.. I need advice on getting him to eat. I have very little history on this snake. He was caught as an adult 13 years ago.. I am the 3rd owner in the last 5 years(legal issue the others are afraid of)..

This snake has not been fed for at least 4 months. It had only been offered dwarf hamsters, and the last owner was only offering mice and rats... He gave up on it, and thought it was dying.. I now have it and believe it has several years left..so am going to try. BUT the snake is now refusing hamsters as well.

Is there something I could do to stimulate his appetite?? OR, Should I simply give this snake more time to get adjusted?

This is such an awesome snake.. I grew up wanting one.. He has finally found a forever home.. Hopefully, I get to have him around for a while.

Any advice is grately welcomed..

Billie
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Have You Hugged Your Herp Today?

Try a small meal, a few fuzzy mice. Some times males will fast durring breeding time. Last year my male Zonata went about 3-4 months without eating durring breeding season, then just started eating only small meals untill brumation, this year he hasn't missed a meal.
Good Luck;
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rbichler/index.html

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R.BICHLER

Zonata also fast when it's hot in summer. They should have a dry hide on the hot area and a moist hide on the cool side.
Try splitting the heads pre-killed fresh or frozen/thawed fuzzies open and squeezing out a little of the brains.
Lastly, if the snake appears to be losing alot of weight try lizard scented fuzzies or a lizard. Try frozen/thawed lizard first before trying a live one.

Thanks, the zonata took a small mouse yesterday. His second with me. So far all is going good.

I have had him less than a month and he has shed twice..Is this normal?? Or an indication something may be wrong??

I did notice that the snake Stinks.. I picked him up before feeding to remove stuck shed, he did not musk or poop, but stank like something rotten. He has not pooped out his first mouse yet, so I don't know if it is just old man smell or possibly cancer...he is around 15 years old.

Billie
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Have You Hugged Your Herp Today?

Sallie,
I have been following the thread. Given the stuck shed, frequent sheds, smell and lack of pooping between meals-- you might consider giving him a nice soak in some tepid water. As a bonus to helping his other ailments, soaking will also address any dehydration issues he may have.

I have a 13 year-old sinaloan milk who is a lousy shedder and sometimes gets a funky odor. He HATES to soak, but it always benefits his overall health.

Having a herp vet exam him will also yield some insight into his condition. It seems as if the quality of his care has been questionable before coming to you. Give him the best possible now so that his golden years will be comfortable.

Best of luck--please keep me posted.

rgds,
althea