Reptile & Amphibian Forums

She came into my livining room two years ago. Never had a problem feeding her before while I was feeding her mice that I used to raise. As soon as I switched to the white racer types of mice from the store, she quit eating. It's been four weeks. The weather is getting cooler but I'm not used to her snoozing till later in the year. Should I just keep trying till she gives in, or should I give in and go get her some colored mice from a store that feeds the same thing that I used to feed my mice when I was raising them? All mice are frozen/thawed.

Wild caught Splendida can be picky sometimes, especially when their metabolism is winding down for the year. I would try a different colored mouse just to eliminate that possibility. If that doesn't work, it's nap time!

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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
0.1.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
2.0.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo
0.0.2 Northern Ringnecks

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
0.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

I think it is time of year.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I should modify that -

If it is time of year or colour of mice, then I think it is time of year. There are any number of reasons why a snake might decide to take a brake from eating. The time of year could just be coincidence or the cause.

I don't think the colour of the mice are the cause.
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Thanks for the replies, and the gorgeous photo. I've heard of some snakes that would eat nothing but white mice, and also those that would only eat colored mice. But I'm almost certain that I've given my girl a white one in the two years I've had her. But these racers do look, and smell different than mine and I thought maybe that was doing it. Or the size difference. They are a tad bigger, but only in length. It has been getting cooler lately so maybe it is time to snooze. What is the normal time for them to do this, and how long do they sleep? This one seemed to do it later in the year last year, but I'm not keeping the house as warm this year so that may be playing a part in it. I'll try a colored mouse as well.

In my house, it just depends on the snakes themselves. I am expecting a complete shutdown of my native wild caughts by the end of the month, but they are still pounding rodents down, so who knows?

Keeping your house cooler could certainly play a role, as well as the shorter days. Where do you live? I live in AZ and it's still kind of warm out, so I haven't put my kids outside for their nap yet.

I have definitely read that some snakes can be put off by the color of their prey.
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
0.1.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
2.0.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo
0.0.2 Northern Ringnecks

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
0.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

I had a WC snake that I thought only took black mice because every time I tried a white mouse, it refused it.

Local guru told me that no, they go by scent and movement. If I wanted to prove he only took black mice, offer it nothing but white mice for at least 5 feedings. Sure enough, he took the 5 white mice.

I had heard the rumor as well, and a statistically small sample of refused feedings on white mice was simply coincidence (he took the first white mouse I tried after the advice, just fyi).
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3.0 WC; 0.3 CB L. getula californiae
1.0 CB L. getula nigrita
0.1.1 WC; 0.0.3 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I've tried four white ones already and no go. The pet shop I got these from gets them from a mail order place and they seem rather stiff like they set out a while before being frozen. I sure wish I was raising mice again, then I'd know what my snakes were eating.

I live in Chaparral, NM and the weather has been rather warm too, during the day. In the 50's at night.

It's probably just that time...
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Diego

Diego & Tiffany's Zoo:
SNAKES
4.3.0 Corn Snakes (Different morphs)
1.1.0 Everglades Rat Snakes
1.0.0 Baird's Rat Snake
0.1.0 Trans-Pecos Rat Snake
0.1.0 Amel Pacific Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Het Amel San Diego Gopher Snake
2.0.0 Sonoran Gopher Snake
0.1.0 Amel Sonoran Gopher Snake
1.0.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
2.1.0 Gray Banded Kingsnakes (River Road)
0.1.1 California Kingsnakes
0.1.0 Thayeri Kingsnake
1.0.0 Boa Constrictor
0.1.0 Dumeril's Boa
1.1.0 Rosy Boas (Mexican & Mid Baja)
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.1.0 Indonesian Dwarf Pacific Boa
0.1.0 Tangerine Honduran Milksnake
1.0.0 Honduran Milksnake
1.2.0 Ball Pythons
1.0.0 Woma Python
1.1.0 Cape York Spotted Pythons
1.1.0 Macklot's Pythons
0.0.1 Ribbon Snake
1.0.0 Western Hognose
1.0.0 Yellowtail Cribo
0.1.0 Blacktail Cribo
0.0.2 Northern Ringnecks

LIZARDS
1.0.0 Frilled Dragon
3.1.0 Bearded Dragons (2 Normal, 1 RedXGold, 1 Citrus)
1.1.0 Eastern Collared Lizard
0.1.0 Merauke Blue Tongue Skink
2.3.0 Leopard Geckos
1.0.1 Yellow Niger Uromastyx
0.1.0 Chuckwalla
0.1.0 Banded Gecko
FROGS
2.2.0 Southern Bell Frogs
1.0.1 Green Tree Frogs
1.0.0 Striped Walking Frogs
1.1.1 White's Tree Frogs

I rechecked my dates last year and found that she did,in fact, quit eating the last three weeks in October, so I guess she's right on que. Thanks to you all for your input.

MissHisssss.