Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We just got our first snake (15"male Striped Cali)
We were told that he had been eating 2 pinkies and 1 fuzzy every 5 days when the breeder (also petshop employee) had him at home. Once he got to the store and was put up for sale he was being fed 2 pinkies a week (this info was kinda sketchy)Anyway once home I let him chill out for 3 days before offering him a meal. I served up 2 pinkies and 1 fuzzy; he ate the pinkies(good enuf). As he is a younging I decided to put him on a 5 day cycle. At his next feeding he was offered 3 pinkies and he only ate 1. His next 2 feedings he has refused to eat. I even tried marinating a pinkie in chicken broth to no avail. I am thawing the feeders out in a baggie submerged in hot water...is it possible to get them to hot?
I feed him in a 5 gallon bucket at put a towel over it to give him privacy. Is this required? Does he need or want darkness and seclusion when eating? (aware that snake personality plays in on this).
What is the best venue to use for feeding?
I'm leaving him in the bucket for 15-20 minutes before checking on him as I figure any uneaten feeders have cooled down by then. Should I let him stay longer?
I have read many threads on heat and substrate and am making a change on the substrate (petstore bought Forest bark 100% fir bark to pine) and will be installing themometers into the aquarium to ensure his warm and cool sides are ok (using a heat pad under one side of 10 gallon)
I'm also going to try a fuzzy instead of pinkies. He is 15" long so he should be ready for fuzzies right?
As he has not eaten should I offer him a meal every day or so until he does, then once he has put him back on his cycle...or should I maintain the cycle regardless of him not eating?
He is very docile and enjoys being handled as well as cruising around on my bed.
I have noticed that he is begining to lose his sheen suggesting his shed is approaching (no cloud to the eyes yet)
I understand that his eating habits will change when he sheds...how soon before a shed will he stop eating?
Alot of questions I know...just want it all to be right and healthy from the start.
Thanks
John

Okay, not that I'm an expert or anything, but... I would try feeding him inside his normal habitat. No towel, nothing different... (My snake always pulls his prey into his hidey-hole, though.) I usually let my pinkies thaw to about room temperature so that I'm sure they're not too warm. I wouldn't offer every day - stick to the schedule. Also, you can try getting a lamp for him. My snake stops eating when the days start getting shorter unless I keep a lamp on him. (Someone told me that it's because he thinks he's going to hiberbate.)

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. 3 days ago he came out and though he is definetly ready to shed he looked as if he was hungry. I offered up a fuzzy and he inhaled it. He is now back in burrow mode and I'm waiting for him to shed to see how he will act after that. I believe that my tank is too warm for him to think he is going to hibernate (even on the cool side). I'll know today when I get a useful themometer and a dimmer put on the UTH. The light....everything I've read and been told is no light is needed for the snake (heat wise) and the only time/reason a light should be used is for me; the owner if i want to illuminate his tank for viewing/show etc.
John

most snakes dont eat when goimg though the shedding cycle, a hormone thing don't you know. Also really not necessary to feed it in another container. try night and day feeding if still a problem and only leave the mouse in the cage for only a hour or 2 or the mouse will spoil and i do not feed my snakes spoiled mice although apparently people do. also it kinda sounds as if you might be feeding too small a items.remember snakes should be fed an item about 1 and 1 half times their widest point on there body or maybe a bit bigger, just a BIT!! If in the future it displays the same behaviors try a single live mouse of the right size and also vary your feeding schedule a little bit. this website has fantasic information in general and do your reasearch and take all opinions with a grain of salt unless everyone is telling you the same thing.
most pet shop snakes are mistreated and under fed and if you ever get another snake i would recomend that you buy from a responsible breeder because they are the people usually have had herps for years and they know there animals. no i am not a pro breeder but i have had them for a while and these are my observations.

good luck and god bless

G