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We have had my sons California Kingsnake for 8 months. He should be about 1 year old now. He is about 18 inches long. He ate fine for the first 6 months. We fed him store bought frozen pinkies and then fuzzies. Then he stoped eating for a couple of weeks about two months ago. He ate again once more and for the last month or maybe 6 weeks he has not eaten at all. He acts normal, exploring his cage as if he is hungary, but when I put a fuzzy in he will look at it and then back away and not touch it. He did shed about three weeks or a month ago. I tryed changing and cleanning his cage thouroghly but it did not help. I also tried a new batch of fuzzies. I am beggining to get really woried about him. Should I try to find some live food or take him to the vet? Help.

A couple of suggestions that have worked for me in the past to get stubborn Cal Kings started or feeding regularly again....

offering live prey items will very often turn a snake on in a New York minute! As always, feeding F/T is much safer, and for the most part healthier for your snake but when they dont want F/T, live will get them going again until you can switch them back.

this is the one that I currently employ for a couple of problem baby Cal Kings...

scenting mice with snakes, lizards, or offering live lizards..
I have two 06 baby Cal Kings that started off eating live pinks then, for no good reason - other than to drive me crazy, just totally shut down and refused to take the pinks!! Both refused every attempt and trick for over two months! Finally, I washed a F/T pink very well and rubbed the musk of very pissed off ratsnake all over it - and some of my blood from the ratsnake bites I received in the process....
This worked like a charm - for one of them... The female Cal King ate without hesitation. I did this three time and she is now back on unscented pinks.
The male on the other hand is on live or F/T lizards... He still will have nothing to do with a mouse. Scenting or not. He is insistent on eating lizards. I am willing to do this because only because he a very, very promising morph. With alot of luck I hope he turns around in the next few months..... fingers crossed..

The bottom line is this; Check your temps and husbandry to make sure he has what he needs.
Try several tricks with the mice including scenting.
Consider cooling him for a month or so.

hope this helps some...

byron.d

it may be s simple as your snake telling you that its time to start cooling for the winter. If not this check your husbandry

Every once in a while snakes in my lab do the same thing: they go off food for no reason at all. They remain healthy and roubust, but do not eat sometimes for a month or more. Ususally they just eat again eventually. Before you try live mice, try dismembering the mouse first (I usually split the skull). I know this sounds gruesome, but it occasionally works. Good luck.

My Kings went off feed 18 days ago. In my oppinion this is just as was said, Time to go to sleep for a few months. I was very worried the first time this happened to me with a Leopard Gecko but now I am geting use to it. Double check your husbandry and if all is well keep an eye on the indeviduals weight and condition, If it dose not go down hill then dont worry
Foot Hill Reptiles