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Will a snake stop eating if its cage is too small? I have a 4-5.5 foot suri living in a 25 gallon tank. He stopped eating about 3 months ago.

Still sheds, seems healthy. No rot anywhere on his body. No respiratory issues. Temps and humidity cool. He just shut down on the eating.

Could the cage be the problem? Any suggestions would be a great help. Also any suggestions on how to get him eating again.

Thanks

Hi Noir,

An obvious question I know, but does he have an adequate place to hide? Somewhere he can curl up in and feel completely enclosd and safe? In my experience the stress snakes feel from being "exposed" is the number one reason they go off their food.

Is he losing much body weight? Got a figure for that?

He doesn't have a hide, or anything like that. Even in a new cage he would be too big for one. But he was feeding fine up until 3 months ago. Are there any other symptoms of stress, cause he seems fine. Not loosing weight, moves around normal, etc.

I don't think he has a IR. No bubbles in mouth, breathing fine.

Will they stop feeding if the cage is too small. I though maybe he was trying to regulate his own growth.

Thanks

A bit small, but what are the chances he's a she and gravid?

When I was a kid I had an import 8 foot 35 pound Colombian.
She wouldn't eat. Sold her to Biology teacher at school. Later learned she was gravid. Dropped a large litter of stills. Neither of us knew she was gravid. Temperatures weren't high enough. Husbandry wasn't much back then.
jsc

That is a bit small for a female to be gravid if it was mis-sexed, but still possible, he could be right... have you had this snake housed alone or was it ever with others?
I also thought It may just be off feed because he is feeling the effects of the breeding season a little horny maybe?
-----
Steph S.
Boas...
1.1 Albino boas (Loki & Hope)
1.4 07 Het. albino boas (Petty & Lady,Sierra,Madeline,Lola)
0.1 Reverse stripe poss. het albino (Cookie)
0.1 Salmon/hypo (Scarlet)
0.1 Anery poss. het snow (Missy)
1.0 Anery (Reno)
0.1 DH Sunglow (Bonnie)
1.0 Het. Anery (Guy)
0.3 Normals (Ophelia, Sasha, & Lulu)
1.1 Surinames (Solomon & Surreal)
1.2 Hogg Isles (Mr.Orange & Peaches, Apricot)
0.0.1 Central American (Sassy)
0.1 Emerald Tree boa (Jade)
1.0 ATB (Satan... seriously!)
Pythons...
2.1 GTPs (B., Monty & Jewel)
0.0.3 BPs (MJ, Precious, Houdini)
1.1 Carpet Pythons (Jackson & Charlotte)
0.1 Blood python (Akaia)
Misc.
1.1 Mandarin Ratsnakes (Jack & Jill)
1.0 Boxer/Pitt Mutt (Tyson)

Small, yes. But the snake could be misidentified. That's been known to happen.
jsc

About your comment "regulating its own growth"... No. Snakes do not "get as large as their cage allows". This is a myth.

A burmese python kept in a small take will keep growing... and so will a boa. Some people will starve snakes to "keep them small". I wonder if they think that would be humane to a puppy, or even a human (not saying that you are trying to do this, I just can't stand when I hear people say that cage size dictates the animal's growth).

The too-small tank with clear sides is probably stressing it. You should get a larger cage! In the mean time, cover the glass with paper on some of the walls outside so the poor thing doesn't feel stared at all the time.

You can create a very inexpensive larger cage out of rubbermaid or sterilite storage totes...
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Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.1 Ball Python, 1.0 Hog Island Boa, 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 1.1 Saharan Sand Boa

If the snake feels exposed, he may feel like you would if you were naked on top of a flagpole in a stiff breeze. Snakes need contact securiy as well as seclusion. They don't have arms or legs, so they need a security blanket of sorts to cling to.
They don't have eyelids either. Being constantly exposed is as stressful as sleep deprivation torture would be to you.
jsc

I have to agree.

Even my big female hides completey - when she got too big for conventional hides, a 4ft long tube of cork bark did the job.

I think the suggestion someone made about papering the outside of the tank is a good one too. One of my little Royals stopped feeding when I popped her plastic Geo container on top of a viv for a few weeks rather than inside one. A heat mat kept the temperature up, but she seemed to feel more exposed, even with a "snake rock" in there. I taped newspaper around the outside and left her well alone for a week. After that I offered a mouse and she went for it.

Obviously snakes are all different, but a sense of security and environmental control are the two most important things in snake husbandry, so I'd really recommend giving him a hide and papering the outside of the glass.

Yes, I've got some snakes that will continually strike the side of the container that's facing me when I feed. This is after they've already taken their food. My activity distracts them and they they drop the food to lash out at my silluette as I move about feeding others. If I hang newspaper over the side blocking their view, they settle down and finish their meal almost every time, regardless of my continuing activity.
Many small ones and some new ones do feel vulnerable when feeding. Obviously in the wild, they are more vulnerable at this time. Some are just pigs and nothing phases them.
jsc

Thanks for the response What is funny is that the snake is in a room ALL ALONE. So there is no one to stare at it until I come in. Can it still be stressed??? And will a larger cage resolve this issue. I have seen plenty a large cage with no hide on this site?

Thank you for all of the suggestions. If covering the sides of the cage will help I will do that.

sometimes they go off feed if they get an RI. if you are really worried can always try a vet.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say maybe he stopped eating cause its breeding season! I have males that wont eat during breeding and even for awhile after being pulled from the females.If he's been bred before or he's wild caught, he's probably tuned in to when its that time of the year. I would put him in a rubbermaid over night with a DEAD prey item and it will probably be gone in the morning.I wouldnt stress too much yet cause 3 months isnt long for an adult,healthy boa to go with out food.Like you said he isnt even dropping weight yet.Rich

I agree with that one.
jsc

I also agree, I mentioned this may be the case in my post earlier... some of my males refuse food continually during certain times of the year or if a female is putting off pheremones.
-----
Steph S.
Boas...
1.1 Albino boas (Loki & Hope)
1.4 07 Het. albino boas (Petty & Lady,Sierra,Madeline,Lola)
0.1 Reverse stripe poss. het albino (Cookie)
0.1 Salmon/hypo (Scarlet)
0.1 Anery poss. het snow (Missy)
1.0 Anery (Reno)
0.1 DH Sunglow (Bonnie)
1.0 Het. Anery (Guy)
0.3 Normals (Ophelia, Sasha, & Lulu)
1.1 Surinames (Solomon & Surreal)
1.2 Hogg Isles (Mr.Orange & Peaches, Apricot)
0.0.1 Central American (Sassy)
0.1 Emerald Tree boa (Jade)
1.0 ATB (Satan... seriously!)
Pythons...
2.1 GTPs (B., Monty & Jewel)
0.0.3 BPs (MJ, Precious, Houdini)
1.1 Carpet Pythons (Jackson & Charlotte)
0.1 Blood python (Akaia)
Misc.
1.1 Mandarin Ratsnakes (Jack & Jill)
1.0 Boxer/Pitt Mutt (Tyson)