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I had posted before that I had a TIME getting my male hatchlings E. climacophora to eat. Well, now my breeder male is going on 7 weeks without food. I've tried live and very small food items. He did the same thing last year. Looking over his records, he's evidently done that every single year. He hasn't lost weight that you can see, he just stops eating. Do they like to be brumated earlier than most Elaphae? Anyone with similar experience?

PS, are you getting my Emails, Conrad?

They are notorious for hunger strikes. One change I made with my colony was to switch from adult mice to fuzzy rats (just about no hair). They took hairless items more frequently. That's a great idea to record their eating reponse to identify each individual's pattern.

My adult Climac has dropped off the feed at this time of year both years that I've had him. Perhaps they are more apt to go off this time of year... Not that I could figure a reason for that fact but it could be a clue. He, too, is in his 7th week of fasting. Last year he went for 75 days then came back with a vengeance. I dropped all the way down to pinks for a few weeks and that restarted his appetite.

One odd thing about the male is, he has never, in my or the previous owner's care taken a rat of any size or age. I tried live crawlers, he just freaked when they'd touch him! I have not tried chicks, but may start a colony of quail next year just for such purposes. My corns LOVE the eggs anyway, Kunasars might too. I've raised many a snake on quail and pheasant eggs and chicks as a mainstay when I kept them. Only drawback is the feces smell really "fowl"

I agree with Tom for keeping these guys feeding. It also helps to offer live food. I've had similar problems with Russian Rats at times, going off food even in August. It's because their active season is so short and they are getting ready to hibernate. Some ratsnakes also migrate at this time of year, and some might even change prey items with the changing season. I offer live fuzzy or pinky mice to keep them feeding.

Where I live just above the 45th parallel the nights are getting cool, in the forties. That's when the snakes are starting to cool down too, and they don't eat near as much. They become more opportunistic and eat smaller meals. I think Kunasiri Island is even further north than this in Japan.

One problem I've had is keeping these snakes (don't keep climacs anymore, but still have Russians) brumating until spring too. Then if you start them too early, they go through their normal activity period (around six months) earlier, and then want to rest. That's what they're adapted too. But they also respond to the climate in your area. It depends too on how close to wild caught they are, of course, as to how strong their instincts are. I try to keep my snakes like this going at least until sometime in October before I attempt to brumate them.

Hope this helps...

TC

>>They are notorious for hunger strikes. One change I made with my colony was to switch from adult mice to fuzzy rats (just about no hair). They took hairless items more frequently. That's a great idea to record their eating reponse to identify each individual's pattern.
>>

Excellent point from both Terrys. I certainly appreciate the inputs.

No I haven't gotten any e-mails from ya...was beginning to think you were giving me the shoulder. What e-mail have you been sending to. Have you been getting mine? Try snake_keeper@hotmail.com or hell_bent_eyes@yahoo.com please so we can coordinate our efforts..lol...thanks for letting me know you've been trying though.

I got a user unknown for H.B.E., and re-sent the message to snake-keeper. I even cut and pasted and then sent a direct reply to your last Email. I don't know if I can make the Raliegh show or not. I have Clay Davenport (an old-hand at herps and Asian Rats) working with the hatchlings now, and he's yet to have luck.

What e-mail server are you using? I haven't gotten anything from you yet. Well, my phone is on the blitz right now too, so a call would be out of the question untill I get that figured out. I'll be at the show both days, hoping to work out some stuff. Let me know if I can still head up that way sometime. I've got pretty good luck with tough feeding snakes.

I've discovered my climacs love baby chicks (1-2 day old). Neither the male or female has skipped a baby chick yet. I normally feed baby chicks once a month to my collection. The chicks seem to help the females regain weight after egg laying. I give my snakes a couple chick meals prior to brumation to put that little extra weight on. Chicks are not a mainstay for food and don't provide all the nutrients for a snake, but I guess its the yoke in a new born chick that can provide weight goain for a snake. My climacs love them. They each ate two last Thursday. This may be an exception for me, but it seems to have kept their hunger going through what normally is a fasting. This doesn't help your baby climac, but it may trigger your adult male's feeding.

>>I had posted before that I had a TIME getting my male hatchlings E. climacophora to eat. Well, now my breeder male is going on 7 weeks without food. I've tried live and very small food items. He did the same thing last year. Looking over his records, he's evidently done that every single year. He hasn't lost weight that you can see, he just stops eating. Do they like to be brumated earlier than most Elaphae? Anyone with similar experience?
>>
>>PS, are you getting my Emails, Conrad?