Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Back about 6 weeks or so ago I had asked if males behaved differently during mating season with no females.

Doug pointed out that yes they will act differently, and may stop feeding.

Well, he still ignores the mouse, it's been 6 weeks since he ate.

he has not lost any significant body mass, but I am growing concerned.

I try every few days, and last night he seemed remotely interested, but turned and crawled away without eating.

how long before I should get REALLY worried?

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Are you trying only adult mice? Live or frozen/thawed? Have you tried altering sizes or colors of mice offered? What heat source and temperature range does the caging have? Have you tried f/t pink rats? Several of my snakes prefer (or insist) on pink rats for at least part of the year. Give us a little more info and try changing up your routine.

-Cole

Wayne,........

While it's true that some of the things Cole mentioned could possibly trigger him to start feeding again, I would bet that he'll be back to feeding again within the next couple weeks. He will be absolutely fine until this happens, as healthy adult snakes can go an incredibly long period with no food, and show little to no weight loss. He has plenty of reserve to sustain him until he resumes his regular feeding behavior.

I have several male milksnakes that were absolute pigs before, that show little to no interest in food lately,....bottom line,...no big deal.

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

You had to be typing at the same exact time I was

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Again, this is absolutely normal, so don't give it a second thought. They do this so they will not be slowed down and want to lay around digesting a meal, when they could be out lookin' for babe's!..LOL!!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

We keep him in a wooden enclosure I built that is 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 18 inches tall with a tempered glass front, drilled vents and locking cover.

Bedding - aspen shavings (zoo med)

temperatures, 73-75 on the cool end (except in the dead heat of summer when it is 80 ambient in the whole house) and 88-90 on the "hot end.

Water bowl, HUGE so he can swim in it (occasionally he does) Changed with fresh well (non city) water every day.

Lighting on a digital timer, cycles on at 7:00am and off at 9:00 pm

He lunged at mice whenever offered, then right about when everyone was breeding he stopped eating? at first he raced around his cage all night looking for a way out.

Now his behavior is returning to normal, I even took him out in the yard a couple times. But he still shows no interest in eating.

He eats live mice, I breed my own, so I have offered everything from tiny hoppers to adults, pick a color still no action.

I'm ready to try a rat pup ????

He has just recently had a fecal, all was good. No mites are evident, and his sheds have been normal.

he was obtained as an adult, I was told he is 6 years old. He has been here living in that same cage since September, and ate every 2-3 days. (smaller mice)

His cage is in a dedicated room, no traffic or commotion allowed, I think that about covers his husbandry.

So how long before I get real worried? it just seems so out of place for him to not eat. It was so exciting the way he chased down his prey and struck with lightning precision.

He still behaves about the same, most all day hiding, pokes his head out from time to time. Then when it gets dark he comes out and stirs that aspen up. (shoot me, but I left a hopper in overnight to see if his natural nocturnal hunting instinct would take over, no luck)

Any ideas??

Thanks in advance...

Wayne A. Harvey

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

he is probably just horny, i would try a handful of live pinky mice left over night every few days, i wouldnt start to worry yet, like they say this to shall pass,,,,,,,thomas davis

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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

Maybe I should print some of the pictures everyone has uploaded lately and tape them inside his enclosure.

Then a little privacy should make him a new man......

Oh crap, that would only torture him more.

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Are those your zonata?

-Cole

Wayne,

I'd just wait him out a bit longer, especially since he's not lost much body weight. Males seem to "know" when it's time to do the breeding thing, and frequently go off feed for months at a time. As long as he's in good condition, I'd relax and consider all the mice you're saving! LOL

keep us posted

-Cole

Don't say that about the mice Cole, my women folk have already started naming them.

and get this, Samantha just named a black rat COLE (not coal)
I picked up a bunch of rats on sale for the python, her female is named diamond, when she was trying to come up with a name for her new male rat I told her that diamonds were compressed coal, she decided on Cole.

I thought you would get a kick out of that

Wayne
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

He lunged at mice whenever offered, then right about when everyone was breeding he stopped eating? at first he raced around his cage all night looking for a way out.

That nails the most typical behavior of an adult male milk in early summer: wearing circles in the aspen and poking around for a way out day and night.
8 weeks w/o feeding is not a hardship for a healthy snake - DMong's advice is dead on. Leave a brained pink in the cage once per week until it magically disapears overnight and resume the old feeding pattern.
Nice big healthy looking campbelli BTW!
Jeff
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The rich require an abundant supply of the poor. - Voltaire

I was trying to be funny in a crude way.

That campbelli picture is just a random "adult" picture, a "pinup" for the horny inmate if you will.

I can't be the only "dirty old man" around here

Regards,
Wayne
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Wayne, I have two different males (both hondurans) that havn't taken a single meal since they were brought out of hibernation on feb 15th.They have had nothing on there minds except breeding.They have both bred several females and both are in blue now.I am sure (as they and others have in the past) will start feeding as soon as they shed.
The females are laying as we speak so there isn't that strong phermone (sp?) being put off of the girls.

Shannon

I try my best to keep these animals healthy, happy and safe.

And since most of you have had milks FAR longer than me, I consider your advice the best I can find.

Honestly before we got this snake I had never even heard of a Pueblan, and I think if I remember correctly that I joined KS forums to discuss how to take care of him.

One of the things I do appreciate about this forum, is that there are some breeders here that earned so much respect from me simply by answering eagerly without the condescending attitudes many "seasoned" breeders tend to adopt.

I only wish I had more to add, so I could participate in more discussions.

Regards,
Wayne
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

I think we all appreciate those kind words you gave about this forum, and the people in it,....the funny thing is, I'm having a not so friendly discussion on another forum about the EXACT same thing your talking about.....HORRIBLE people skills, and talking down to others with EXTREME arrogance, etc...

Some people seem to be on another planet far far away in regards to this piss-poor behavior.

take care!, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"