Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a tricolor hondo that stopped eating about 1 1/2 months ago, he has always been a picky eater, but now wont take anything. i have tried f/t mice and live mice of all sizes, but no go. can someone tell me what to do?

when is the ideal time for me to start the cooling process? what is the best temp for them? when do i take them off feed? do i leave the uth on? when do i start with heat again? should i cool my babies as well?

thanks for the help.

With my tropicals, I've started offering smaller sized meals (fuzzies or large pinks) before assuming they've shut down for the season. If you've tried smaller meals and the snake has always been picky, a 2-3 month fast/cooling will not hurt.

when is the ideal time for me to start the cooling process?
> when you have a storage area at 60-65 but 70 is a fine place to start.

what is the best temp for them?
> careful here; 60-65 is fine for 2 months, 50-55 MAY cause respiratory issues post cooling in the tropicals.

when do i take them off feed?
> snakes should fast 3-4 weeks (at 70-80) before hitting the cooler. Ideally, the snake will have recently shed also.

do i leave the uth on?
> keep the temp at 60-65, no heat or light is required.

when do i start with heat again?
> 2 months is fine but hondos are not my specialty. Change the bedding when you bring them back up to room temp - the cold bedding draws moisture, the bedding molds and the snakes CAN die from the excess spores building up in the cage.

should i cool my babies as well?
I don't but others do. If they're feeding (and most hatchlings will feed all winter) keep them up.

If it helps, picky feeders usually outgrow the picky-ness eventually.

Good luck, Jeff

>>i have a tricolor hondo that stopped eating about 1 1/2 months ago, he has always been a picky eater, but now wont take anything. i have tried f/t mice and live mice of all sizes, but no go. can someone tell me what to do?
>>
>>when is the ideal time for me to start the cooling process? what is the best temp for them? when do i take them off feed? do i leave the uth on? when do i start with heat again? should i cool my babies as well?
>>
>>thanks for the help.
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I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way. - Robert Frost, 1935

Nice of you to answer all those questions Jeff. Your the man.
-Dell

I have a rescue yearling snake that looks very much like that, and I have no info on it. Thanks for any help.
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Mark

I like Jeff's answers.

I'll add that your milksnake's "natural" range of temps it most likley seeks is somewhere in the 65-95 deg F range. Sometimes (actually many times) they will seek the cool temps, and sometimes they seek the high temps long enough to get their internal body temp up to whatever they need it to be. They are very good at doing this. Give them the range, and they will do what they need to do.

So for the Winter, if you provide much of the cage at 65-ish and then a basking spot of say 90 (because many heat pads claim to stay below 95), then you can let the snake choose. You can turn the basking spot off at night too.

Or, you can cool the whole cage to 60-65.
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Mark