Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK. Now that everyone is probably recovered from too much alcohol, I have a question. I just checked up on my brumating snakes like I do every 10 days. Changed the water, ect. My male eastern milk is looking real thin. He did not have a great deal of weight on him when I cooled the pair off but now he looks too thin to me. What are some opinions on warming him up a little early to try and get some meals into him?

Joe, what has this snake done in the past?
It will probably be fine, as long as it doesn't get dehydrated.
I pull my Eastern/syspila snakes out in early February.
After a few days they eat like snakes.

scott

This is the first time for this snake to brumate as it was w/c in the summer. Ate pretty good then and went off feed in late september. A little early but that was when he stopped. He still seems healthy with the exception of being thin. I am just worried that when I pull them both out he will not eat for a while because he wants you know what! I am not sure he can go that long without food.

I think he'll be ok Joe.
My experience with Easterns has been that once they're pulled out and up to temp, they like food more than snakey poontang.

Good luck.

scott

ROTFL!!!

If you pull him out a week or two before the female you should have no problem getting him to feed. All males feed great until they get a wiff of the females pheromones. If the females are still cooling he should feed with no problems. Just make sure you have had him cooled long enough, other wise it all may be for nothing.

I have never bred easterns, but with my experience with coastals (pretty closely related) you better hope they continue feeding, I wouldn't pair them up until after you fed them as many mice as they'd eat. We lost a sweet coastal female last year when we left the pair unattended for about 20 mins.
-----
"The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. Oh by the way, which ones pink?"

Thin snakes in brumation can still be heathy.Does this snake seem strong in your hand or does it hang in your hand? Is it moving well or seem slugish. You may want to take him out and see if it eats? How many meals did it have post capture?
If you can get 3 or 4 fussies in him these next few weeks.I bet that will get him through till march when he can be taken out for the season.If he has more issues then just weight then thats a whole other story.Have you seen him drink water ? Adult milks can be fed by hand FT pinks by prying open the mouth with the pinkie head.
As far as mating I thought that was a scent responce. So he will be fine if he doesn't have a female near him.
I like to warm my males up for a few weeks before I let the females warm up.Let the dudes have a few meals w/o the girls to distract them
-----
"What do people see in those pink snakes ?" Charles Darwin
Doug L

Thanks for the tips Doug. I believe he ate three live mice prior to going off feed. I only had him for maybe six weeks prior to going off feed. He was housed next to the female and I wonder if that is the reason he stopped eating in the first place. He appears to be strong but I am going to try to feed him a meal or two and then give him two weeks to clean out prior to putting him back. Has anyone ever pulled both out early and had them mate? Just curious.

Joe I havent done enought breeding to know.You may have to ask here as a new topic. Joe does that snake have muscle loss on his sides? Poor feeders develop a sort of loose sagging skin along their sides prior to dieing. If the snake is still round but thin I would say he is alright.When you say he ate mice before being sent to the cold room do you mean adult mice or smaller ?

Both photos here are males and they eat like teenage boys

he eats adult mice

and he eats from my hand

-----
"What do people see in those pink snakes ?" Charles Darwin
Doug L

Yeah Doug, they were smallish adult mice. He still seems kind of round. I tried posting a pic but once again will have to get my wife to help with the photobucket thing. I can renovate the whole house but cannot figure out how to post photos. Amazing.

Its called image code on the drop down menu under the photo.
1: hold your mouse over the photo
2: when the pop up menu appears drag the curser down and click the bottom most link called IMG code
3: click that and the photo is now copied
4: go back to KS and paste (right click) the link code to your post
Then go to preview to make sure your post was done correctly
The photo should look like this one of me

Not hard to see why I am such a chick magnet
Joe I can call later tonight if ya like.
-----
"What do people see in those pink snakes ?" Charles Darwin
Doug L

Joe,
He may be loseing weight, because of the warmer weather we've had the last few weeks, but that's about to change. LOL!!
Warmer weather = higher metabolism.
-Phil

-----
Work is the curse
of the drinking class!

Easterns are used to COLD temps, especially to brumate. I have found easterns in the OPEN while deer hunting in December in Mass! My guess is that you are brumating him the same as the rest of your colubrids....and he needs colder temps to initiate brumation. I find many of mine spill their water bowls ALOT more often than other species, an indication they are moving around more than they are supposed to. Bringing them up early often isnt a good solution, as they may go through repeated shed cycles and lose more weight. I would try getting them colder and possibly changing substrates, what are you using?

I have them on apsen shavings. The temps in the room they are in are about 49 degrees. I think it is plenty cold enough. He does still seem strong so maybe I should not worry too much. I will have to keep a good eye on him though.