Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a pair of corn snakes that I got about a year ago. To my knowledge they're about 3 years old. I had plans to breed them, but they looked a little small this year so I didn't cool them or anything and was going to give it a go next year. They ate fine through the winter and as far as I can tell nothing has changed with the environment. The female has always been a shy eater, but the male you have to watch out for or you can easily end up with him trying to swallow your finger! So I wasn't too shocked when the female decided she wasn't hungry. However, it's now been a month with no interest in food...live or the customary f/t. Originally I had chauked it up to being breeding season, but most the things I've read seem to indicate feeding picks up this time of year (at least for females). So I just wanted to get a feel for what other people's collections do...

Is it normal for them to go off feed during breeding season?

Thanks,
Dan
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1.0.0 Snow Corn - RIP
0.1.0 Normal Corn Snake
1.0.0 Amelanistic Corn Snake
1.1.0 Black Racers
0.1.0 Normal Ball Python
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider

Not the females. Males can get picky this time of year due to "other" things on their mind. If I have a male miss a meal or two during breeding season, I dont worry. However, females are usually ravenous trying to put weight on for the upcoming egg production, with a lack of appetite as eggs developing take up more room inside their body cavities. Lack of feeding in a gravid female is usually a sign they are getting ready to lay soon.

With the seasonal warmup, have you compensated with your heating setup? If your heat source is not on a thermostat, the cages may be warming up a bit more than they were in the winter time. Check your temps. If the cages are getting in the mid-80s or higher, they could be showing signs of being too hot.

Is it possible the female is gravid? The pair may have mated if caged together and you just hadnt noticed.

Then there is the usual not feeding response during a shed cycle.

Thanks for the response.

The temps are right about 80 where the heat source is, but the other end is cooler (60-70 depending on the night time temps) so they can (and do) utilize both sides.

It seems that the female has been holding out for live (in fact as I type this she is constricting a mouse). We shall see if the male feels like eating too...

Thanks,
Dan
-----
1.0.0 Snow Corn - RIP
0.1.0 Normal Corn Snake
1.0.0 Amelanistic Corn Snake
1.1.0 Black Racers
0.1.0 Normal Ball Python
1.0.0 Pastel Ball Python
1.0.0 Red Eared Slider