Reptile & Amphibian Forums

He hasn't eaten since April. Still looks okay and behavior ok. I know they stop eating during breeding season. He's not breeding (no females) and not eating. I'm nervous but how long can he go? Six months? I know boids are famous for going long periods without eating. Should I not worry until end of summer when he needs to eat before the winter? As long as he gets a handful of mice in him before winter he'll be ok?

Thanks!
-----
Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1.0 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3.3 Egernia striolata
2.2.0 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
2.0 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Oliver)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

A baby Suboc at the Staten Island Zoo was lost for over 9 months before it was found, starved and dehydrated. Found half-dead, it later went on to break a longevity record for the species. LOL Now, that baby probably went into torpor and had more temp options than a snake in an enclosure, so that it could regulate energy expenditure. But you get the idea...don't worry yet.

Bottom line, as long as your snake is getting hydrated and his weight and overall health appears good, I wouldn't worry.

DR

If he starts looking a little pinchy, & has any loose skin, I'd force feed him, otherwise he'll probably kick back in.
I did have a male Sonoran gopher who did starve to death - Captive bred, ate great, 18 months old, went into breeding mode & never came out...
-----
"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line."
Oscar Levant

Thank you Max and Dusty and so sorry for the delay in response.

I finally tried offering him a fuzzy last week and he ate! Then I gave him another one yesterday and he waited until the middle of the night to eat it. Everyone else eats immediately.

This is a classic example of subocs wanting to eat small prey. This is one of the biggest males I've ever seen and he had been eating adult mice (albeit small ones) prior to the breeding season coming on. The other male we have who is a third the size of this one eats three fuzzies at a time. I guess they just like their mice small!
-----
Lisa Rakestraw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My skinks:
1.1.0 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni)
2.3.3 Egernia striolata
2.2.0 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa)

Hubby's snakes of the Southwest:
0.1 Lichanura orcutti (Rosie)
0.1 Lampropeltis pyromelana (Little Red)
0.1 Pituophis catenifer (Jennifer)
2.0 Bogertophis subocularis (Humphrey and Oliver)
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)