Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My sub-adult thayeri (around 200 grams) have been refusing F/T small/medium mice this winter, but are chowing down on peach fuzzies (3 or 4 at a time). The mice all came from the same supplier. Each of these snakes previously ate 12 to 15 small or medium F/T. Do you thing it's a scent thing? Does size really matter?

Good thing I have 150 on hand.

I have experienced something like this also, but it was my mistake, I think. I was feeding both of my king snakes f/t's, as big as they could take, some times two at a time, on a regular basses. And I would feed them live sometimes as they were growing. So when they got bigger and the mice got bigger they, at the same time decided that the live mice was just to big to handle. Now I have a hard time feeding them the bigger f/t's. sometime's they will eat them and sometimes not. So in my case size does matter. and it was probable my fault.

Its a photo period thing. They will take larger prey again this spring.
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God Bless Evolution.

I agree with what Beaker posted. I totally feel that the onset of winter manipulates a snake's feeding regiment. Smaller meals, in the mind of the snake (i'm not a snake, so I can't say for sure haha), maybe seem better suited for a season where cold temps can occur suddenly, impeding digestion. But since you are keeping the snake "up", I guess it is still hungry so it eats lots of smaller mice?