Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a wild caught san diego gopher snake who is in great health and is normal and active as ever. I am not cooling him this year because i do not have the means to do so and he has shown no signs of needing it. About a month and a half ago i fed him a meal and by the next week at feeding time he was going into shed so i did not feed him. Ten days later he shedded and the next day i attempted to feed him. He was alert and moving about the cage as he does when he is hungary. I put four mice in the cage since he hadnt eaten in two weeks due to shed. I usually feed him 3 mice once feeding is regular.(I make sure they dont attempt to harm him) He however would act as if he is going to attack and eat a mouse but would back away like he was afraid. This was a first and he had never done this before. Usually he snags a mouse before it hits the floor of the cage or shortly there after. I ended up moving the mice around by thier tails til he ate one, then he went after the others by himself. Today it has been about 10 days since he last ate those mice after shed and it is feeding day by my schedule for him. I put three mice in the cage (he was active yesterday looking for a meal). He got excited and then suddenly refused to eat. I moved the mice by thier tails...no response except fear. As of now there are three very frightened mice in a cage with a snake who isnt showing any interest in them. It seems like he doesnt look at them as food. He refuses rats, dead food, and now is refusing a normal food scource. He isnt going into hibernation. The temps are as usual and he seems hungary but wont take the mice. Please give me suggestions. Right now he is looking at the mice as nothing more than an object in his cage. -->Evan

np

evan, photoperiod or hours of daylight each day is the main trigger that effects hibernating animals........not temperature. the combination of the 2 though is irresistable and the animal consequently rests. your snake is trying to rest. placed on the floor of a dark closet in a cool room will work fine. leave him there w/ a little water for a couple months at least, you'll be doing him a favor.

"He isnt going into hibernation. "

I disagree. Sounds like exactly how a snake acts as it starts to slow down for brumation. Although I think you would have much better luck with one mouse at a time. Eating is a very vulnerable experience for snakes and they won't do it if they feel they are in danger, ie. the other three mice in the cage. He doesn't want to have a mouse halfway down when another comes up and starts chewing on him.
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Martin Whalin

"It is foolish to let singleness of purpose deprive one of the joy and delectation of the many wonderful sights and sounds incidental to the quest."
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Evan,

First, it sounds like he wants to hibernate. Since he is wild caught, he most likely has hibernated before and is telling you that by not eating the mice. It is the time of the year that snakes go into hibernation, give or take.

If you don't have the most adequate way to hibernate, here is what I would do, and am actually at the moment doing. One of my pines wanted to hibernate, even from not hibernating last year. Find the coldest closet in your house, and put the snake cage in there. Even if the temps are not as cold as normally temps are for " proper" hibernation, the cold, dark closet works as well. The time they are put in the closet puts them in a dormant period, you could say. Make sure the snake has no more food in its stomach, perhaps wait another week or so, and then do that for a couple of months. It worked for my pine that went off feed due to a hibernation mood she was in.

Second, maybe you should reconsider putting 3 or 4 mice in the cage at feeding. All the action in the cage may scare him and stress him out as well. Remember as well...he may eat that many mice, but is it really good for him? I would feed him two AT THE MOST. One good meal every seven to ten days usually maintains good weight. Obesity really sucks when snakes get heavy.

Take care!
Billy
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Genesis 1:1

i just put my snake down for the winter like you suggested (thank you). He is in a totally dark closet that stays about 65 degrees which is cooler than the rest of my house. He hasnt really moved since last night which is good, i think. Thanx for the help. When should i wake him up?

Maybe in late February or March 1st. See how he does. Remember to keep fresh water in his cage. Keep us posted!

Take care!
Billy
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Genesis 1:1