Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi
I have a 3 or 4 year old black pine that is refusing to eat. He ate great over the summer(July, Aug.) about once a week, then stopped and hasn't eatan since. I was feeding rats. Though not with out my lack of trying. I heard they go on fasts but would it be this long?
He acts and looks healthy also the inside of his mouth shows no signs of diese or infection. He his also drinking plenty of water.
Is there any scent to use for pine snakes or other methods besided force feeding?
Thank you
Jeremy

In my experience, Pituophis, particularly adults will sometimes go off feed in the winter months. Sometimes it doesn't even matter what temperature they're being kept at. I always assumed they just wanted to brumate. I usually opt to cool them down as if I'm preparing them for breeding, even if they are not going to be bred. After a 2-3 month cooling, they usually will return to normal feeding patterns. As long as they have good weight and are well hydrated going in, they should be fine.
Please note-I cannot say for certain if my assumtion about "wanting to brumate" is correct, but this technique has worked for me reliably for several years.
Good luck!

Force feeding is usually "bad policy" with many Pituophis.
I've seen it cause docile animals to develop outright contempt for their keepers.
Could it be that Pituophis are just more intelligent than other species?