Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had a wild-caught speckled kingsnake since May of this year, and everything has been smooth so far. For the past 4 weeks, however, she is not really eating nor shows an interest in eating. She did eat one dead mouse after it was in her cage for a day or so, but she will not attempt to constrict any mice, no matter the size. Is her "biological clock" telling her it is now time to hibernate and thus she doesn't need to eat?

She is fairly active still and she is not looking lean yet. The temperature in the room is about 70 degrees. She has a heat lamp that is on for 12 hours a day that gives her some extra daytime heat.

How long can snakes go without eating while continuing to receive heat and remain active? Should I force her to hibernate by putting her in the basement if she won't eat? I am not breeding her or anything, so I thought that hibernation is not required.

Thanks for any help, - Nathan

Nice looking Speckled. You are correct in assuming she is wanting to find winter refuge. Insticnt is kicking in telling her the days are cool and winter dormancy is needed. Even though you have no plans on breeder her, it's her natural instinct to brumate. Find a place to cool her for about 3 months or so. Keep temps around 50* F., and make sure she has water available at all times. When you warm her back up, you'll see that old feeding response again.

Brandon Osborne

Thanks for the advice. I still have a few more questions though.

Is this type of behavior only seen in wild-caught snakes or do all snakes have the natural instinct to hibernate?

Also, if I left my snake in the 70 degree room instead of a 50 degree room for the winter, how would this affect her? Would she get thin because she would not be eating and since she would be wasting her fat storage by continuing to be active? Just curious. Thanks.

-n8

I too have a wild-caught speckled who's probably a year or so old, so has already hibernated one winter outdoors here in southern Louisiana. Over the summer it was eating lizard-flavored pinky mice (I'd get an anole to bite a dead pinky), then "unflavored" pinkies. But by late October, the snake was refusing all mice, though it would still happily gobble up small anoles.

As with the other speckled, the house temp doesn't drop below 65 degrees at night--should I go ahead and unplug the heating pad?

Thanks--

Jonathan
jrmtomburg@netscape.net

you will need to cool your snakes for the winter. Keeping them at normal temps will greatly reduce the fat reserves and leave you with a weak and thin snake by spring. Try to get them cooled into the mid 50's. Anything above 60* can still cause them to lose a little weight, but not as much..........they can also develope respiratory problems if they are not cooled low enough.

Brandon Osborne