Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a male black that is about 3.5 years old right now. Normally, he is a great eater, but he hasn't been interested in eating for a month or so now. I figured that he is just more interested in finding girls than finding food at the moment. Is this the case? And if so, how long should I expect him to refuse food?

Thanks.

That's very likely the case. He may refuse food for a couple of months, he may start eating again next week. If you are sure he isn't bothered by parasites or some bacterial intestinal thing, then I wouldn't get too concerned yet. Just watch and make sure he doesn't lose too much body weight.

I have a mex black kingsnake that did a simular thing...only during winter. When he went over 2 mts I tried running a uv light for a few days and he ate. Now I run the uv light almost every day for about 8 hrs...they say snakes don't need uv, but sometimes it seems to make a diffrence.

I think you're describing a different natural phenomenon, the natural instinct to "brumate" that we as breeders try to bring about by reducing food, lowering temps, and shortening the periodicity of light (in my case, for example, from 15 hrs during the summer to one hour in the winter). Brumation is a combination of all three changes, the result of which is reduced activity.

so seasonally, your snake probably sensed (I'm betting it was in a room with windows, where shorter days would have been sensed, OR in a house where winter temps are lower than summer temps, OR both) and this triggered his lowered activity, which included a reduced or absent feeding response. When you extended the lighting period, you "brought him out" of brumation just as breeders do intentionally in the spring, by raising temps, lengthening the daily period of light, and offering food. It just so happened--I'm guessing--that your change in one of the three was enough to trigger a response in the snake that resulted in resuming of food intake.

the question starting this thread, on the other hand, is about summertime fasting by a male, and that is very, very characteristic of adult males during the breeding season.

peace
terry