Dean,
. When snakes do not eat it can be for one of several reasons. Either the snake has a health problem or it is being kept improperly or it is being fed improperly or in some cases it is normal for a snake, particularly an adult male to go off feed. If the snakes are imports there is a fairly good chance that they have internal parasites and that is what is causing the male to not feed. I would take the snake or a stool sample to a vet to check for parasites. When healthy adult males go off feed because they are thinking of mating rather than feeding they are fine as long as they do not lose too much weight. My breeder males typically go off feed during breeding season and go three to five months without eating. During that time they typically lose 10% to 20% of their body weight. If BRBs are kept too cool or too warm or too dry they will often not feed. They need a cage with a temperature gradient from the low 70s at the cool end to the low 80s at the warm end. They need very high humidity. If your 33 gallon cage is a tank with a screen top it is almost impossible to have the humidity high enough without covering the screen top. BRBs are nocturnal snakes and they need a tight dark place to hide during daylight hours. If they do not have the hiding place they can become stressed and refuse to feed. This is especially important with new imports or snakes that have been moved into a new home. Most BRBs will feed best if fed at night with as little stress as possible. Again this is most important with snakes in a new environment. If the snake has never eaten prekilled prey it is most likely that it will only eat live for it's first few meals in a new home. If it has eaten prekilled most of it's life it may eat prekilled if you provide the right environement for it. If it has to have live it may eat small fuzzy rat pups better than adult mice or rats which migh injure it. I would seperate the two snakes until you are entirely sure that there is nothing wrong with either of them. However, if the male is not eating because it is thinking of mating it may not eat for several months even if kept seperate from the female.
Good luck,
Jeff
>>Hi Guys;
>>
>>Just acquired my 1st adult pair of BRB's this past summer, the female has eaten 5 times, I 've had her for 2 & 1/2 months, I've had the male since Sept., he's eaten nothing, FT, fresh killed OR live. I'm currently housing him with the female, he seems active enough & does NOT appear sick, he has dropped a little weight since I got him though, the female OTOH is fat as a tick, I haven't seen anything that appeared to be mating activity but maybe the male DOES have some 'Poon-tang' on his mind........ would it help if I separated them?
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>>I keep them in a 33 gallon @ room temp (apprx. 78) & there IS a warm spot which they rarely get on, I keep them on aspen bedding & they have a huge moss filled hide box. Is there something I'm overlooking??? Or is it common for these guys to go off their food for extended periods of time?? Would appreciate any suggestions...... Oh & have a great Christmas........
>>
>>Dean
