Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi folks!

Just wondering if any of you can help me out. Lilly, our corn snake, has decided that she doesn't want to eat anymore. Up to now she has fed quite happily, but for the last two weeks she has decided that it is time to diet. I know two weeks is not a long time for a snake not to eat, but i was just wondering at what point should we decide to panic? She's two years old, and has always been fed in a separate container; she has plenty of hides and gets handled regularly, so i am assuming that nerves, feeling unsettled, unsafe and all that kind of thing is not an issue. It's also already quite warm here in the UK, so it's not as if she's gone off food because it's too cold (not an issue as such, anyway, given that she doesn't live in a kennel outside!). We also tend to put her mouse in some warm water to bring it to body temp before feeding her - we've now run out of ideas! How often should we re-try feeding her? We seem to be endlessly defrosting mice which she doesn't want to eat! Do we re-try every day? Every two days? Now if only i could speak snake so she could tell me when she's hungry...

I would be really grateful for any advice you could offer. Thanks!

If it was one of MY cornsnakes (or any of my other ratsnakes) and had not eaten for two weeks, it would have only refused 2 or three meals. In other words, don't waste your resources trying to feed every day or two if she's not eating.
You are right...Two weeks is NO big deal at all. If she is otherwise healthy (and watching for any "real" signs of trouble is one thing you should be doing), two MONTHS may not be that big a deal. OK...are you SURE she's a she? Some males go off feed this time of year because they are "lookin' for love"!!!
Keep offering food every week (or every 4 or 5 days if you prefer) until "she" starts eating again. If "she" does not eat in the next week or two, you could try slightly smaller prey or cutting the head off a prey item to see if that entices her. Any signs that she is going into shed? That's also a big possibility. Even if she has eaten in the past when she is getting ready to shed, she may not be interested now if she is healthy and well fed. Good luck. I bet she'll be eating again soon. Duffy

Dear Duffy

Thanks for that advice - I didn't really think we had to worry, but it's nice to have it confirmed by those who are really in the know. As for whether Lilly really IS a she - that is what we were told when we bought her. Being no expert in these matters, and as we have no desire to breed, we never had it checked. The only clue I am aware of that would support the theory, is her skinny tail. She seems perfectly healthy, active, no change in behaviour (she's always a bit cranky when we get her out - the ideal happy calm corn when she's in 'our' territory, but just likes to be a bit on the defensive when that huge mamalian hand approaches her in 'her' territory), and I don't THINK she's about to go into shed (her belly is still a very shiny black and white and in my limited experience, a cloudy belly is one of the very first - or rather, easiest to spot - signs that cloudy eyes and dull scales are on their way) - mind you, she has always eaten around shed time, but as you say, that habit could change. It's almost 12 weeks since her last shed - and so far she has shed every 8 to 10 weeks, so that could be a possibility. Anyway, I ramble, when all I wanted to do was to thank you for you advice! We'll try feeding her again at the end of the week - thanks for that advice especially!

Theresa

T'
When I first started keeping snakes, refusal of food would cause me some alarm also. Now I just expect one or more of my snakes to refuse a meal now and then. They ALL ate this weekend...Yay!
Does your snake's tail taper long and slowly or does it seem to get thin rather suddenly? The females tend to have "short" tails, while the males will have long ones. It certainly is not always easy to tell, and lots of experienced herpers will make an error trying to sex a young snake. Like you said...really does not matter if you are not breeding.
I will be interested to hear that s/he is eating soon. Let me know. By the way, two of my snakes each went three months last year without a meal. Now, grant it, this was the "cool" season, and they were probably set on brumating whether I intended it or not. Aften two months, I put them in the basement for a few weeks to cycle them back up. Now they are eating like tigers again. It is really amazing how long a healthy snake can go without eating. I tend to think that MOST of us (myself included) actually tend to OVERfeed our snakes. I feed every week, but tend to be more conservative than some on the size of the prey. Good luck, and keep me posted. Duffy

Dear Duffy

Thanks again for the support! As for Lilly's tail, last shed was just over 7 inches long and begins to taper immediately, getting slimmer which each row of scales - does that help?

There was actually something else i wanted to tell you too - last night s/he pooed (spelling?!) - despite not having eaten for two weeks. After her (his?) last feed, on 2nd of this month, s/he pooed three days after her feed - the norm for her; since that feed, she hasn't fed again, but did poo last night - not a lot, and to my inexperienced eye it looked a little runny. There was some solid stuff - sort of creamy white in colour, but mostly a browny liquid. There's no strange or nasty smell associated with it, but I am now wondering whether that is normal - to poo two weeks after you eat? I'm also a bit worried about the fact that there appeared to be quite a lot of liquid (of course, most of it was absorbed by the substrate, so it's difficult to judge for certain) - could there be something wrong with her (him)? Or am i just panicking? S/he's a much loved pet, and while i do my best to keep myself informed, i have nothing like the experience or knowledge that goes with several snakes owned over several years (we've only had her since last July). What would you advise? (I'm about two minutes away from rushing off to the vet with her!)

Thanks again for your support.

Theresa

Theresa,

I still don't think you have anything to worry about. What you are describing does not really sound like cause to alarm.
Certainly keep an eye on her for any other signs of illness. And, when in doubt, there's nothing WRONG with having an experienced herp vet do a stool check (other than the cost, of course). Like I said, keep me posted. I will be looking forward to hearing that she is back "on track"... eating and probably shedding really soon. Good luck. Duffy

Hi there!

Well - she finally ate!! Hurray! We decided to try her with a very small mouse and that did the trick - not that she was over-enthusiastic though! Much nudging with her nose and moving away again - perhaps she finally decided it was time to humour her tiresome humans! Anyway, many thanks for your support. Our bad tempered, tail rattling, non-eating corn is back to her sweet self - I just wish I could speak snake so I knew what was bugging her...Ah well! Thanks again.

Theresa