Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased a nice pair of 2002 model beauties in the latter part of March. When I first received them, they were eating like champs. Then they tapered back to eating sporadically, and I figured it was just the season, and they wanted to breed, so i didn't worry. They have now been off food completely for over a month. The female regurged her last meal, at the end of April, and has not eaten since. The male is in a 40 gallon tank, aspen substrate, branches for some climbing, a hide box, water dish. Cool side of tank at 75ish, warm side a few degrees more. The female is a in a large sterilite tub with the same conditions. I have tried live, f/t, fresh killed. I have only offered mice, no rats, but they ate fine for me on mice before. This is such a newbie question, and I feel like a numbskull for not picking up on what is wrong with my snakes. These were my first pair of beauties ever, and maybe there's just some trick I don't know about them. Anyone with ANY advice, please pipe in!

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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, a pair of Taiwan Beauties, and a pair of Tangerine Honduran Milks

sorry this isn't advice but instead a question.....how do you like these snakes? I have been thinking about grabbin some by the end of summer & would love to hear any input good & bad..

best of luck with them!

Hey slytherin,

I absolutely adore them. They are gorgeous, and very very active during the day, not hiding when I move around the room. Often they stay out curled on their branches all day. They just aren't good to handle - very very squirmy and the female is prone to unpredictably striking for no reason, even after being handled for 20-30 minutes. But they're great display snakes - give them a try!
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, a pair of Taiwan Beauties, and a pair of Tangerine Honduran Milks

Well some rat snakes are like that. My yellow rat snake ate MAYBE 4 mice all winter long even though I kept warm temps AND offered him a fuzzy every week. Spring rolled around and he was eatting like a pig. He would eat 3 fuzzies a week for the next 4 weeks then BAM he refuses to eat. He ate one fuzzy in the past month. He is ready to shed so hopefully after his shed he will eat again. PLUS this snake is lazy. I picked him up the other day and noticed some folds of skin around his neck.I'm thinking he is dehydrated so I hold him in my hand and place his face in his water bowl. He drank but wont come out from under his subtrate to drink himself! I am gonna make his subtrate only about a half inch deep so he can't burry himself all the time. Lazy thing doesnt come out 2 drink water you know thats bad..lol

What bothers me about your snakes is the fact that the one regurgitaed the last meal and hasn't eatten since. Since they BOTH aren't eatting internal parisites come to my mind. Do you also feed them inside the enclosures? They could have swallowed some subtrate. I would take both to a vet for a fecal exam just to make sure there is nothing going on. If they are parisite free I wouldn't worry about it to much unless they lose a lot of weight and become lethargic.

Hey Sullmann,

Thanks for the reply. Just as an update, the male finally fed on a small f/t mouse for me last night, just to prove me wrong the minute I started to worry. The female on the other hand decided to continue her fast.I feed them outside of their enclosures, in a 10 gallon with a screen lid. I always attempt at night, and place a towel over the tank as they are a bit freaky about being watched. I am beginning to think that perhaps I shpuld change her substrate from aspen to newspaper and try to feed her in her enclosure though. I believe she may have regurged her last meal because those particular frozen mice were bad. I had gotten them from a local breeder because I was in a pinch, and I think they were a bit old. Ah well, I'll try again in a week or so, and if she doesn't feed, I think a trip to the vet is in order. Thanks for the reply, and good luck with your lazy boy!
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, a pair of Taiwan Beauties, and a pair of Tangerine Honduran Milks

You didn't mention how their shedding was going. Have they shed since they started the fast? If there are any shedding problems, I'd assume dehydration. Even if they have not shed, I'd probably provide a humid hide box for them. I've found most of the asian Elaphe I keep to prefer a humid hide box over a dry one. I usually use sphagnum for my asian rats in their boxes. Also, I keep my Taiwans a little warmer than you do. Mine are in 79-83 ambient room temp - right in with all of the new world colubrids in the snake room. Hope this helps!

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

Thanks for the tip. Their hide boxes are dry - perhaps they do need a bit more humidity to retreat to. I'll get right on that. The female shed the day I purchased her in March, the ale shed in April, and both did well. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.
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Currently keeping:

Geckos:
Eublepharis macularius (various morphs), Paroedura picta (banded, stripe, and amel), Paroedura bastardi bastardi, Paroedura androyensis, Hemitheconyx caudicinctus, Rhacodactylus ciliatus, Cyrtodactylus irianjayensis, Gekko gecko, Pachydactylus turneri, Uroplatus henkeli, Teratolepis fasciata, and Oedura monilis.

Snakes:
Corns, a single ball python, a pair of Taiwan Beauties, and a pair of Tangerine Honduran Milks