Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son got a Fox snake in mid august (was around 8",his first snake. He has it all set up in a cage and fed it pinkies, it ate 1-3 a week. He ate around 12 total, then late september he quit taking them. I think it has to do with in the wild he would hibernate. He seems healthy. What can my son expect, When offering him food if he has not touched it in 2 hours he removes it. and he has been offering him it once a week.
What is the correct way to take care of the snake over the winter.
Thanks

Not at all unusual behavior for any of the ratsnakes, and I have read that baby foxsnakes are especially prone to fall fasting. First, make sure that he has proper temps and a warm spot where he can go after a meal. If all that is already in place and the snake continues to refuse food, you can try enticing him by cutting off the pinky's head and leaving the snake in a small container with the head and body. You might even sqeeze the decapitated head just enough to squeeze some of the brain-goo out the neck. YUM!!! I only suggest these measures this time of year for baby snakes, as robust adults can overwinter just fine with no food at all.
If your snake continues to refuse food after such attempts, put it in a cooler area, preferably dark, for several weeks. When you bring it back up to room temps and them turn on its heat source (not all at once...room temps for a day or two and then additional heat)...The snake will often "cycle back up" and start eating again. My fall fasters always have.
Several of my larger ratsnakes are currently on their annual hunger strike. If they keep it up, they wind up in the basement for awhile. I only really worry about the little ones, as they do not always have the fat reserves to make it through the winter. I do have a pretty small garter that went three months without eating last winter. After the above procedure, he came out eating like a champ. He's fasting again also. Duffy

I have 5 different kinds of snakes (2 of them corns) I live in the southwest where its real nice in the winter. By nice I mean...no snow.(the Phoenix,AZ area to be exact). If I were to hibernate my snakes how would I do that since we don't have basements here. We do have a gas heater in the winter as it does get cold here for the desert southwest. Room temp is usually 76ish-79 but all my snakes have a heat source.
I've read they don't really need to hibernate unless they are breeding. I have never tried to hibernate my snakes since they are just pets.
The only other reason I would want to hibernate them is to save on the food bill.

You're right...You don't need to hibernate them at all, especially under the conditions/circumstances you describe. Some of your snakes may still respond to the shorter days and go off feed for awhile in the winter (or eat less frequent, smaller meals if they can). I have found that my snakes which originate from colder areas tend to be more apt to go off feed this time of year. All 4 of my corns are still eating like champs.

Folks from warmer climates will sometimes actually rig a spare fridge to brumate their animals for breeding. I like having the "cold dark" basement option, mostly for getting them to cycle back up if they go off feed. As always: We herpers tend to worry too much when our animals stop eating. A healthy robust snake can go a very long time with no food, even without being in hibernation. Duffy

I live in an area where I can use my cold, dark basement/garage, but there is a problem.
Very hard to regulate the temperature. It can go from just above freezing to the mid 50's depending on the weather.
For that reason I used a small "portable" refrigerator last year. Only had two to brumate. This year I will be trading a computer for a full size refridgerator. I will be able to regulate the temperature in the 'fridge so the 6 or 8 snakes I plan to brumate this year should do fine.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

I never had to hibernate my snakes or anything but how the heck are snakes supposed to breathe through a closed fridge door? :O
Ok No laughing at me.....

Good point but if they are hibernating they don't breath that much anyway I would think.

>>I never had to hibernate my snakes or anything but how the heck are snakes supposed to breathe through a closed fridge door? :O
>>Ok No laughing at me.....

It doesn't really take a lot of air to keep a snake alive. Just opening the refigerator door once a day will let in enough air for the snakes to breath.
BUT, just to be on the safe side I put a small hole though the rubber lining around the door. This allowed a constant source of air.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)