Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an 04 Bairdi that is starting to give me some difficulty in that it does not eat very well. I know snake go off and on feed, but this little guy has not eaten for me since November. It is starting to worry me a little. I've been feeding it frozen thawed pinkies. It was eating fine. In fact it would eat 2 pinkies at times. It just all of a sudden quit feeding.

I tried feeding it mouse tails, but it does not seem to want to take them. It won't open its mouth. I have yet to try a live pinky or a lizard. Do you think this is the route that I have to go to get this little girl to feed?
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My Critters

6 Leopard Gecko 2.4.0
1 Tokay Gecko 1.0.0
2 Ball Pythons 2.0.0
1 Black Kingsnake 1.0.0
4 Baird's Rat Snake (Thanks Vadoni!) 2.2.0
***1.0 Loma Alta***1.2Hawkeye 04 stock***
2 Gray Ratsnakes 0.1.1
1 04 Amel Cornsnake 0.1
1 04 Anery Cornsnake 1.0
3 Dekay's Snake 0.1.2
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum
1.1 Green Tree Frogs (H. cinerea)

Critters under my care

7 Red Milk Snakes 02,04
2 Mexican Milk Snakes
2 Black King snakes 03
2 Mexican Black/California King Hybrids
11 California Kingsnakes
1 Eastern Kingsnake
11 Graybanded Kingsnakes
2 Baird's Rat Snake
1 Yellow Rat Snake
1 Everglades Rat Snake
25 Corn Snakes
2 African house snakes
1 Green Tree Python
2 Boa c. constrictor
1 Mottled Rock Rattlesnake

Maybe you should consider to hibernate your snake. Most ratsnakes from southern origins keep on feeding the whole year round if maintained at a proper temperature, but Pantherophis bairdi is different because it's a montane species. It's fysiology may agree much more with a high altitude snake like Lampropeltis alterna, than with a lower altitude snake like Pantherophis obsoleta lindheimeri. I have seen the same thing with my own Baird's Ratsnakes. When they go off feed, hibernation starts from there. Never had any problems.

Greetings,

Herman Bronsgeest, The Netherlands.

Although Bairdi are from Texas, they live in the hills. The Vivid reptile site has some excellent pictures that show the natural habitat in east Texas. It is surprisingly hilly and the crevices where they live tend to be humid. IF you go to this URL and look at the "Natural History" pages, you can see what I'm talking about- http://www.vividreptiles.com/psj/metallic.html. BTW, I would also try to cool him. You might not even need temps that are too low. If you have a place where he could get into the 60s for a few weeks, that might be enough to restart his appetite. If you can go cooler, that would undoubtedly be better but it might not be required.

np

I will try that. The fun part will be trying to find a place in the house to cool it off.

What is funny is none of my bairdi are doing this including the one that was caught in Loma Alta. They all have eaten regularly. I suppose the need for brumation might be something that occurs on the individual level.

I want temps in the 60's for about how long?
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My Critters

6 Leopard Gecko 2.4.0
1 Tokay Gecko 1.0.0
2 Ball Pythons 2.0.0
1 Black Kingsnake 1.0.0
4 Baird's Rat Snake (Thanks Vadoni!) 2.2.0
***1.0 Loma Alta***1.2Hawkeye 04 stock***
2 Gray Ratsnakes 0.1.1
1 04 Amel Cornsnake 0.1
1 04 Anery Cornsnake 1.0
3 Dekay's Snake 0.1.2
1.0 Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum
1.1 Green Tree Frogs (H. cinerea)

Critters under my care

7 Red Milk Snakes 02,04
2 Mexican Milk Snakes
2 Black King snakes 03
2 Mexican Black/California King Hybrids
11 California Kingsnakes
1 Eastern Kingsnake
11 Graybanded Kingsnakes
2 Baird's Rat Snake
1 Yellow Rat Snake
1 Everglades Rat Snake
25 Corn Snakes
2 African house snakes
1 Green Tree Python
2 Boa c. constrictor
1 Mottled Rock Rattlesnake