Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello again
New question about my large male adult sonoran. Since he shed a few weeks ago he will kill a rat but not eat it. He actually killed one yesterday and started to swallow it 3 times, but after getting just the head in his mouth he spit it out each time. He has also been very active which is unusual for him- zipping all around his tank. Is he probably cruising around looking for a mate and that's why he won't eat? It seems early for him to be doing this. I didn't hibernate him either, and he was eating fine a month ago before he started shedding.

Janel,
How big is the rat? You might want to try smaller food items. I have found that all my Pits feed better on a number of smaller items than on one large. All of my snakes from 04 kings to four-five foot Bulls eat frozen mice and rats that have been thawed. My large Bulls get two two fuzzy rats or one rat pup depending on the size of the rats.

Pat G-C

Well last week I gave him a rat the size he usually eats (medium/small)...and he constricted it like normal and then began to eat the head and spit it out. This week I gave him a smaller rat than usual and he constricted it, and started to eat it 3 different times until he finally just ignored it. Each time he only put his mouth around its head. But ever since he shed about 3 weeks ago he has been crawling around his tank like crazy (which at first I thought meant he was hungry).

What are the temps of his cage? My pits have gotten quite active before when the cage temps rose. Pits can stop eating as well when they are too hot, at least in my experience. I keep mine at 77-80.

Like Pat said..try smaller items than normally what you feed him. I have a southern albino pine that only likes to eat small items.

Take care!
Billy
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Genesis 1:1

about 74 on cool end, and 80 to 82 on warm; gets a little cooler at night.
So does it mean anything that he starts to mouth the food, but changes his mind?
If it is a "breeding" thing what time of year would male sonorans usually stop eating (I think in the past it has been later in the year for mine, this seems early)

I've heard a lot of mature males will ignore food for a long period of time durring breeding season. He's just got other things on his mind! He's been a good eater in the past, he's not going to starve himself.
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Matt from Minnesota