Dear all:
There is something that has become an emerging problem with my copperhead. When I first got him, he was a great eater. Even with all the stress of being in a reptile show and being driven hundreds of miles back to my home, he still ate two hoppers. Over the next several weeks, he continued to eat well. However, in the last two and half weeks, he has stopped eating. He will rattle his tail and then if the mouse gets too close, he will kill them but then not eat them. (killed four so far).
At first I thought it was just because he was not hungry. So I waited eight days to try again. Last night, he did the same thing. He rattles his tail against the substrate but would not eat. It has been two and half weeks since he last ate.
He is a broadbanded copperhead Agkistrodon ontortrix laticinctus.
1. temp used to be around 80-90 deg. I thought may be it was too hot too eat. One week ago, I move him downstairs where it is cooler. Now temp is between 70-80.
2. He is in a ten gallon glass aquarium with lock top with two hide boxes and a water dish. He usually stays in the cold-side hide box.
3. Humidity is 50-80%. Most of the time it is 60-70%
4. ***His ten gallon tank is next to another tank containing pigmy rattle snake. Both of these tanks are within a larger plastic container. Ie there is one large bin that contains the two smaller tanks. Do you think that the copperhead is smelling the scent of the pigmy and getting stressed? This morning I moved pigmy out.
Please help. This is an emerging problem and I would like to find a solution. He has not eaten for two and half weeks. I know that they can go for much longer, but it is concerning because he had been a great eater previously. This sudden change must indicate an emerging problem??
Thx for helping!
