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Has anyone had any experience with tri-colored hogs going off feed for an extended period of time? I have a pair in my rack with all my other colubrids and my male hasn't eaten in probably a month or so, I know it's not a heating or humidity issue since my female is eating fine. I assumed at first that it might just be because he is more eager to breed than to eat. The female is in the box right next to him and she is probably getting to that age where she is releasing those spring pheromones. What do you think?

Your right. Many of the males of all the species I keep are off feed at this moment due to wanting a female.

Dan

So, what would you recommend doing? He really seems to be losing weight, should I just wait it out?

Perhaps I missed the loosing weight part. Well rapid weight loss is a sign of parasites and bacteria. A healthy snake male "off feed" seeking a female usually does not drop much weight, so you should move it to an isolated location and provide a heat lamp and keep one side warmer to 85 degrees and see if you can get a stool sample. If it looks normal, then perhaps not much to worry about, but if its watery and stinking, take it for a fecal exam by a vet. And perhaps this little adjustment may bring it back to feeding and you might be able to get it to naturally overcome any potential disorder if it starts feeding and pooping better. If it still looks bad, bring it to a vet I would suggest. If it just looks a bit skinny and has not fed for a couple of months, that might be OK, but paying a close eye to it right now is vital.

Dan

why would you not just try moving him away from the female?

I have thought about it but I don't know if it would really make a difference, how potent are pheromones? I would assume if they were in the same rack at all he would be able to smell her. Have you had experiences like this while you were breeding them, Jim?

Just for info, pheromones are not needed to make a snake stop feeding, much less most male snakes hesitate sometimes in the spring to not eat without being near any female of any species, its just their own internal system telling them their sperm is ready for a female. Now pheromones will cause some snakes to go nuts. I had a buddy that had about 10 big male long term wild caught corns in a big display cage for 5 years or more without ever seeing a female. We decided one day to get some wild caught females and one spring we gathered three in a week. We went into the room and started to show the people there the snakes in our hands. Well that cage of corns went nuts and within 3 minutes they shaked the house trying to get the heck out and to those females we were holding. We put the females in the cage and it was wild stuff going on in there.
Dan

I think it is a indiviual snake thing, I have had some that are next to each other and only show interest when put together, and others that go crazy trying to get to the females cage. I it were me I would warm him up to the low 80s and keep him away from the females and not bother him for a week or so and then put in a smaller food item then normal (of whatever he has eaten in the past) put it in late in the evening and leave it overnite. if he does not eat it then try again in a few days. after 2 months of not eating (and only if he seems to be getting weak) then I would (as calmly as posible) open his mouth and put a small food item in just enough to that his mouth is holding the head and put him down gently and watch to see if he starts to eat it on his own. of cource being as still as possible so you dont disturb him. if none of this works wait him out another week or two and try it all over again. let me know how it goes for you or if you need more advice! good luck.

JIM