Reptile & Amphibian Forums

O-kay people.I would appreciate some help here.I have a canebrake that just won't eat.She is in a cage with my male who is eating o-kay.She hasn't eaten in about a month.Should I force feed her?There are 30 other snakes in the room with them that are eating great!Never had a problem with her before.Like I said the mail is eating o-kay,but not pounding like before.It all seem to start when I tried to feed them rats.What gives?

first off I would put the snake in its own enclosure-may be stressed by the male-he may have mating on its mind. Another thing is go back to original feeding item or at least scent it with that. Better check all the heating is working properly.
I had a problem with one of my females northern pacifics after hibernation & had to seperate her from the colony for a while.
In the wild the males usually head out further from the den & the females are able to eat more readily.

norcalsnakemaster@comcast.net

Thanks,but when should I start worrying and what about force feeding?

A snake not eating for a month is not "urgent" in my opinion. More info would be needed-is it cb or wc? age? or there folds in the skin? I suggest doing everything I suggested in previos post long before forcing. I know my "picky" Crotalidaes also prefered to eat in complete darkness. If you are using lights as a heat source maybe change to flex watt(heat tape). And if you want to spend some $$$$$, take it to a vet. Force feeding a snake that previosly was eating would be my last resort. I'm sure others have input on that matter also.

norcalsnakemaster@comcast.net

So far, good advice. Just to reiterate:

1) put the snake in its own cage
2) make sure you have the proper temps (I always get a little worried when I hear about lots of snakes crammed into a small room making it somewhat difficult to provide optimal thermal gradients).
3) Give the snake LOTS of quiet (cover part of the cage front if need be or all of it). Try offering a warmed but dead mouse/rat and just leave it overnight. I usually try to get a strike, using frozen/thawed and sometimes rewarmed prey, from my rattlesnakes (a feeding strike, not a defensive strike; big difference) and then just lay the prey down.
4) Make sure the snake doesn't have any health problems; a simple fecal exam from a vet will rule out many problems.
5) One month is no big deal but this is the time of year when native snakes should have a healthy appetite so that does concern me, however, if you deal with the first few comments you should be fine.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>A snake not eating for a month is not "urgent" in my opinion. More info would be needed-is it cb or wc? age? or there folds in the skin? I suggest doing everything I suggested in previos post long before forcing. I know my "picky" Crotalidaes also prefered to eat in complete darkness. If you are using lights as a heat source maybe change to flex watt(heat tape). And if you want to spend some $$$$$, take it to a vet. Force feeding a snake that previosly was eating would be my last resort. I'm sure others have input on that matter also.
>>
>>norcalsnakemaster@comcast.net
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Thanks guys.I appreciate it.Like I said before I just never had this problem before.All my snakes eat fine other than breeding time or occasionally get picky for a couple of weeks.But I thank you again

If she is in with a male she could be gravid.