Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know all species can go off feed for no logical reason from time to time but I'm getting concerned. I have a 1.5 year old male black pine that has not eaten for about 6 weeks. Normally he is a complete glutton and has eaten regulariy every week since he was a juvenile. He shows no interest in either mice or rats.

The only correlated change to the refusal to eat is that I moved him from a 3 foot Vision cage to a 4ft. Vision. But he still has two hides and the heat source is the same type and temp (perhaps a wider gradient).

Any advice is appreciated. I will return with an update!

Ken

If the snake seems to be holding the same body weight I would not panic just yet. It very well may be it is still getting used to its larger cage. As long as there does not seem to be any saliva or bubbles around its mouth and it's last poops seemed normal I would guess it will snap out of it soon. One thing I would leave for a last resort is much smaller than appropriate food offerings. That can lead to a snake suddenly having a preference that costs you more and is a hassle in general. Another thing you should do though is gently but firmly run your finger down it's belley to make sure you do not feel anything hard in the snakes gut. If you do I think most people would try cranking the heat up a bit until it passes it or possibly a soak in luke warm water, I hope this helps Tom Stevens

Ken,
Do'nt worry just yet. I have a yearling male black pine doing the same exact thing. Even my yearling female has been fussy lately. I have been keeping pines a long time, and it's just the time of year. They eat like pigs from the time they hatch out, and some (like my blacks) eat all through the winter with no let-up, and then around the middle of May, they start to get picky, then a week later they refuse the food they once leapt straight outta the cage for! It can be frustrating, but if the snake has good weight, and is otherwise healthy, you will just have to be patient. He will eat again when he's hungry. You may try a small live rat or try a thawed mouse. The live food seems to do the trick when they go through this, but because I do'nt raise my own rodents, and getting live is a pain in the butt for me, I usually just wait them out. Hope this helps, keep me us posted.
Peace,
Mike Collalto