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Ok I have this California King Snake for a 1 year and 3 months. It usually eats every week. Sometimes one mouse sometimes two in a week. It has never been an aggressive eater compared to my other California kings.
But here is the problem it hasn't eaten in a month. Nothing has change in the cage, beside regular cleanings and cage maintenance.
What do I need to do?
It's around that time they slow down on eating because of winter. Or maybe it's going into a shed.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
She has shedded two times in the last month and she still drinking water, she just not interested in food.
With the 2 frequent sheds... I would think there was something wrong with it. Snakes often shed frequently while sick. Do a full check for external parasites.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
Helmz777@aol.com
www.freewebs.com/mikesnake
This is actually the period of greatest feeding frenzy just prior to hibernation - late summer & early fall.
Most lowland snakes will feed and be active well into October, even here in Washington. (I know for a fact that local Garters don't hibernate until at least the 2nd week of October.) Some stay active well into November. I've heard local frogs croak in January & February. I live north of the 45th parallel!!!
Temperatures, not seasons, determine hibernation routines. In southern regions of their ranges, many reptiles don't hibernate.
Likely, another factor is the cause. My guess is that once the snake begines feeding again, it will feed lively for many more weeks before it slows down for winter.
Situation normal. Welcome to the real world. I wondered the same thing when it happened to me - the first few times. Then I gained greater experience and understood.
My Cal King eats very aggresively - most of the time. Every now & then, he refuses food, usually adult mice. (Not as likely wiht smaller prey.) I try again soon, like the next day, no change. If I wait for longer than 4 days, he eats again every time.
Like you & I, sometime they just are NOT hungry! Oh well. Also keep in mind that once a snake decides to not eat a prey item, for any reason, that decision will be consistent. From that point on, they may even be intimidated by the prey. (There may even be times when they stop feeding on a certain color, and never take that color again! Not uncommon. Mine did that with black mice, then later, switched to stop taking white mice!)
If your snake does not want to eat, get the mouse out and stop trying to feed. Animal behavior does not work on a calendar cycle. Wait the appropriate time and it will feed eventually.
(Be prepared for a drop-off from feeding the first year that males become able to breed. This may occur briefly every spring; priorities change for males during breeding season and they are genetecially programmed.)
She finally ate. first feeding in 32 days.
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