Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 4 month old Gopher snake has refused to eat for about 4 1/2 weeks now and she is spending most of her time burrowed under the substrate in the cool end of the cage. I've picked her up to check her out and she appears healthy,alert and lively once I pick her up. She had a perfect shed 2 weeks ago.

Could she be trying to hibernate? I keep the warm end between about 75 and 80 degrees and the cool end is around 65. I didn't realize they would try to hibernate if they were in a heated cage but that appears to be what she is doing.

Good question- I'm anxious to hear what the pros here have to say. too. I've got a similar situation here with my black pine... prefers the cooler side of the enclosure, stays hidden and doesn't move much.

Almost every time I take her out to handle her (which is often- about 2-3x a day), she heads straight for the water bowl and drinks a TON, but then back into hiding on the cool side. Maybe I'm hadling her too much?

Feeding is also interesting- never has a problem eating, but regurgitates about 50% of the time for the past 4-5 feedings. Feeding her 1 fuzzie a week.

Thanks,
//Todd

Yeah hopefully someone can give us some tips. Mine was never a voracious eater like all of my other herps are. She would usually wait a few hours or even half a day, but now she wont eat at all. I've tried sticking her in a small enclosure for a day with a fuzzy but she wouldn't touch it.

I would have said that snakes seem to take cues from the lessening daylite hours and begin to wind down. ( I have seen it in my animals over the years and others) But recently a very knowledgable feild herper, FR on the kingsnake forum puts forth a very different view of things. So if you want to get totally confused LOL check out the recent threads. Good luck.

yeah i would say that's definitely too much handling-i mean you surely have to give her time to digest meals,even small prey items(good move for pituophis) like the ones you're offering.i would say refrain from handling for 2 whole days after each feed.and even then 2-3 times a day is sort of a lot.

That's actually the only time we don't handle her- and it's usually 48-72 hours because of her history with regurgitation...

But after that, she gets held a lot.

Thanks for the input!

//Todd

"Feeding is also interesting- never has a problem eating, but regurgitates about 50% of the time for the past 4-5 feedings. Feeding her 1 fuzzie a week. "

If your snake is being fed once a week despite it puking, please take this to heart: This snake does not need to be fed again for at least 10 days. When your snake pukes, you have got to give it time to recuperate. If this is not done, there is a huge chance that your snake will not make it. Pits are real bad about this.

Just wanted to share that. Take care!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

Yeah- that's what I've been doing on the advice of another breeder. I should have clarified that if she doesn't regurg, I feed her 7 days later, otherwise I've been waiting 10-14 days between feedings...

Thanks!
//Todd

That is good to hear!

Take care!

Billy
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Genesis 1:1

That is very possible that your snake is wanting to hibernate. I have not had a snake that young want to hibernate, but that is very possible and perhaps some more experienced breeders here could chime in.

Yeah, my 2 year old albino southern pine was doing the same thing recently. He went off feed so after a suggestion from the breeder I got him from, I put the pine snake in my coldest closet and will keep him there for a month or so. Even if it does not get to be as cold say in the 50's or low 60's, the act of doing so may do just as good. I did this with my largest pine for a few years as well, and she came out eating with gusto.

Keep us posted!
Billy

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Genesis 1:1

I raise fl pines and black pines and all stop in fall and don't eat a thing till spring every year. If your snake is not loosing weight dont't sweat!