Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone,

I got my baby kingsnake going on 4 weeks ago.The day I got her was her feeding day, but but she refused to eat. Assumably she is going on 5 weeks with no food.

I have offered her food just about every two to three days I've had her and she wants nothing to do with the pinkies.

They are frozen, then thawed. I've tried feeding at all different times of the day with a different tools to hold the food and tried dipping it in chicken broth. I've tried just leaving it at the opening of her hides and leaving her alone.Ive read just about every website, forum, and video about the subject.

This morning I found her belly up under the substrate matt, obviously assuming she was dead, but once I picked her up she was as active as usual.

She is an amazing snake, always up for being held and very curious.

I don't know what else to do. I haven't slept soundly since I got her worried that I'll wake up and she'll be dead.

If you have any advise I'd really appreciate it. I would bring her to a vet if I thought they'd help me feed her, but I don't know if that's something they'd do.

I'm completely lost and worried.

The belly thing up can be a sign of something serious, that's what I've heard before. You can try putting boiling water into a cup then drop the frozen pinkie in there and let it sit for 30 seconds, put the pinkie in a very small paper bag and put the snake in there and close the lid and check in an hour. Or you could try live pinkies.
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http://southerncaliforniakingsnakes.weebly.com/

Thank you everyone who has offered advice.
Funny thing: the night I posted this she actually ate!

I am so relieved and I guess all it took was for me to share my distress, which is usually how it goes.

I also have no idea how to navigate a forum so idk if this will actually post under my previous message.

Anyways Thank you ^_^

I know you said it fed, but here is some general info and questions:

Is the humidity low where you live this time of year? If so, a moist hide will help. Baby kings often need some moisture (like a small container of damp moss to sit in) to hydrate. Drinking water only doesn't do it for them. Hydrated snakes are more likely to feed. Dehydrated snakes are more likely to hide and look for damp areas.

How are you heating the snake?

Sometimes babies will go off feed until Feb or March, but usually with heat and moisture they feed all winter. Mature snakes usually stop feeding in Winter. If that happens allow the temps to go down in the 55-65 range, darken the cage, and let the snake be except for a check-in here and there (but no food).