# King Snake not eating properly



## harker07 (Apr 20, 2014)

Hello i am a new member and have owned my King snake "Sid" since October 2013 i bought him when he was 2 and a half years old from a pet store in town he's a really tame and friendly snake usually I let him roam free on my bed but he would prefer to climb my arms and around my neck last time he shed i measured his skin and it was 4ft 10 inches long. I use to feed him Large mice but for the past couple of months he's been really fussy he wen't 1 and a half months without any food so i decided to try and give him a pinkie and he struck it coiled around it and ate it so i thought oh well his appetites back so i tried feeding him a large again the week after i usually wiggle it right outside the entrance to his hide and then he takes it inside he came out when i was wiggling the large mouse then backed away from it like he wasn't interested odd right? so i thought i will leave him for a day and try feeding him a pinkie, and what do you know he struck the pinkie and swallowed it in like 2 seconds i dont really understand he will eat the pinkies but not the large mice, i fed him a large mouse since October till late January/ early February then he started being fussy i usually feed him on a Sunday on the 20th last Sunday i fed him two pinkies one around noon and then one a couple of hours later but he wont eat large mice i even tried medium and he refused them too. I think his temps are good warm side around 80-82 with a basking spot of around 85 cool side is around 74-75 temps on a night are around 78-79 on the warm side i turn out the heat lamp and leave the heat mat on. He has 2 hides one on the cool side one on the hot side, one hide has damp moss in too he has a large water bowl my vivarium is 4ft-3ft he doesnt seem ill or anything hes very active always out wondering doing laps of the cage crawling underneath the substrate i dont really know what else to do will he always be this way now? is there anything else i can try feeding him? Another thing is he hasn't shed in a while its seemed like forever. Any help would be appreciated, Thankyou!


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## RS Reptile Supplies (Sep 6, 2010)

It sounds to me as though you have a sexually active snake, many of the males will stop feeding over this period, even if you have not reduced temperatures over winter. It will vary how long they stop feeding for, one of mine went nearly 3 months last year without food. Just make sure you are offering food still regularly if they are happy taking a smaller size than stick to that for a bit it won't last for ever

Keep an eye on them and try to keep a track of their weight. If they do really start to lose weight that is when you should start to be concerned but don't be surprised if they do go a good while without eating larger prey items.

As always if you do get really concerned at any point or they become lethargic and completely stop then consider talking to / visiting a vet, but it is not unusual for male snakes to completely stop feeding during mating season.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

i have to feed my king this week... it's been a month and he's been roaming around... spring is in the air... never worry about your king unless it begins to get skinny... they feed and fatten-up and then chill for a while...

the feeding schedule for a king isn't on any calender... it's what you see in the cage.... my king feeds like a pig for a time and then gets fussy... but so long as the body weight is good there are no worries...


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