# European Rat Snake/Leopard Snake (Zamenis Situla)



## Matherial

I've been collecting different species of snakes for a couple of years now, the last of which is the European rat snake. He's still very young and I've been told he was a good eater, but no matter what i try i just can't get him to eat anything. 

I've been weighing him weekly to make sure he isn't losing weight, and he is always at 17g. His humidity is typically around 40-50%, the temps are on the cooler side (around 23 cool side and around 26 warm side) as I've read they prefer cooler temperatures. 

I use orchid bark substrate and he has plenty of small hides in a suitably sized enclosure. I have the lights on 12 hours and then off 12 hours. He just won't eat or show any feeding response whatsoever

Does anyone have any experience with this species? I'm getting pretty worried about him. Please let me know if i'm going wrong with my husbandry


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## Helvetica

I've owned my European rat snake for a couple of years now. 
I keep her at 28-29 hot side down to 22 cool during 8 months of the year but I brumate over winter. 
I would suggest that given the time of year that may be the current issue. He/she is looking to sleep through the winter. 

In my experience this species is really timid. I basically added more and more hides and cover to the setup and now see her out and about most days. But even with plenty of hides when I first got her it could be easily more than a week between appearances. 

When I first fed her she initially was a reluctant feeder, and when she started feeding would grab the mouse and drag it back into a hide to eat out of sight. She was really nervous and on one occasion when I moved around the room too much she dropped it and wouldn't eat for a week. 

I would suggest if you aren't able to provide the 5-10 degrees for brumation you add as much clutter to your setup as possible, top up the water and leave him/her alone for at least a week.
After that take your mouse and leave it somewhere in the box overnight for you snake. 

I'm sure you know, but this is not a species that thrives with constant attention.










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## Helvetica

Her water bowl is even hidden behind a group of plants and covered in a couple of pieces of slate so she will use it regularly. . The more clutter the better for this species.









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## Helvetica

Sorry for the spam but another thought occurred to me. Weekly weighing is probably excessive at this point and the stress will make it less likely he will eat.

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## ian14

Matherial said:


> I've been collecting different species of snakes for a couple of years now, the last of which is the European rat snake. He's still very young and I've been told he was a good eater, but no matter what i try i just can't get him to eat anything.
> 
> I've been weighing him weekly to make sure he isn't losing weight, and he is always at 17g. His humidity is typically around 40-50%, the temps are on the cooler side (around 23 cool side and around 26 warm side) as I've read they prefer cooler temperatures.
> 
> I use orchid bark substrate and he has plenty of small hides in a suitably sized enclosure. I have the lights on 12 hours and then off 12 hours. He just won't eat or show any feeding response whatsoever
> 
> Does anyone have any experience with this species? I'm getting pretty worried about him. Please let me know if i'm going wrong with my husbandry


26 is not warm enough. 
More importantly, this is a temperate species that wants to brumate. Provide the proper care it needs by brumating, and in the spring it will feed like a machine.


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## Matherial

Forgot I never replied to this.

Yep, brumation was the solution. 5 weeks brumating between 10-15 degrees Celsius, and keeping him in a small container that was just about his length, with blacked out plastic because he's shy.

He's one of my best eaters now!


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## Thrasops

Brumation is almost always the answer with _Zamenis_.


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