# Snake Feeding Tips



## tigger79

well i thought i would update the feeding tips thread and post it here for new people to see, i have consolidated all the posts and added tips i missed so 

When your snake stops feeding this is what you should do - 

So to Start with the first and most important thing to do is to Relax and stop worrying.

When your snake stops eating you need to take into account the following,

1. Is your Snake going into Shed
2. Has your snake been moved recently
3. Are your Temps correct
4. Is the Husbandry correct for you snake (size of viv, hides, greenary)
5. Is it winter time or breeding season
6. Is your snake showing any signs of illness/stress, Just to enhance one of the reasons that your snake will stop feeding is because of stress, but all of the reasons i mentioned are factors that cause stress,


So after asking yourself all of these questions, this is what you do, 

1. Weigh you snake and monitor for any weight loss, 
2. Change the time period that you offer, do not offer every day or every couple of days, 
3. Reduce food size that is offered 

Ok so now we have the basics covered, when offering there are a few things that you can do to intice your snake to take the food, it does not matter which order you try these methods in but try them all over a period of time before going on to the next step below.

1. Warm up the food (hair dryer, hot water, etc)
2. Brain the food (slit head)
3. Leave food in viv, cover up and leave for 24hrs without looking, 
4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20 minute drive. this method is like a roller coaster effect, you place the snake into a tub and put tub on seat of car, the movement of the car gently rocks the snake around and disturbs gut flora in its stomach and hopefully causes the snake to feed, 
5. Scenting food (with other foods, suppliments)
6. Placing on a jacket (place skin of a chick over food)
7. Offer different food types (gerbils, rats, multis, chicks etc)
8. Rub the defrosted food with some of the bedding to give it a fresh smell and you could also place some of the bedding inside the viv to excite the snake 10 or 15 minutes prior to feeding.
9. Try pre-killed food, to use this method you have to kill the rodent and place n viv whilst it is still twitching.
10. Put them into a pillow case with the food.

Another tip i was given and have started to use is, as we know Oct - Apr is winter them breeding season, if during this period you snakes refuses and is not in shed, 

dont panic and instead of offering as usual offer on a monthly basis, 

if after 2-3 months they still refusing, just stop offering until april, 

all you have to do is weigh once or twice a month and keep an eye for any serious loss, if it a few grams here and there its nothing to worry about, what you are looking for is larger amounts (100g+)

Once the season is over down size you snakes home (if in 3ft move into a 2ft), place in a food item smaller then they usually take and leave, once taken you can slowly build them back upto the original size food, they may not start taking straight away, therefore try using the basic methods (brainin, death wiggle,warming etc etc)

Ok once all these methods have been tried, and you snake is still not eating then it may be time for a visit to the vets to give you snake the once over (this may only be necessary if it shows signs of illness or has stopped eating from one of the obvious reasons.

There are 3 other methods you can use to try to gety your snake to feed, but these are only to be done as last resorts and usually after being advised to from a vet.

1. Live food
2. Assist feeding
3. Force feeding

Of these methods live food would be the prefered and less stressful method, 

As for the legallity of this method, this is how it stands,

Live feeding is Legal, but only as a last resort before assist/force feeding, But if frowned upon by AR and RSPCA,(these will try to prosecute you)

But you are at a bit of a dilema, as they will try to prosecute for 2 reasons, 

1. cruelty to live rodent - when feeding live
2. cruelty to snake - if left to starve and die

therefore if you are going to feed live, you must do it in the privacy of you own home, without an audience and do not go advetising that you are doing it, Also DO NOT leave unattended, and only leave live food in fo 15 - 30 minute period, and remove sooner if you see the food attacking the snake

If this still does not work, then it may mean you have to assist/force feed you snake, but this MUST be at the last resort stage, once you snake hasnt been eating for over 6 - 12 months, and would be advisable to get some one who knows what they are doing to assist you, as it can be very daunting for you to do it, But i must warn you this will be very stressful for the snake as well.

I will just state these are tried and tested methods of various members and keepers,


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## Lynne

can i say that if you take it for a run in the car, put it in the boot, carefully jammed in so it cant slide around. brilliant tips by the way.


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## ian14

Just one point to clear up, which is the issue of live feeding.
I have discussed this with the RSPCA, and they would not prosecute, or try to, if you were feeding live providing it was done in a controlled manner and done to prevent the snake from starving. The only offence is causing suffering to an animal. Their veiw is that as long as this is done as a last resort, and all other methods have been tried first, then this is not an issue.


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## Chelle230

brilliant thread, will try some of the tips, my adult corn not eaten for about 5/6 weeks now


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## markandwend

ian14 said:


> Just one point to clear up, which is the issue of live feeding.
> I have discussed this with the RSPCA, and they would not prosecute, or try to, if you were feeding live providing it was done in a controlled manner and done to prevent the snake from starving. The only offence is causing suffering to an animal. Their veiw is that as long as this is done as a last resort, and all other methods have been tried first, then this is not an issue.


Well theres nothing the muppets can do cos its not against the law to live feed!!!


tigger79, very good and very informative piece you wrote there.


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## tigger79

ian14 said:


> Just one point to clear up, which is the issue of live feeding.
> I have discussed this with the RSPCA, and they would not prosecute, or try to, if you were feeding live providing it was done in a controlled manner and done to prevent the snake from starving. The only offence is causing suffering to an animal. Their veiw is that as long as this is done as a last resort, and all other methods have been tried first, then this is not an issue.


Not to get into arguements but when you approach them with a specific question like that, they are going to give out statements that sound good, but behind the scenes, even if you are doing it as a last resort, they have hidden agendas, hence why i state it is legal but they frown upon it.


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## tigger79

butterfly said:


> can i say that if you take it for a run in the car, put it in the boot, carefully jammed in so it cant slide around. brilliant tips by the way.


doesnt matter where you put the box, mine either go on the front seat or in the back passenger and are strapped in using the seat belt.


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## Tan

Very informative and found out a few things I didn't know too


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## dskuse

my wife has just brought a crimson cornsnake on saturday and it does'nt seem to want to eat and my wife will not contemplate forse feeding as the snake is only a baby i was just wondering if to monitor the snake as you suggested and then try feeding it in another couple of days.
Any suggestions would be most helpful


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## alfies mum

*burm not feeding*

Hi Alfie is 12 weeks old and we got him 2 weeks ago and it's 3 weeks since he fed the breeder said he had eaten, he is very lively and sociable. My son reckons he will have to force feed if he doesnt eat soon but I would hate to stress the little guy out in any way, How long should I leave him, my son works with reptiles so he has to force feed a lot of snakes but I think he will be ok for a bit .

Cheers


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## tigger79

alfies mum said:


> Hi Alfie is 12 weeks old and we got him 2 weeks ago and it's 3 weeks since he fed the breeder said he had eaten, he is very lively and sociable. My son reckons he will have to force feed if he doesnt eat soon but I would hate to stress the little guy out in any way, How long should I leave him, my son works with reptiles so he has to force feed a lot of snakes but I think he will be ok for a bit .
> 
> Cheers


firstly what type of snake is alfie, 3 weeks is nothing for a snake not to feed, 

then check that all the temps and husbandry are correct, that the snake isnt in shed, then

i would advise to leave the snake alone for a week, only go into the viv to change water every couple of days, then offer a food item, if the snake doesnt feed leave food over night and remove if he doesnt eat, if he doesnt eat try again a week later, if he still doesnt eat then try the tips stated above, 

force/assist feeding should be done as a last resort and this is when the snake hasnt eaten for a period of time and is drasticly losing weight,


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## alfies mum

*thanks*

Thank you for all your tips on feeding . Alfie is still not interesterd on foor we bought him a chick and rubbed the fuzzy in it and tried to assist feed him, we put the fuzzy into his mouth and he would not take it, his temp are ok his is very lively his skin is ok but not interested at all. we will take him to the vets next week if it continiues.


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## alfies mum

Yes Alfie is a burmese python, we have left him alone and not handled him , we spoke to friend who has a reptile shop in wigan and he reckons Alfie is only about 4 weeks old, so we will continue just leaving food for him we are wondering if the little fella has ever eaten since birth even though the breeder told us he had , but with 15 hatchlings I am sure he may no have fed.


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## pythonlover

*New forum*

Excellent post.
http://www.reptilekeepersforum.com/


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## Talk To The Animals

With some tiny snakes, especially our teeny tiny house snake, we've been cutting pinkies into quarters or thirds before defrosting them, otherwise they are too big for him to manage, and a mouse tail doesn't seem to have very much nutrition in it.


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## kismetbeardie

Hi there,

Thanks so much for the above thread i used some of your tips where my royal was concerned and it worked!!! im so happy as i was begining to worry about her, I have adjusted her temps and raised hummidty a bit, left her alone and didnt fuss over her for about 10 days offered her a smaller feed than usual with a nice big cut in its head and TAR DAR she chowed down!!

Thanks again im very grateful.


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## kelboy

I'd just like to add. When my snakes stopped eating after a mite infestation, I used reptiboost in their water, obviously this isn't a substitute for food, but it contains some nutrients that they wouldn't otherwise have had any access to, and I also feel it whet their appetite a bit, as next feeding attempt, they both ate greedily (smaller mice than usual). But great thread, I always enjoy reading "what if" information. It just makes it that bit easier when you encounter problems.


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## Footie

I have a royal that had to be assist fed, on advice of the vet. She was assist fed twice. On the 3rd occassion she stike fed and has had 4 successful strike feeds since. :2thumb:She is approx a foot long and 3 months old. I bathe her every other day, except days after feeding. I handle her regularly, again except after feeding. My problem is, now I am getting food in her, nothing is coming out the other end. She has had about 7 fluffs now. She had a small movement during an assist shed 2 weeks ago, and I found a small wee capsule yesterday.
Any ideas?


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## Gizmo24

When i was at college, (was like 12 years ago) one of their snakes hadn't eaten for weeks and using suitable glove and long tweezer implement we were taught to wind the snake up slightly by waving a pinky in front of it till it attacked it and ate it. Then it ate fine after that.
Don't know if this is what u r suppose to do, but that was what we were shown at the time.


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## tigger79

Footie said:


> I have a royal that had to be assist fed, on advice of the vet. She was assist fed twice. On the 3rd occassion she stike fed and has had 4 successful strike feeds since. :2thumb:She is approx a foot long and 3 months old. I bathe her every other day, except days after feeding. I handle her regularly, again except after feeding. My problem is, now I am getting food in her, nothing is coming out the other end. She has had about 7 fluffs now. She had a small movement during an assist shed 2 weeks ago, and I found a small wee capsule yesterday.
> Any ideas?


 
can i just ask how often you are feeding the snake, also if you are only feeding small meals, the snake will absorb the majority of it and there will be no waste to come out the other end, 

another thing, there is no need to bath snake every other day, and if feeding has been an issue you shouldnt really handle until feeding has gone back to a proper routine and the snake is happy.





Gizmo24 said:


> When i was at college, (was like 12 years ago) one of their snakes hadn't eaten for weeks and using suitable glove and long tweezer implement we were taught to wind the snake up slightly by waving a pinky in front of it till it attacked it and ate it. Then it ate fine after that.
> Don't know if this is what u r suppose to do, but that was what we were shown at the time.


This is NOT the way to do it, yes wiggle the food in front of the snake, if no reaction within a few seconds then just place food in fornt of hide and leave for 24 hours, if not taken dispose of it, leave for 5-10 days (depending on age of snake), then try again.


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## Footie

tigger79 said:


> can i just ask how often you are feeding the snake, also if you are only feeding small meals, the snake will absorb the majority of it and there will be no waste to come out the other end,
> 
> another thing, there is no need to bath snake every other day, and if feeding has been an issue you shouldnt really handle until feeding has gone back to a proper routine and the snake is happy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey Tigger,
> 
> When I got Akasha she was very underweight, took her the vets and her suggested an assist feed. I found a very good reptile shop who helped me with this and after 2 assist feeds she strikes every time:2thumb:
> The same reptile shop has advised me that she needs small adult mice now, as she is eating every five days and last time took 2 fluffs. So this feed will be interesting lol.
> Me and my brother, who is only ten, are new to reptiles, so we are learning.
> We bathe the beardies and baby iggy every other day, as we feel that this helps with bonding. Our male beardie can be a bit moody and enjoys his bath lol. Our baby iggy needs taming, so we use the baths for bonding and exercise, before we handle her. Our female beardie has a tail nip when we got her that went quite bad, another trip to the vets(several) and she gets bathed everyday because of the constricted shed she had.
> Akasha, my royal eats regularly now, and has been for a few weeks, so I handle her erveryday, except for 24-48 hours after she had dinner:lol2:
> Hope we are doing everything right as we spent and spend hours researching:blush:


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## shiprakaul

This is really superb tips. Thanks for sharing.


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## shonny

really usefull tips mate ta..my corn has reguretated his mouse twice now..he did it a few months ago but then carryed on feeding as normal...shud i worry? x


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## fuzzzzbuzzzz

Very usefull, thankyou


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## sheeny baby

can you please help we have an albino royal who is an 08 we have had him about 2 months and has not eaten a thing in all the time we have had him i know the morph royals can be fussy eaters and have tried most of your tips (hamster bedding, warm water, leaving food over night, temps and humidity, smaller tub,) but i was wandering if i need to do anything different because he is a morph? cheers and by the way excellant thread :2thumb:


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## tigger79

it doesnt really matter if a royal is a morph or not, the only difference is that most morphs are cb as you rarely find wc morphs, 

an 08 male will now be sexually mature, therefore they will more thasn likely follow the typical feeding pattern and stop feeding, but as breeding season is over i would think he should start feeding soon, 

check to see wht the original person was feeding the snake, offer smaller sized food, on a monthly basis, the snake will feed when its ready to, just monitor the weight and only handle to weigh and clean out if needed, 

once the snake has started to feed, you can then start to handle, but only if this doesnt affect its feeding, some of my royals only get handled if i need to as they dont like regular handling and stop feeding if i handle too much.

hopoe this helps.


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## skimsa

*what i fed my snakes*

edit: Forum rape


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## kaleluk31

*help!!*



tigger79 said:


> well i thought i would update the feeding tips thread and post it here for new people to see, i have consolidated all the posts and added tips i missed so
> 
> When your snake stops feeding this is what you should do -
> 
> So to Start with the first and most important thing to do is to Relax and stop worrying.
> 
> When your snake stops eating you need to take into account the following,
> 
> 1. Is your Snake going into Shed
> 2. Has your snake been moved recently
> 3. Are your Temps correct
> 4. Is the Husbandry correct for you snake (size of viv, hides, greenary)
> 5. Is it winter time or breeding season
> 6. Is your snake showing any signs of illness/stress, Just to enhance one of the reasons that your snake will stop feeding is because of stress, but all of the reasons i mentioned are factors that cause stress,
> 
> 
> So after asking yourself all of these questions, this is what you do,
> 
> 1. Weigh you snake and monitor for any weight loss,
> 2. Change the time period that you offer, do not offer every day or every couple of days,
> 3. Reduce food size that is offered
> 
> Ok so now we have the basics covered, when offering there are a few things that you can do to intice your snake to take the food, it does not matter which order you try these methods in but try them all over a period of time before going on to the next step below.
> 
> 1. Warm up the food (hair dryer, hot water, etc)
> 2. Brain the food (slit head)
> 3. Leave food in viv, cover up and leave for 24hrs without looking,
> 4. Place snake into a tub and take it for a 15- 20 minute drive. this method is like a roller coaster effect, you place the snake into a tub and put tub on seat of car, the movement of the car gently rocks the snake around and disturbs gut flora in its stomach and hopefully causes the snake to feed,
> 5. Scenting food (with other foods, suppliments)
> 6. Placing on a jacket (place skin of a chick over food)
> 7. Offer different food types (gerbils, rats, multis, chicks etc)
> 8. Rub the defrosted food with some of the bedding to give it a fresh smell and you could also place some of the bedding inside the viv to excite the snake 10 or 15 minutes prior to feeding.
> 9. Try pre-killed food, to use this method you have to kill the rodent and place n viv whilst it is still twitching.
> 10. Put them into a pillow case with the food.
> 
> Another tip i was given and have started to use is, as we know Oct - Apr is winter them breeding season, if during this period you snakes refuses and is not in shed,
> 
> dont panic and instead of offering as usual offer on a monthly basis,
> 
> if after 2-3 months they still refusing, just stop offering until april,
> 
> all you have to do is weigh once or twice a month and keep an eye for any serious loss, if it a few grams here and there its nothing to worry about, what you are looking for is larger amounts (100g+)
> 
> Once the season is over down size you snakes home (if in 3ft move into a 2ft), place in a food item smaller then they usually take and leave, once taken you can slowly build them back upto the original size food, they may not start taking straight away, therefore try using the basic methods (brainin, death wiggle,warming etc etc)
> 
> Ok once all these methods have been tried, and you snake is still not eating then it may be time for a visit to the vets to give you snake the once over (this may only be necessary if it shows signs of illness or has stopped eating from one of the obvious reasons.
> 
> There are 3 other methods you can use to try to gety your snake to feed, but these are only to be done as last resorts and usually after being advised to from a vet.
> 
> 1. Live food
> 2. Assist feeding
> 3. Force feeding
> 
> Of these methods live food would be the prefered and less stressful method,
> 
> As for the legallity of this method, this is how it stands,
> 
> Live feeding is Legal, but only as a last resort before assist/force feeding, But if frowned upon by AR and RSPCA,(these will try to prosecute you)
> 
> But you are at a bit of a dilema, as they will try to prosecute for 2 reasons,
> 
> 1. cruelty to live rodent - when feeding live
> 2. cruelty to snake - if left to starve and die
> 
> therefore if you are going to feed live, you must do it in the privacy of you own home, without an audience and do not go advetising that you are doing it, Also DO NOT leave unattended, and only leave live food in fo 15 - 30 minute period, and remove sooner if you see the food attacking the snake
> 
> If this still does not work, then it may mean you have to assist/force feed you snake, but this MUST be at the last resort stage, once you snake hasnt been eating for over 6 - 12 months, and would be advisable to get some one who knows what they are doing to assist you, as it can be very daunting for you to do it, But i must warn you this will be very stressful for the snake as well.
> 
> I will just state these are tried and tested methods of various members and keepers,


1. Is your Snake going into Shed* (dont think so)*
2. Has your snake been moved recently*(yes i just got it)*
3. Are your Temps correct* ( i believe so 80f)*
4. Is the Husbandry correct for you snake (size of viv, hides, greenary)* (i have 2 hides for hot and cold side, a water bowel, a heat lamp and heat matt)*
5. Is it winter time or breeding season *(its September)*
6. Is your snake showing any signs of illness/stress, Just to enhance one of the reasons that your snake will stop feeding is because of stress, but all of the reasons i mentioned are factors that cause stress,*(it spends most of its time balled up in the hides, it backed off when i tried to feed it)

I tried to feed it in a rub box because im told if i fed it in the viv it would associate my hand going in with food time and might bite me.
i cant keep the thawed mouse warm long enough, within 1 min or so of warming it, its going to go cold anyhow
*


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## tigger79

Can i just ask what you problem is, it appears you have given the answers already, you have only just got the snake therefore you need to allow it time to settle also you should wait at least 7-10 days before offering a feed.

as for warming the mouse, i use a pot of hot water, so that i can keep warming the head of the food item.


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## kaleluk31

tigger79 said:


> Can i just ask what you problem is.


you sound angry or offended, im sorry if this is the case because it is not my intention.

4 weeks ago i knew nothing about keeping snakes, at the moment im just "feeling my way around", to understand and find what is best for my snake and it is good to hear different opinions or options to solving what is unknown to me.

I asked in another thread...
do i have the layout of my viv wrong?
ive noticed that during the day on the left side there is a hide and a Basking heat bulb, under the hide is aheat mat covered in 3 layers of news paper.

on the right side there is a hide but no heat.
a water bowel, with water changed daily.

during the day while the heat light bulb is on it never goes anywhere near that hide, it sleeps on the cold side with no heat.

at night i switch the heat bulb off but the heat mat is on 24/7, at night it goes to sleep on that left side.

is the bulb to bright?
even when my thermometer reads 70-80f, could it be going to hot on the surface of the hide which is a exo terra hide?


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## BumNum

Excellent tips, only thing I could add, is to leave the rodents to defrost in your snake room so the snake can smell them all day.


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## tigger79

kaleluk31 said:


> you sound angry or offended, im sorry if this is the case because it is not my intention.
> 
> 4 weeks ago i knew nothing about keeping snakes, at the moment im just "feeling my way around", to understand and find what is best for my snake and it is good to hear different opinions or options to solving what is unknown to me.
> 
> I asked in another thread...
> do i have the layout of my viv wrong?
> ive noticed that during the day on the left side there is a hide and a Basking heat bulb, under the hide is aheat mat covered in 3 layers of news paper.
> 
> on the right side there is a hide but no heat.
> a water bowel, with water changed daily.
> 
> during the day while the heat light bulb is on it never goes anywhere near that hide, it sleeps on the cold side with no heat.
> 
> at night i switch the heat bulb off but the heat mat is on 24/7, at night it goes to sleep on that left side.
> 
> is the bulb to bright?
> even when my thermometer reads 70-80f, could it be going to hot on the surface of the hide which is a exo terra hide?


I didnt mean to sound angry or offended, from reading you post it wasnt cleart what the problem was, if you can answer the following we can offere the best advice possible.

what type of snake is it
how big is the snake
what age is it
how big is the viv
what are the temps both hot and cold
how long exactly have you had the snake
what feeding have you tried (size, type, how you offered)


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## kaleluk31

tigger79 said:


> what type of snake is it
> how big is the snake
> what age is it
> how big is the viv
> what are the temps both hot and cold
> how long exactly have you had the snake
> what feeding have you tried (size, type, how you offered)


Royal/ball python
about 2ft
2 years old
3ft x 15 x 18 high

dont know what the temp is cold yet but hot side is about 80.2f

how long erm almost 3 days, (i know about the stress thing) im just noticing a pattern on its sleeping behaviour that it prefers the colder end during the day and when the bulbs off but the heat mat is on 24 on the same side of the bulb it goes there.

i was wondering if the heat of the heat bulb on the actual hide of the hot side was getting to hot, cos i touched it and it was REal hot but i think that's cos its a exo terra hide and they are kinda plastic/resin

on the cold side the hide is a 15 inch cork hide

i baught this from a guy who already owns boa`s and such , he just dint want a royal cos he thought it was to small he said


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## helzwash

thanks for the tips.

i got mine on saturday and he's been sleeping in both hides, occasionally venturing out but mainly hides. bless, still settling down.

he is due a feed tomorrow, should i wait or should i try keep his routine up? the shop i bought him from (leaping lizards in york - amazing shop with brilliant helpful owners) said he was last fed last tuesday and so needs a feed tomorrow. but your advice says to wait?

should i try and see what he does (ie leave it over night) and if he doesn't eat it, leave it a week?


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## helzwash

ps
he's about a year old, between 2-3ft, in a 3ft viv x18 x18 and is a honduran milksnake.

temp is 82f at the hot end. (not measure cold end)


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## tigger79

helzwash said:


> thanks for the tips.
> 
> i got mine on saturday and he's been sleeping in both hides, occasionally venturing out but mainly hides. bless, still settling down.
> 
> he is due a feed tomorrow, should i wait or should i try keep his routine up? the shop i bought him from (leaping lizards in york - amazing shop with brilliant helpful owners) said he was last fed last tuesday and so needs a feed tomorrow. but your advice says to wait?
> 
> should i try and see what he does (ie leave it over night) and if he doesn't eat it, leave it a week?


Its recommended to leave for 7-10 days, its not going to harm the snake if they miss a week, in the wild they can go from days to week to months without food, it all depends on what is available to them when they hunt, at this time of year food starts to become scarce.

i find colubrids (corns,milks,kings) are not as fussy when it comes to moving and feeding, than boas n royals, 

my advice would be to wait 7-10 days then offer a feed


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## kaleluk31

helzwash said:


> thanks for the tips.
> 
> i got mine on saturday and he's been sleeping in both hides, occasionally venturing out but mainly hides. bless, still settling down.
> 
> he is due a feed tomorrow, should i wait or should i try keep his routine up? the shop i bought him from (leaping lizards in york - amazing shop with brilliant helpful owners) said he was last fed last tuesday and so needs a feed tomorrow. but your advice says to wait?
> 
> should i try and see what he does (ie leave it over night) and if he doesn't eat it, leave it a week?


that's the good advice im getting is if he dont eat, leave him alone for a week and try again


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## tigger79

kaleluk31 said:


> Royal/ball python
> about 2ft
> 2 years old
> 3ft x 15 x 18 high
> 
> dont know what the temp is cold yet but hot side is about 80.2f - If this is hot end temp its too low, royals hot end temp should be 88-90F, the cold temps should be around 80F
> 
> how long erm almost 3 days, (i know about the stress thing) im just noticing a pattern on its sleeping behaviour that it prefers the colder end during the day and when the bulbs off but the heat mat is on 24 on the same side of the bulb it goes there.
> 
> i was wondering if the heat of the heat bulb on the actual hide of the hot side was getting to hot, cos i touched it and it was REal hot but i think that's cos its a exo terra hide and they are kinda plastic/resin - is the heat bulb attatched to a dimming thermostat and is the heat mat connected to a temperature/mat thermostat,
> 
> Also what are you using to measure the temps
> on the cold side the hide is a 15 inch cork hide
> 
> i baught this from a guy who already owns boa`s and such , he just dint want a royal cos he thought it was to small he said


Can you answer the points above, also what sex is the royal, 

Need to cover all bases to give correwct advice


----------



## kaleluk31

tigger79 said:


> Can you answer the points above, also what sex is the royal,
> 
> Need to cover all bases to give correct advice


its male royal python

there not attached to any thermostat at yet i waiting for delivery.

when the delivery comes it will be a microclimate B1 dimming thermostat for the hot end 

and for the slightly colder end it will be a habistat temperature thermostat 

but since my last post ive been thinking.

should i get a ceramic lamp on the hot end and use my heat mat on the colder end? and control them as i mentioned? and leave them both on 24/7??

i want a light to help aid day and night simulation what is the dimmest light bulb that will give just enough light but not bright cos ive just read royal pythons wont bask in direct light that's why im changing from a heat light bulb.
will a energy saving bulb go in my heat bulb fitting/holder? or is it a different fitting/holder?
basically for light i need something that emits low light but enough to run though the day


----------



## tigger79

lights for royals are not a necessity, in the wild they will spend their time in burrows, coming out to feed, and then going back into a warm burrow to allow food to digest, if you want to use a bulb, get a ceramic heat bulb, energy saving bulbs can be used, but remember what ever bulb you use, make sure its guarded.

its best to have all the heating at one end, unless the cold end temps are too low, if this is the case, move the heat mat closer to the cold end, a small distance at a time until you get the correct temp ranges, if the temps arent correct this can be a cause for refusal of food

as the snake is a male, and its now coming into the winter/breeding season you will find he will slow down when feeding, this is natural and theres no need to stress, 

with my royal - i start to change feeding patterns at this time of year, if they refuse a meal i go to 3-4 weekly offerings, if they refuse 2 feeds in a row, ill leave them until january unless they seem active and are actively hunting.

So at this stage my advice would be, get the stats set up, ensure you have the correct temp ranges, once this is down leave the snake alone (only change water every couple of days) and after a week offer food, if he refuses, leave another week, look to see if he is actively hunting, if not wait a little longer, if he is hunting then offer food, 

i find best time to offer is between 8-10pm

Hope this helps,if u have any other questions feel free to drop me a pm


----------



## helzwash

thanks for the advice. all his temps and his set up is fine. he's just hiding (aww).

will try him on saturday then if he refuses i'll wait a week like the advice above.

thank you for responding so quickly.


----------



## kaleluk31

helzwash said:


> thanks for the advice. all his temps and his set up is fine. he's just hiding (aww).
> 
> will try him on saturday then if he refuses i'll wait a week like the advice above.
> 
> thank you for responding so quickly.


im in the same situation with my royal python, just hiding at the moment dont wanna come out lol


----------



## helzwash

he's changed hides and drank so he's obviously okay. looking forward to handling but obviously waiting till he's fed at ;east once and then wait a further 3 days to not cause him damage!

hope yours comes out soon!


----------



## Paulios

i have had my royals rub covered for about 5 days now since i last offered him food to try and minimise stress from seeing people walking past and other snakes etc, he's a hatchling and i offered him a rat pup but would something smaller be worth a try, maybe a pinky or something? i have some of my friends gerbil bedding to scent the food with, i'll pub some bedding in there before feeding as well as you mentioned. How long should i leave between trying to feed again?


----------



## helzwash

i decided in the end to try and feed mine tonight and he didn't need asking twice! he was straight on it! yay. thanks rfuk.


----------



## miss_mystra

great tips here...thank you in advance 

feeding my hatchling corn for the first time tonight, i have left him a good week to settle in and he bombs around his faun quite happily and watches me read at night lol (seriously he just stares in the same position trying to suss everything out for half an hour like a tiny statue! then once he feels secure he goes for a whizz round lol)

He is a non-feeder according to the people i got him from, but the same size as his siblings. He was being kept in a large viv with 2 of his remaining siblings with a couple of large hides so i think maybe he was stressed...i couldn't resist him and want to give him the best chance  he's very sweet but just so tiny, so have bought the smallest pinkies my local shop could dig out for me.

Just going to try and feed him the 'normal' way tonight.. but if it doesn't work will leave the pinkie in with him over night.

If this doesn't work.. how long should i leave it before i try again? A couple of days?

Temp at the hot end is around 28ºc and 23ºc at the cold end with more hides in the faun than you can shake a rattling tail at! He seems happy enough now, can't wait to handle him tonight, but will keep it minimal as i want to get him eating more than anything so don't want to over do things lol


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## tigger79

if under a year old its recommended to offer every 5-7 days


----------



## kaleluk31

tigger79 said:


> if under a year old its recommended to offer every 5-7 days


how old would a corn snake have to be to be ready for the wooden vivarium for the rest of its life?


----------



## miss_mystra

tigger79 said:


> if under a year old its recommended to offer every 5-7 days



thanks

unfortunately he just wasn't interested in the food at all last night... more interested in climbing all over me instead.. but i left a pinkie in with him in his small feeding Rub overnight... had a peek he hasn't touched it 

when trying to feed him last night the only thing that slightly altered his wigglyness was braining the pinkie... he seemed more focused then... but just not on the actual pinkie... but he seemed to suddenly slow down and flick his tongue a little more... but he hasn't touched it and i'll have to throw it out later when i get back in.... i'm trying not to fret because he does seem in good sorts... he's not blue and isn't acting up...he drinks just fine and doesn't mind being handled, and doesn't hide away all the time... he's a strong little thing, can feel his little constrictions when he hangs on your fingers lol

i was going to try in a couple of days but will leave it til the weekend instead now..he's about 3 months old and has never ever fed....which seems crazy to me..i keep telling myself patience!! but even tho it's only my first attempt...i'm already fretting...eek!


----------



## Wigsyboy

Patience is definitely the key, I finally got my little guy to eat for the first time last night after having him for 5 weeks without eating once. I just tried a different tip once a week and last night he ate when I scented his food with a chick.
Thanks for everyone's contributions in this thread it really helped me to not fret so much. : victory:


----------



## Ballz Deep

very helpful


----------



## tigger79

miss_mystra said:


> thanks
> 
> unfortunately he just wasn't interested in the food at all last night... more interested in climbing all over me instead.. but i left a pinkie in with him in his small feeding Rub overnight... had a peek he hasn't touched it
> 
> when trying to feed him last night the only thing that slightly altered his wigglyness was braining the pinkie... he seemed more focused then... but just not on the actual pinkie... but he seemed to suddenly slow down and flick his tongue a little more... but he hasn't touched it and i'll have to throw it out later when i get back in.... i'm trying not to fret because he does seem in good sorts... he's not blue and isn't acting up...he drinks just fine and doesn't mind being handled, and doesn't hide away all the time... he's a strong little thing, can feel his little constrictions when he hangs on your fingers lol
> 
> i was going to try in a couple of days but will leave it til the weekend instead now..he's about 3 months old and has never ever fed....which seems crazy to me..i keep telling myself patience!! but even tho it's only my first attempt...i'm already fretting...eek!


if he hasnt fed since you have got him then i would advise not to handle until he has, he may seem happy to let u handle him but i find that some tolerate it, others dont
,


----------



## Xerse

...Wait...we're meant to feed our snakes? :gasp:

Great thread : victory:


----------



## saulyp

Hi I have a young corn approx 5 months and for the first 4 weeks I had her she feed fine but for the last 5 weeks she has point blank refused I have tried braining putting in small tub over night and in brown paper bag tried heating the food but nothing what can I use to scent the food cos I'm not sure how to force feed or were I can buy live pinkies I have 7 others that all feed fine . the temps are fine they are all on mat stats so any help u can offer me wud be gr8!!!!!!!


----------



## motorhead

never heard of the car tip before,must try it sometime!! :2thumb:


----------



## saulyp

Try putting in ur pocket n go for stroll for 15mins it sometimes work if the snakes a bit bigger try a ruck sack


----------



## hector2011

hi there i have a male royal python, ive had him 6 weeks, the first feed a rat he ate fine and sice then he refuses to eat, i serve him his dinner warm, ive tried leaving it there for him as tht worked last time, checked my temps, it is warm enough he doesnt spend much time on his heat mat. i have offered food twice now and he hasnt eated in 4 weeks starting to worry. any suggestions, background- he use to be used as a breeding snake from the shop i got him...he is 7 years old het ghost royal. 4.5 foot long.


----------



## mykie

hi there, i bought a snake couple weeks ago, shes only young (eatting fluffies not sure how old) was last fed on 27th april, she was due her first feed after i'd bought her a week ago today but she hasnt eaten anything, she doesnt appear stressed and it quite lively, i've tried braining the snake and heating it up in warm water, what tip works best and how long before i should start getting worried and think about force feeding? ive never had a snake before so have no idea


----------



## saulyp

Firstly dont worry its in new hme new owner it can take some snakes a little longer than others one technique is and this depends on size of snake in small tub with the food that small that he will slide over it n he might get annoyed with being there usually works with mine but firstly just give it time to settle in gud luck


----------



## BristolG

mykie said:


> hi there, i bought a snake couple weeks ago, shes only young (eatting fluffies not sure how old) was last fed on 27th april, she was due her first feed after i'd bought her a week ago today but she hasnt eaten anything, she doesnt appear stressed and it quite lively, i've tried braining the snake and heating it up in warm water, what tip works best and how long before i should start getting worried and think about force feeding? ive never had a snake before so have no idea


 "tried braining the snake" not a good idea no wonder its not eating :Na_Na_Na_Na:: victory: no but seriously just let it settle had the same problem with mine when i took it home and think im going to have the same problem when i move her into the new viv but just keep the temps and humidity right and they will eat again also got told to try smaller mice/rats good luck


----------



## ba1l3y76

Thought i would share our experience with our new snakey!! When we first had ours she hadn't eaten for 3 weeks due to shedding, we tried a week after getting her home and no interest, she was feeding on small rat weaners( she was 10 months old), so put this down to the move and understood this could happen for a few weeks! 
Each week we tried different technices, we tried braining, leaving the food in with her, warming up in warm water ect..., after 6 weeks we started offering smaller size items, firstly large mouse, no go!! Then a Small mouse warmed up under her heat lamp and hey presto!! 
Last week we opened her viv with a Large mouse and before we got to the lamp to warm it up she was after it!! Try again tonight and see what happens?!! 
So i guess offering smaller food items work for us.


----------



## mykie

BristolG said:


> "tried braining the snake" not a good idea no wonder its not eating :Na_Na_Na_Na:: victory:


Lol yeah tried braining the mouse instead this time and it seems to have eaten it  either that its very good at hiding the mouse 

The snakes actually my little brothers, I went for a leopard gecko instead alot easier to feed


----------



## kimmeywooo

I fell in love with one of my boyfriends sisters corn hatchlings, a littly pinky snow. He's so sweet but he will not eat for anyone. She's tried everything everyones suggested, and even forcing. He seemed to be swallowing but he regurgitated  she's tried scenting, warming, braining, nothing seems to be working. Think she's tried live too but not too sure, the boyf said she did. Any suggestions? He's about 5-6 weeks old and has not had one feed  I don't want him to die. His brothers and sisters are so much bigger than him!  also, he will be my first ever snakey so you'll prob see me on here a lot noseying hah


----------



## mykie

When feeding my brothers corn snake we tried virtualy everything but the snake wouldn't eat, ended up braining and just leaving it in the viv and then left the snake for 24 hours

When we came back the mouse had gone and not really had a problem feeding since

Good luck with getting it to feed!


----------



## kimmeywooo

I


mykie said:


> When feeding my brothers corn snake we tried virtualy everything but the snake wouldn't eat, ended up braining and just leaving it in the viv and then left the snake for 24 hours
> 
> When we came back the mouse had gone and not really had a problem feeding since
> 
> Good luck with getting it to feed!


Thankyou for responding. Were trying again tonight, this time scenting with tuna, see if he likes that. If he doesn't take it ill get her to brain it n leave it and see if he takes it. Theres around 25 other hatchlings now , ad all are feeding perfectly! He's had me so worried! Naughty fluffy! That's his name btw ha!

Oh and does anyone know if this will affect him in the long run, can't be good being a baby n not eating for so long?


----------



## mykie

lol fluffy I like it! Also one thing I just remembered I was told by the pet shop is dont try every night if fluffy doesn't eat wait a week or at least a few days before trying again


----------



## kimmeywooo

mykie said:


> lol fluffy I like it! Also one thing I just remembered I was told by the pet shop is dont try every night if fluffy doesn't eat wait a week or at least a few days before trying again


Yeh we have been, exactly 7 days between each try, well this time its 8 cause she's been on hol, we were on snake duty ha thanks for your help bits much appreciated, I'm new here LOL


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## Guest

Here are two guides I wrote on the topic, they're kinda similar to the post the OP made but they really elaborate on the topic 

Why is my snake refusing to feed? Help and Advice

Help! How do I get my snake to eat again? How to feed a snake which is refusing to eat


----------



## kimmeywooo

thank you. we left the pinky in his tub last night, not sure if he's took it yet haven't spoke to my sis in law. trying not to get my hopes up though  I read your guides, seems we've tried all of those .. fluffy seems to be getting more stressed every time we try and feed him, he will strike if he's in his tub while attempting to feed, both at us and the food but won't take it. and if he's out of the tub he just tries his hardest to get away. I feel really bad like I should be there every minute trying but I know this will make things worse.. tried assist feeding last night too, just putting part of the pinky in but kept pushing it back out.


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## Ginge_1987

I have to put my boa in a seperate tub and put her in the cubboard with a warmed up rat leave her ten minutes and she will of eatern it, have you tryed that?


----------



## kimmeywooo

Ginge_1987 said:


> I have to put my boa in a seperate tub and put her in the cubboard with a warmed up rat leave her ten minutes and she will of eatern it, have you tryed that?


yeh we have, well with a pinky obviously and inside a dark empty viv. he didn't take the one last night  he's just refusing all attempts, no matter what we do... I hope he just gives up very soon and eats cause its clearly stressing him out more and more as time goes on  only thing we haven't tried is the teeny tub thing. so that's next, put him in a smaller tub and see if he feels more secure. I want him to eat and grow, get handling properly and settle down so I can eventually move him to my house! all the others are so much bigger than him, and handling much better, he just wants to get away from you when he's picked up. understandable though.. with all the stress dinnertime brings


----------



## Guyfawkes

*Feeding*

how long after feeding can you handle the snake again:whip:


----------



## mstypical

Guyfawkes said:


> how long after feeding can you handle the snake again:whip:


Usually 48 hours


----------



## saulyp

48hrs is a gud rule but 24hrs is fine it depends some snakes dont like being messed with for a few days I have some snakes that I hold the next day and then others I leave 48hrs depends on how big the prey ur snake is eating so try 24hrs but dont hold for too long and if no regurge happy days but if regurge then 48hrs:2thumb:


Guyfawkes said:


> how long after feeding can you handle the snake again:whip:


----------



## saulyp

when was the last time he fed how long have u had the snake and do you have any other snakes I have a picki eat and I have tried many things but 1 thing that seems to work is I feed 1 of my gud feeders in the tub b4 feeding the picki 1 which seems to ignite the feeding instinct and wen warming the prey I place it in a bag with dog hair which scents the prey and he will then eat sometimes there r so many factors y a snake wont eat tank, temps and the prey its self sometimes the prey u put in front of it doesn't smell right to the snake go and get another an see if it will eat a different 1 and if everything fails contact the breeder see if they can help:2thumb: and if u can get it feeding fed it a bit more frequentley till the snake is established so the snake gets the habit of feeding.



kimmeywooo said:


> yeh we have, well with a pinky obviously and inside a dark empty viv. he didn't take the one last night  he's just refusing all attempts, no matter what we do... I hope he just gives up very soon and eats cause its clearly stressing him out more and more as time goes on  only thing we haven't tried is the teeny tub thing. so that's next, put him in a smaller tub and see if he feels more secure. I want him to eat and grow, get handling properly and settle down so I can eventually move him to my house! all the others are so much bigger than him, and handling much better, he just wants to get away from you when he's picked up. understandable though.. with all the stress dinnertime brings


----------



## kimmeywooo

saulyp said:


> when was the last time he fed how long have u had the snake and do you have any other snakes I have a picki eat and I have tried many things but 1 thing that seems to work is I feed 1 of my gud feeders in the tub b4 feeding the picki 1 which seems to ignite the feeding instinct and wen warming the prey I place it in a bag with dog hair which scents the prey and he will then eat sometimes there r so many factors y a snake wont eat tank, temps and the prey its self sometimes the prey u put in front of it doesn't smell right to the snake go and get another an see if it will eat a different 1 and if everything fails contact the breeder see if they can help:2thumb: and if u can get it feeding fed it a bit more frequentley till the snake is established so the snake gets the habit of feeding.


He passed away 2 days ago 
He never got to my house, he was at my sister in laws from hatching (she bred him and has had experience with non feeders before, I have had non), never had one feed. Tried everything that has been suggsted but the only one that went down was forced, and he regurged. all the temps were correct, and out of around 30 hatchlings she had at the time, he was the only one that didn't feed, infact the others were very very good feeders. Maybe he just wasn't meant to be  poor fluffy


----------



## saulyp

kimmeywooo said:


> He passed away 2 days ago
> He never got to my house, he was at my sister in laws from hatching (she bred him and has had experience with non feeders before, I have had non), never had one feed. Tried everything that has been suggsted but the only one that went down was forced, and he regurged. all the temps were correct, and out of around 30 hatchlings she had at the time, he was the only one that didn't feed, infact the others were very very good feeders. Maybe he just wasn't meant to be  poor fluffy


 unfortunatley thats the way goes sometimes its awful no matter how hard u try they're not meant to survive its happened to me so ur not on ur own but his organs had prob started to shut down by the time u managed to get it into him  but at least u tried and now have this experience to take on if it ever happens again ..


----------



## motorhead

great thread!! :2thumb:


----------



## Maycherriepip

*much help needed*

hi i have spent the last few hrs reading all the comments and checking my set up making sure it all matches and it does but i have a very small problem in the shape of a very small lavender cornsnake we have had her about a mth and im getting really concerned (i must explain i already have a amel corn that i have had from about the same size and ive had no problems ) my little lady just wont eat she is not stressed she is not about to shed all her temps are fine she still lives in the same tank that i brought her home in as sold via the pet shop ive tried cutting her food up,leaving it in her tank, starving her but because she is so small and thin im worried she may die :sad: and this is not what i want
i have three snakes that i love dearly a royal a amel and my baby lavender 
ive tried placing a offering in front of her nose and its as if she is a veggie she rubs her nose all over the place up the wall on the floor as if to say thats disgusting please help save my little girl many thanks


----------



## tigger79

have messaged you


----------



## saulyp

Have you spoke to the shop were you got it and have they offered to see if they can get it to feed in the shop? Also wen I feed my snakes I take the kettle in my rep room and for some reason the smell of the mice and the heat of the kettle @ the side of the tub holding the mice it drives all my snakes mad and they go into feed mode , there are many things that make a snake not to want to eat! how old is the snake depending on age is to how long they can go without feeding there's a person on the rfuk on facebook who has a lot of experience with picky eaters her names gem kirby I'm sure if you contact her on facebook she'll be able to offer sum gud advice BUT the pet shop were you got it shud be ur 1st port of call 



Maycherriepip said:


> hi i have spent the last few hrs reading all the comments and checking my set up making sure it all matches and it does but i have a very small problem in the shape of a very small lavender cornsnake we have had her about a mth and im getting really concerned (i must explain i already have a amel corn that i have had from about the same size and ive had no problems ) my little lady just wont eat she is not stressed she is not about to shed all her temps are fine she still lives in the same tank that i brought her home in as sold via the pet shop ive tried cutting her food up,leaving it in her tank, starving her but because she is so small and thin im worried she may die :sad: and this is not what i want
> i have three snakes that i love dearly a royal a amel and my baby lavender
> ive tried placing a offering in front of her nose and its as if she is a veggie she rubs her nose all over the place up the wall on the floor as if to say thats disgusting please help save my little girl many thanks


----------



## Maycherriepip

saulyp said:


> Have you spoke to the shop were you got it and have they offered to see if they can get it to feed in the shop? Also wen I feed my snakes I take the kettle in my rep room and for some reason the smell of the mice and the heat of the kettle @ the side of the tub holding the mice it drives all my snakes mad and they go into feed mode , there are many things that make a snake not to want to eat! how old is the snake depending on age is to how long they can go without feeding there's a person on the rfuk on facebook who has a lot of experience with picky eaters her names gem kirby I'm sure if you contact her on facebook she'll be able to offer sum gud advice BUT the pet shop were you got it shud be ur 1st port of call


 
Hi and thanks for your reply 
i have spoken to the shop but unfortunitally they seem a little clueless about snakes as they have recently told me that they had to cut her food up for her 

i have tried cutting her food up for her, braining it leaving it in her tank with her hoping that she will eat it over night but nothing if i try assist feeding her she goes mental trying to get the food out of her mouth 
but because she is so small i dont want to stress her out to much if she does not start eating soon i fear the worst so i think it might be time to big deep in my pocket and take her to the vets


----------



## KWIBEZEE

*feeds, weights, techniques...*

A usefull thread - especially for the non-feeders and the novice members . Don't panic is the key too. Upon assist feeding - a trick is to let the snake bite at the food item or a cut up the prey into 'bite size' portions ( for example a pinkie cut into 3 or 4 - a pinkie head etc) as oppossed to a whole pinkie and once the item is in its jaws use a cable tie or something firm yet soft ( non metalic etc) and gently push the item further into the snake's *esophagus* ( food passageway). You should be able to see the snakes wind pipe appear at one side of the food item. This is normal - the snake has to breath whilst managing to swallow the item. Really if the item is a good way down the throat then the snake should ajust its jaws and take the item. Peristalsis will do the rest - ie that is the fancy name for swallowing - it's the muscular action. When you are assist feeding in such a manner it is important to hold the critters head until the snake itself takes the item. Quite often an item held in a snakes jaws will be rejected if you do not hold the head. I'm not saying you have to clamp down on its head since this will put pressure on its throat etc - so really technique is crucial. Get proffesional advice. I dislike the word "force feeding" and would pertain this word to the likes of using pinkie-presses etc.

With the boiga I aquired I will use this method and I will then allow them to swim after they have fed. I personally think the exercise aids the food to the stomach and it also cleans their skin of any scent and prey innards that may have wiped onto the snakes skin. So far they love it. I try to reduce stress by feeding in subdued light - I only allow a 15 LED GREEN strip to illuminate the room although they have fed with full room lights on. Another thing with the Boiga is that after they take a piece of prey I will allow them to slither back into a leafy branch ( an artificial bamboo stem). I think they are less stressed since I am conditioning them in near as possible a natural environment as I can simulate. I always weigh using digi-scales before any feed.

Not had any problems with the Kingsnakes I am also keeping.


----------



## exotic candy

**

Force feeding... Well sounds yuck and guess what is!! Lol but I must say when my royal went on strike at hatchling stage I had to cut up rat pups!! Still have nightmares LMFAO!! But tbh when nothing else works it all seems worth the effort as she started feeding again!! So if all else fails don't b affraid and get pushing lol


----------



## snakes4u

dskuse said:


> my wife has just brought a crimson cornsnake on saturday and it does'nt seem to want to eat and my wife will not contemplate forse feeding as the snake is only a baby i was just wondering if to monitor the snake as you suggested and then try feeding it in another couple of days.
> Any suggestions would be most helpful



normal to happen, as the snake has been moved it will be scared, give plenty places to hide and leave for few days, dont check temps are right.


----------



## saulyp

Like the previous person said check ur temps n it has plenty of places to hide on both hot n cold side then leave it a week to settle in with no handling then try feedin again then now I know u don't have leave it that long but it's always worked for me! Gud luck


----------



## snakes4u

*royals not eaten in 2 months.*

my male and female not eatin in 2 months, the males not lost any weight female has lost abit, the temps are right and left them few day at a time so not stressed, tryed braining the rats and heating the skull up but not working. got the in 50l tubs.
im new to royals i know they can be picky and go months without food but im trying to feed up female so can breed as shes just under 1.2kg

any help?


----------



## saulyp

To be honest I wud just say its the time of yr n just keep offering maybe once a fortnight keep them well watered n eventually they shud start eating again I had a corn snake not eat for nearly 3 months so I wudnt worry as long as weights not falling off them !!


----------



## snakes4u

got a king thats doing it that now.. 3 months and only one feed, hes a little bugger. lol


----------



## PrincessIsabellaRosie

*how long for the transition fase?*

I received an 8 month Californian corn snake from a friend of the family yesterday. He was meant to feed today but hasn't, from the forums on here i have since learned that the stress of the move and the fact he is shedding has put him off his move.

My question is how long will the transition between homes take but more importantly how long till I should try another feed? 


Sorry if the answer has already been posted but I have only just signed up to this site and will not have read it yet.

And thank you all for the invaluable advice I have read up till now.


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## snakes4u

*king snake*

just miss a feed witch for a snake that old will prob be about 5 days, if still in shed by then and it dont eat, then wait day or two after shedding and try again, just dont handle before this as snakes dont like being handled when in shed.


----------



## NickBenger

PrincessIsabellaRosie said:


> I received an 8 month Californian corn snake from a friend of the family yesterday. He was meant to feed today but hasn't, from the forums on here i have since learned that the stress of the move and the fact he is shedding has put him off his move.
> 
> My question is how long will the transition between homes take but more importantly how long till I should try another feed?
> 
> 
> Sorry if the answer has already been posted but I have only just signed up to this site and will not have read it yet.
> 
> And thank you all for the invaluable advice I have read up till now.


Some snakes will eat on the same day, some take a week, some take a few weeks. Depends on the individual. It's nothing to worry about though, leave it a week before you try again.


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## kulrider

Excellent thread and very informative. Generally you can get an answer to your problem without having to ask as most of them are in the threads. Well done and keep it up


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## Satahmoo

Good tips i have a fusy BRB! Car n leaving food in didnt work but got him to take a smaller mouse :2thumb:


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## demonator

very use that useful i saved it on computer thanks mate


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## RepDave

Some good advice in there i read for new members


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## Tomshady

you could also put your snake a bath with warm water leave it swim about a bit then put it back in the viv with the food allways worked with mine i think they work up a appetite


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## Neil67

*4 month old Royal Python*

Hi, I've had Kings and Rat snakes in the past and they have always been good eaters. I have recently got a royal python, now 4 months old and feeding is becoming a nightmare, in that he just won't eat. We've tried different methods, warming up the food, braining, and putting him in a separate dark container with the mouse but no luck. But when we take him back to pet shop they can get him to feed straight away. I've asked the pet store an we don't seem to be doing anything different? Temp is between 80-82 and we have him in a 18in vivarium so not too big. He seems ok, active with tongue tasting air.

Any thoughts/help would be really appreciated!

Regards

Neil


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## amiz

I'm presuming u drove to the pet shop. Royal appotight is sometimes stimulated by vibration, ie u drove it around a little then put it in a box with food and it eats it.


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## tigger79

Neil67 said:


> Hi, I've had Kings and Rat snakes in the past and they have always been good eaters. I have recently got a royal python, now 4 months old and feeding is becoming a nightmare, in that he just won't eat. We've tried different methods, warming up the food, braining, and putting him in a separate dark container with the mouse but no luck. But when we take him back to pet shop they can get him to feed straight away. I've asked the pet store an we don't seem to be doing anything different? Temp is between 80-82 and we have him in a 18in vivarium so not too big. He seems ok, active with tongue tasting air.
> 
> Any thoughts/help would be really appreciated!
> 
> Regards
> 
> Neil


Temps are tooo low, should be 30-32C


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## ALynK

*Brown snake won't eat*

Hello. I got a Dekay's (northern) brown snake a month ago. She's sweet and so active. She's about a foot long and is an adult snake. I have her in a 10 gallon tank with soil, leaves a stick, a water dish and a rock. Her species are worm specialists, so I feed her 2 European nightcrawler worms a week. At first, she'd strike and bolt the worm down as soon as it was put into her cage. She stopped eating recently. I know it's a strong possibility that she's going into brumation, but I'm still concerned about her not eating for such a long time. She's still very active and strong, but she's so tiny and I don't want her to starve. 
Does anybody else have snakes that stop eating or brumate during the winter? How can I best take care of her during this time?
:snake:


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## Radagast

*Brilliant advice!*

My daughter's corn hasn't fed for four weeks (she's about 3 yo, and 5' - the snake, not my daughter!), and she usually feeds readily every 7-10 days. We were getting a bit stressed about it, but it looks like this fasting thing is almost "normal"!

Great tips - I think I'll try a change of foodstuff first.

Matt

PS Re: brumation... do I need to turn the 'stat down over the winter months, even if I'm not trying to breed?


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## KazzerK

I have just got a KSB I've attempted to feed as I'm not 100% certain when he was fed. 
He has refused the food but I've been told he's been eating well up to now on small fuzzies. I've tried him with a pinky after he refused fuzzy.
Is it likely I'm doing something wrong when trying to feed him with being a newbie or is it likely to be he still needs to settle into his new environment and new sounds before I try again

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Ophexis

KazzerK said:


> I have just got a KSB I've attempted to feed as I'm not 100% certain when he was fed.
> He has refused the food but I've been told he's been eating well up to now on small fuzzies. I've tried him with a pinky after he refused fuzzy.
> Is it likely I'm doing something wrong when trying to feed him with being a newbie or is it likely to be he still needs to settle into his new environment and new sounds before I try again
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


How long have you had him? 
Are your vivarium parameters all alright? Temp, humidity, size, etc.


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## jackkkbillll

yes you are right.Hi Alfie is 12 weeks old and we got him 2 weeks ago and it's 3 weeks since he fed the breeder said he had eaten, he is very lively and sociable. My son reckons he will have to force feed if he doesnt eat soon but I would hate to stress the little guy out in any way, How long should I leave him
----------------------------
 Top Ten classified websites


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## ian14

jackkkbillll said:


> yes you are right.Hi Alfie is 12 weeks old and we got him 2 weeks ago and it's 3 weeks since he fed the breeder said he had eaten, he is very lively and sociable. My son reckons he will have to force feed if he doesnt eat soon but I would hate to stress the little guy out in any way, How long should I leave him
> ----------------------------
> Top Ten classified websites


If it was feeding before you owned it, then your husbandry is the issue. 
I'm a bit confused as this post seems to link I to one by KazzerK. If that's the case, you need to put the boa in a small tub, decent depth of sieved bird sand, and a warm end of around 32-35C. Offer a pink on forceps, gentle wiggling near the boa will get a feeding response.


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## KazzerK

I have now managed to get my KSB to eat a fuzzy. 
I had put him by my fish tank (which I have now sold) the day the fish tank sold was the first day he fed. I suspect his isdues were the new sounds and environment and maybe even possibly the viv being 'closed in' when before there was nothing in front of his viv.

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## Guest

Hi I have two bal pythons, one boy one girl. The boy has never in his life aren’t on his own. I mean never. I’ve tried everything. EVERYTHING. Someone suggested force feeding and it’s the only way he has ever had any food in his belly. He lets me but how can I get him to eat on his own ? He had the wobble. He just got better. He’s healthy. Active. Happy. Just shed in one whole piece. But won’t strike his food. Please don’t be rude but any tips or suggestions would be great. I’m a new snake mom, I took them in for people and grew attached. Thank you guys!


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