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Creamsicle that wont eat

M

mordothecreator

New member
I have a 2 and a half year old creamsicle. His name is Nacho. He have been feeding him live mice for about a year now. Recently, the local pet store didn't have live feeder mice. They sold me an African Soft Fur Rat instead for the same price. It was the same size as the adult feeder mice, so I figured it'd be okay. Well, Nacho refused to eat the rat. I tried on 3 separate occasions and I've also offered him frozen feeder mice. He just won't eat. Today, after about 2 months the pet store finally had feeder mice. I bought one and brought it back to feed Nacho. He hunted the mouse for a good 10 minutes and then went back to his basking rock. At this point, I'm concerned. The pet store didn't have any advice for me and I'm worried about my little buddy. Would anyone be willing to give me advice? Also, please don't be too harsh if I've done something wrong. Research on the internet brings up a lot of very conflicting information and ultimately seems unhelpful. Thanks in advance! -Shawn
 
Some male corns and rat snakes will take a break from eating when their hormones are at high levels. Also, some snakes will get confused when you switch prey type. It doesn't sound like you have done anything you shouldn't have, although personally I'd be concerned that one of your live prey items may have intimidated him. I'd suggest you wait a few more days and then try again to feed him the prey type he is used to. Ideally you don't want to go 2 months between feedings, but even that length of time shouldn't be a problem if he starts eating again soon. Best of luck :)
 
Thank you so much for responding! It's encouraging to know that it's not necessarily abnormal. He ended up killing the feeder mouse I put in there but left it alone. That's 2 mice total that he's now killed and not eaten.

Why would his hormones be high and is that okay?
 
Males often start displaying breeding behavior at around 2 years of age. Can't be certain that is what is going on with your guy, but it is definitely a possibility. If he does not eat in the next couple weeks I'd suggest taking him in for a visit with a certified reptile vet.
 
Your snake is definitely the age when many males first display feeding strikes related to hormones. What had his activity level been like? How does he look physically? Usually with hormone driven fasting, they do a lot of prowling and (somehow) don't lose much condition.
 
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