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Will not eat

M

mocha37

New member
I got a snake sort of as a rescue the owner was just going to dispose of her and so my friend took her but is afraid of snakes so gave her to me. From what she was told the snake had just shed and it had been two weeks since the last feeding. She is a beautiful girl and looks healthy but will not eat. They had been feeding her two small mice every two weeks and claimed she was a good eater.
She has been her a few weeks now and just refuses any meal I give her.
I have tried many of the suggestions on here but have had no luck. She was used to live and I tried f/t, using tongs to make it move(she just attacks the tongs), braining(she barley looks at it), I even caved and bought her live but finally removed it because the mouse kept biting her and she just let it. (damaged one of her scales a little). I am just not sure what else to try. If the calculations are right its been at least a month since her last meal and i'm a little worried. She is friendly and active except during attempts to feed her. when you try to take her out of her feeding box she will hiss and bite at you. once you've actually got her she is fine again. Feeding attempts just seem to tick her off.
I'd really appreciate any advice anyone would have, my baby corn has no problem eating his f/t pinkies in fact he is a ravenous little guy. So being new to all this I am just real worried about her. Oh they said she is two and a half years old. (sorry about the length of the post)
 
It sounds to me like this snake needs more time to settle in to her new home. She has changed homes twice within a short period of time. She has been attacked by tongs (I say this because the snake "attacking" the tongs sounds like she was attempting to fend off something she thought was threatening her) and a live mouse. Just the fact that you have tried so many things in such a short time means you are offering food too often. She is probably really stressed right now.

2 1/2 yrs old is pretty much an adult, and as long as she is healthy and at a good weight, skipping a few feedings is not going to hurt her at all. Since she was apparently eating 2 mice in one feeding, I'm assuming this is not a tiny, drastically undersized snake like some rescues can be.

I suggest waiting at least 5 days, and just leave her alone other than necessary maintenance. Make sure her temps are where they should be and she has a couple of nice hides that she likes and will make her feel secure.

When you go to feed her again, I'd use a f/t mouse that you have gotten nice and warm, and then get the head extra hot. I've read that some people dip the head in boiling water just before offering. I like to blast the head with a hair dryer.

If you don't have success with the f/t and you want to try live again, make sure to supervise it closely the entire time, and separate them immediately if the mouse begins to attack the snake. If the snake is in the right mood to eat, you should be able to tell she is interested immediately when she sees the mouse, and she should strike within a minute or two. Leaving her with a live mouse that she doesn't want to eat will only stress her, and is quite dangerous for your snake. You should never, ever, allow a mouse to "keep biting" your snake.
 
^^ Excellent advice, particularly the last sentence. I'd also add don't take her out of her viv to feed. At least not at first. Let her settle in, and discover food when she is feeling secure.
 
Are you sure you have a Female? I ask because in the Springtime, my Males go off feed for up to a couple of Months.
KC and Chip have given you good advise in that the Snake could likely be stressed and it just may take more time to settle in. Also make sure the temperatures are correct.
Please Keep us posted on the results.

Good Luck!
 
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