| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| n/a |
Posted - 08/02/2010 : 21:59:02
Hey, can anyoneone help? I have had my corn snake for 2 years now and she has always ate and shed fine but has stopped eating. She last ate a weaner rat on 3rd Jan and shed about two weeks later and now does not want to eat. The reptile shop suggested I try a mouse but she tried to eat it and spat it back out. I thought she might be cold so put in a new larger heat pad but she then just started lying in her water? Any help greatly appreciated |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 19:17:24
ha ha, nothing wrong with that! lol |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 18:45:02
Thats my excuse, I'm big boned  |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 18:41:55
tis small indeed! lol
The main reason is because there is a lot more muscle and bone, more nutrients. A snake wont get fat if its fed properly. Rats would only need to be fed every 10-14 days, whereas a mouse or 2 every week.
Once the snake is adult and not growing so much then yes, mice are fine as its maintenance feeding rather than growth feeding.
Over weight snakes tend to have been powerfed, and kept in small enclosures, without the chance to excercise regularly.
I had a corn that was slightly overweight, she hadnt touched a rat ever, but she had a good set of hips on her!! |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 18:04:30
That was a very little read.
When people post pics on here of their snake, and the snake is fat, its no surprise when they reveal their snake is fed on rats.
If your corn will eat mice, why feed on rats? |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 17:58:42
Thats not strictly true, corns are no more prone to obesity than any other snake, its all about how much you feed them, and how often.
A little read
http://www.herpcenter.com/feeders/3384-rats-vs-mice.html |
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 17:05:05
quote:
Originally posted by mikerichards
Rats themselves are not that fatty, they carry some body fat, as do mice, but pups and pinkies are quite fatty due to the milk they are generally full of. If you can find a size of rat that suits you snake then that's great, they carry more bone structure so are higher in calcium and other nutrients.
That also means they don't need feeding so often.
I would seriously recommend NOT feeding rats to corns, they are very prone to obesity, and when mice are readily available, why bother feeding fatty food? |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 16:35:31
The mites are black, brown or whitish, they will look like specs on the bottom of water bowl, if you look closely you may be able to see the legs. Rats themselves are not that fatty, they carry some body fat, as do mice, but pups and pinkies are quite fatty due to the milk they are generally full of. If you can find a size of rat that suits you snake then that's great, they carry more bone structure so are higher in calcium and other nutrients.
That also means they don't need feeding so often.
|
| SexyBear77 |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 16:27:35
Small and black, can also be seen under the scales, most often on the belly and around the vent. |
| n/a |
Posted - 11/02/2010 : 16:15:39
Thanks mike, I will check but what do they look like? Are they white or black? Its not agressive, she didn't strike just approached it as normal with a flicking tongue. |
| mikerichards |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 21:41:21
Have a look in the water bowl for mites, they irritate the snake and can put them off their food.
When you try and feed, does the snake strike then let go? if thats the case then it could be upset by something and its purely an aggression thing rather than actually wanting to eat.
A stat is a good plan, see what temps you are getting at both ends. |
| gmac |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 14:10:58
quote:
Originally posted by amy
I will get a stat on the weekend and then try another mouse, will let you know how it goes!
i would leave feeding for at least a few days after youve settled the temps |
| a33272 |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 14:08:19
she may be looking for a man to 'play' with if shes been very active |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 13:44:37
Oh dear, I've never had a snake other than her, didn't realise I was feeding her junk food! Well I am sure that this mouse wasn't too big as it was only a small one and she was kind of pushing it about with her nose like a dog trying to bury it! She has been really active lately so I'm reluctant to take her to the vet as I don't think they will find anything and it will just stress her out so want to eliminate everything first. I will get a stat on the weekend and then try another mouse, will let you know how it goes! |
| HannahB |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 11:54:41
quote:
Originally posted by Hawkeye
quote:
Originally posted by gingerpony
an unstatted mat can get VERY hot.............so knowing she's not got somewhere that's the right temp for digestion could well be the cause of her not eating.
Wouldn't that stop her from even trying to eat? Amy says, "she tried to eat it and spat it back out" so the snake is not actually refusing the food but for some reason is unable to complete the feed.
Amy also says she put the larger heatmat in after the snake refused the meal and it was only then that the snake started lying in her water, so the (very likely) temp problem only came about after the feeding problem began.
The only thing that now comes to mind other than the type of problem that would require a vet visit is that something was spooking the snake during the feed, and so she spat the food.
I accidentally gave my king a medium mouse rather than a small mouse and he tried to eat it..got to the shoulders and then spat it back out again..left him a week and gave him a small mouse and he ate fine..
it might just a case of offering food thats too big.. snakes will try and eat whatever is offered to them and its only once they start to feed that they then find that its too big for them, |
| n/a |
Posted - 10/02/2010 : 06:06:41
quote:
Originally posted by gingerpony
an unstatted mat can get VERY hot.............so knowing she's not got somewhere that's the right temp for digestion could well be the cause of her not eating.
Wouldn't that stop her from even trying to eat? Amy says, "she tried to eat it and spat it back out" so the snake is not actually refusing the food but for some reason is unable to complete the feed.
Amy also says she put the larger heatmat in after the snake refused the meal and it was only then that the snake started lying in her water, so the (very likely) temp problem only came about after the feeding problem began.
The only thing that now comes to mind other than the type of problem that would require a vet visit is that something was spooking the snake during the feed, and so she spat the food.
|
| gingerpony |
Posted - 09/02/2010 : 20:30:39
an unstatted mat can get VERY hot.............so knowing she's not got somewhere that's the right temp for digestion could well be the cause of her not eating.
i'd also try to get her on a similar sized mouse, the small rat weaners i feed my small boas are about 50-80g, even my huge adult male corns will only have a 40g ish mouse (XL or jumbo) every 10-14 days and a baby rat will be relatively fatty...........like you living on McDonalds! |
| HannahB |
Posted - 09/02/2010 : 18:56:19
you really do need to get a thermostat - her sitting in the water implies that its too hot for her - unstatted mats can get to 40'+ when corns only need them around 27'-30' in the warm end to be happy  im assuming the mat is at one end only?
a habistat will do the job nicely..you could get an on/off stat or a pulse stat..personally id pay a few bob extra for a pulsestat - I've found that the temps are slightly more stable with a pulse,
if you can get her onto large or xl/ex breeder mice then it will be better for her.. rats are quite high in fat and if fed on a regular basis your lovely snake could become porky..which you really dont want, a large or an xl mouse every 10-14days should be ok for her
hope this helps |
| n/a |
Posted - 09/02/2010 : 17:38:32
Thanks guys, I think she is about 3ish but not entirely sure as I just kind of aquired her as the person who had her didn't want her. She is on rat weaners because that is what the reptile shop suggested and has always been fine with them before. I don't think anything bar the outside temp as changed although I was in a flat last winter and a house this winter so maybe that could be the reason, I expect its warmer in a flat. She just has a standered heat pad which is not attached to any thermostat, should it be? Really appreciate the comments |
| eeji |
Posted - 09/02/2010 : 16:01:38
sitting in the water after changing to a bigger heat source may suggest the temperature is too high |
| HannahB |
Posted - 09/02/2010 : 15:52:34
i had an issue where my king would start to eat a mouse and then spat it out..turns out i was giving him a meal that was too big for him..moved him back down to small mice and hes fine now
is she on a stat? |
