black snake stopped eating.

[synisterrabbit]

i wish my first post was under better circumstances, but my black snake bartleby is living up to his name and has decided when it comes to food "i would prefer not to". i found him in my garage with a nasty case of bulging eye early this spring, and i was in the market for a snake so i decided to give him a home. his eye healed up nicely, was not shy about taking food and other than him REALLY not liking to be handled he was doing fine and growing well.

last month however he stopped eating all together and would get apprehensive when i would go into his tank. i've tried dipping his fuzzies in chicken broth, braining them, raising the temps in his cage from cool side 78F warm side 84F to 80F and 90F and increasing the humidity, but nothing seems to work. he is still active and doesn't show any other problems but a month without food seems to be a bit much.

any thoughts about this stubborn snake?.

 

[Jlassiter]

What is this "black snake?"
A Kingsnake?

I would think he needs to be brumated until Spring....Some colubrids shut down their feeding response during the winter.

 

[synisterrabbit]

sorry i should have been more specific.
Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta
or the common name of black rat snake.

i suppose it is a strong possibility that he could be going a winter phase, but i would have assumed the warm temperatures in the cage would have prevented that instinct to kick in. unfortunately my knowledge of snakes is miniscule at best. any advice on how to ease the brumation proccess?

 

[Dimidiata]

are you feedinf F/T or live? It may be that because he is wild hed perffer live(not that im reccomending) but im with the wintering idea aswell. How active has he been?

 

[synisterrabbit]

i am limited to feeding him frozen only since i have yet to find any place that sells live fuzzies locally. from day one he always took frozen with no problems.

as far as his activity goes he does seem to be spending more and more time hiding and on the occasions that i do see him out he's very skiddish and immediately goes back into hiding.

if he is going into brumation, what temps should i keep the tank at and should i cover it since i have his tank in a somewhat bright room?

 

[Jlassiter]

To brumate him keep the temps at or below 60F........and dark.......
Does it look like he's lost body weight? If he still has good body weight he will eat like a champ when warmed back up.....

Sometimes their instincts are stronger than our attempts to convince them that it is not cold outside.........