Corn Snake Not eating.

[Jessica Dring]

Hi There,
I've had my (sopposed) adult male snow corn, for about 1 1/2 years now, and he has always been more than an enthusiastic feeder. He was fussy with mice at first, although he did feed for some time on them, he began to get fussy, (after trying fuzzies, pinkies, and adult mice no larger than the widest part of him!) and I began to take desperate measures. Not knowing that chicks are sopposadly bad for snakes (I have recently found out) I bought some. Well he accepted these will ALOT of enthusiasim. I could barely open the cage, when he got a whiff, that was it, he took the thing straight out of my hand every time, and constricted it fiercely. (This seemed odd to me, the total change in enthusiasim to different prey items). During this, I did try to get him onto mice again, to no avail, and thought it better him to be eating something than not at all. My conditions stayed exactly the same all through this time of him changing feeds, and now, he has been refushing chicks for about 1-2 months. I'm getting pretty desperate. He is very healthy, active, and still drinks water etc but I really need to get him feeding. Dont come on this thread attacking me for feeding chicks (I admit my mistake, I did not know any better) and whatever else you may attack me for. Just after some good advice. My other snake is feeding fine. Cheers Everyone.

 

[rottbo]

I have had problems with the corns snakes and milksnakes eating in the past it could be a female close to breeding time but a decent way to induce feeding is to put a dead mouse in a box with its belly slightly cut open so there is blood, put the snake in the box with it put the bosx in a very dark closet so there is absolutely no light at all.. it sounds ridiculous but it will help these nocturnal hunters to eat

 

[Jessica Dring]

Ok, Ill have a go, cheers for that. Also he has changed into a slightly smaller tank, and began fussy feeding after this (I did it monitor him more closely). Should I try moving him to his old setup ?

 

[Ophiuchus]

I don't know why I'm even posting since you seem to believe you know more than I and therefore couldn't possibly learn anything from me, but here I go anyway...

I'm not sure why he would be fasting in the first place, but the breeding thing Rottbo mentioned is very likely. It is close to cornsnake mating season after all.

Another solution to try to get it to feed again (if you haven't tried this already) is to scent-mark the mice with the chicks he seems to like so much. Worth a shot, I think.

I haven't much experience with chicks, and have no idea how good/bad they are for snakes, so I'm not going to touch that issue. I will start looking into it though...I might learn something.

 

[Jessica Dring]

I don't know why I'm even posting since you seem to believe you know more than I and therefore couldn't possibly learn anything from me, but here I go anyway....

Oh Jesus Christ. Maybe you want to re read the thread. I actually made myself look like a tit, praising you for knowing more. So you can get all your silly little ideas our of your head. I dont know why I bothered, I think your not worthy of any praise at all, seeing as your throw it back in peoples face, how unappreciated! Oh and btw, I see I have got a PM off you, like I said, I aint getting personal, you wanna discuss the issue further, you post on the thread mate

'Another solution to try to get it to feed again (if you haven't tried this already) is to scent-mark the mice with the chicks he seems to like so much. Worth a shot, I think'

Cheers for that. I will give it a go. Not sure if it will work, seeing as I'm not trying to switch prey items, I'm trying to get him to feed. These chicks he likes so much, arent even being consumed, so why would a mouse with the scent of a chick on? But, you never know, I will definately try it and let you know. Thanks

'I haven't much experience with chicks, and have no idea how good/bad they are for snakes, so I'm not going to touch that issue. I will start looking into it though...I might learn something.'

The whole point is you DONT touch this issue on this thread, if you do this not only are you being totally arrogant, but also, you are punishing people for asking advice. Thats no way to teach people. From what I've heard/read it causes them to have diarrhea, and to go loopy/agressive. Not sure how true that is, but I have not experienced either from feeding chicks.

 

[Ophiuchus]

Just trying to help...

These chicks he likes so much, arent even being consumed, so why would a mouse with the scent of a chick on? But, you never know, I will definately try it and let you know. Thanks

Ummm....you said it yourself that he took these chicks quite readily at one point in your first post.

Well he accepted these will ALOT of enthusiasim. I could barely open the cage, when he got a whiff, that was it, he took the thing straight out of my hand every time, and constricted it fiercely.

you are punishing people for asking advice. Thats no way to teach people.

How did I punish you for asking for advice? True, I apologize for saying this...

I don't know why I'm even posting since you seem to believe you know more than I and therefore couldn't possibly learn anything from me, but here I go anyway...

...as it wasn't construstive at all. But after that, I still simply gave my advice. I didn't berate you or belittle your actions or call you names. So please explain how I'm punishing you.

 

[Jessica Dring]

Just trying to help...



Ummm....you said it yourself that he took these chicks quite readily at one point in your first post.

I know you are, and thanks. Yes I did, but he is not taking them NOW. lol.

How did I punish you for asking for advice? True, I apologize for saying this...

Quote:
I don't know why I'm even posting since you seem to believe you know more than I and therefore couldn't possibly learn anything from me, but here I go anyway...

...as it wasn't construstive at all. But after that, I still simply gave my advice. I didn't berate you or belittle your actions or call you names. So please explain how I'm punishing you.

Thankyou for admitting your mistake, I appreciate it, however I dont know what you mean by 'construstive'..I feel the only problem with what you had said, was quite simply, that it was not true. Heck I take pride in knowing I am one of the first to put my hands up and admit I am wrong/have made mistakes when it comes to reptiles, seeing as I cannot take pride in knowing a great deal about them. So it annoyed me when you made out I cannot do this.

Please explain how I am punishing you.

I said: IF you begin on the matter about feeding chicks to my snakes, it would be punishing me for asking for advice because I asked right at the start of the thread, to NOT attack/start on me for this. I only brought up the 'punishing' because you said:

I haven't much experience with chicks, and have no idea how good/bad they are for snakes, so I'm not going to touch that issue. I will start looking into it though...I might learn something.

And I thought you were going to come back on the thread, having learnt something, and attack me for this, and the way it was said, was as if to say 'Well, If I had known anything about this topic, I would have commented on it' (the 'SO I'm not going to touch that issue').
By all means do check it out, but dont come back and have a go at me once you've learnt things, is all I meant, if you did this, THAT would be how you are punishing me for asking for advice. See what I meant?

I know you were just trying to help, and I accepted your much appreciated opinion with open arms. I was simply 'discussing' my view and concern about it not working because it is exactly that he is NOT FEEDING AT ALL nevermind rats. I will be at least happy to get him back on chicks for the time being as long as he is eating. See, I'm not so bad when you understand and dont take what I say to heart am I?

 

[Ophiuchus]

Okay...then my bad for not catching that "if" the first time. You're probably right; if you had not specified that you were already aware of the risks of feeding chicks and if I was more savvy on that issue, I probably wouldv'e brought the risks to your attention, syaing something along the lines of, "Well, you know its unhealthy to do this, etc etc...right?" But you did, and I'm not, so whatever...moving on.

In the other thread, regardless of who was more at fault for doing so, we both started straying from the mixed species issue, and making it personal. Since there are no "Ophiuchus versus Jessica Dring" sections on the MFK, I felt that if we weren't merely arguing about the topic at hand, then it would be prudent to move our disagreement to PM. That's why I PMed you, because you were attacking my credibility, not just my opinions on mixing herps. I mean, I don't mind public arguments, but if you still disagree with my methods or my level of expertise, and still want to discuss, I would at least suggest making your own thread about it if you do not wish to do the PM thing.

Or we can agree to disagree now, and you can try be a little more receptive of my advice in the future. Because right now, I feel like , from here on out, everytime I respond to a post of yours, this is what I'm gonna hear, "You're wrong and you don't know anything about herps!"

 

[Jessica Dring]

Okay...then my bad for not catching that "if" the first time. You're probably right; if you had not specified that you were already aware of the risks of feeding chicks and if I was more savvy on that issue, I probably wouldv'e brought the risks to your attention, syaing something along the lines of, "Well, you know its unhealthy to do this, etc etc...right?" But you did, and I'm not, so whatever...moving on.

Well, I do know NOW its bad for them, I didnt when I started feeding him with these, otherwise I would NEVER have done so.

In the other thread, regardless of who was more at fault for doing so, we both started straying from the mixed species issue, and making it personal. Since there are no "Ophiuchus versus Jessica Dring" sections on the MFK, I felt that if we weren't merely arguing about the topic at hand, then it would be prudent to move our disagreement to PM. That's why I PMed you, because you were attacking my credibility, not just my opinions on mixing herps.

Fair enough mate, I accept your point on the PM, and your probably right.

However, I see a pattern and repetition in one thing you are NOT understanding. I was NOT SOLEY attacking your credibility, I had gave you credit, quite abit for two persons not agreeing (quite a big thing to do, in this situation, I hope you will admit) but seeing as you turned this around, and told me I was now saying' 'I had nothing to learn from you, and I am always right, and know more than YOU' I did and still do question your right to be credited. Why should ANYONE give you praise for ANYTHING if you then turn around and bite them for it, the way you did to me, because I certainly NEVER said I knew more than you, or had nothing to learn from you, so its enraged me to speak the truth. Anyone would be mad, to then credit you further, you must agree? I hope you will understand (and to a degree) agree abit, to how I am feeling, if it had been YOU in my shoes, I am sure you would react no different. No one wants to be given aload of crap and been told words came out of their mouth, which infact didnt, for merely praising somebody.

 

[Ophiuchus]

Okay then...truce.

However, I'm still curious though....where on earth did you ever give me praise? Not that I'm saying its deserved, nor do I care; I'm just looking back on all this and can't find anywhere when you acknowledged my advice as being correct or right. Perhaps I missed something...