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Kae La asked in PetsReptiles · 6 years ago

How long can an adult female corn snake go without eating?

I am I a reptile club at my college where we take care of mostly snakes and teach people about them. I am in charge of an adult female corn. She had not eaten in about a month now. The club and I have tried many things from feeding her smaller mice, including baby ones, to cutting them open and maki them a bit more bloody. Nothing.

Some notes to add. We did just move to a new location about a month ago (so the move is the biggest cause) and we want/are trying to breed her with our male. How long can this keep up and are there ways to get her to eat, even if it's just a baby mouse?

3 Answers

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  • 6 years ago

    An adult corn snake can go for about 5 months straight without eating, however this is only if she is not loosing weight (in grams). For example, my corn right now weights 410g. If she did not eat for 5 months, she would lose about 110g but anymore then that then there could be something internally wrong medically and should go see a vet. Adult corn snakes only need to be offered food once every two weeks. My corn snake eats small rats. Rats are more healthy and seem to be more appealing to corn snakes in my personal experience. Are you feeding F/T or live? An adult snake will not be interested in something too small. They would not waste valuable energy attacking and killing such a small prize (even if it is already dead). How do you feed the snake? If you are feeding frozen thaw (F/T) you need to make it look alive. First get it nice and warm using hot water, then wiggle it in front of her. Dipping it in egg yolk (no whites, just the yolk) can work. Braining the mouse (poke a hole through the skull and squeeze till some of the brain matter is visible). Sounds gross I know but even I have successfully used this method. Dipping the mouse in hot chicken stock. And last but not least, a live mouse. Even if you are against it, it is either the mouse or the snake, it is up to you. But my most success is feeding live. Most of the time I can get snakes to eat by feeding live one, two or three times and then they will successfully take F/T.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    your snake may be threatened by the change of enviroment. it may be a dramatic change for himand maybe u should stick a couple thing in there to make him feel more comfortable but he also may be bored of eating mice. you wouldnt like it if you were always fed pizza. try finding something else for him to eat but also as snakes mature they dont need food as often. he may just be curious what you are dropping into teh cage but have no actual interest in eating it. also its the winter monts. even though he is in teh house now he is going to hibernate anyway. be careful about that. he prob just wants to be left alone and doesnt need too much to get him through. he is prob hibernating but there are other things. don't worry.

  • 6 years ago

    Can you try her with crickets? Some snakes like insects.

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