Hi all,

My corn snake is a few months old and hasn't had any problems eating since I got him. He's moved up to fluffs easily and usually eats within minutes. He was due a feed yesterday and just won't touch it. Usually I feed him outside of the tank in a container, but after hw wouldn't it I put the container in his tank overnight hoping he'd eat at some point and he still hasn't. Does anyone have any advice to encourage him to eat?

Temperature wise, I usually have his heatmat on about 32 and the cold end of the tank is about 20 with the hot end about 30. I've had it set to this temperature since I got him and he's been fine. However because it's getting to winter the house is colder and the cold end of the tank is often a low lower than it usually is (even if I put the heat mat up). I'm not sure if this is related to him not eating or not or how to control the temperature without having my heating on all the time.

This is my first snake so I accept I might be missing something!

Thanks,

You could try a ceramic heat lamp controlled by a thermostat ot you could put in a low wattage one which would increase the temperature slightly. Also has he shed yet? Snakes often eat more then stop eating just prior to shedding.

Thanks. I think he might be due a shed as he's very young and had his first shed about a month ago. I've been working away a couple days a week so I haven't noticed his eyes glaze over but I could have missed it. He does look duller under his belly and has been very inactive hiding away. Only thing that's worrying me is I picked him up this morning and he is a little limp which I didn't think was a side effect of shedding but I might be wrong?

Anytime a snake goes limp that isn't good news, do you have a reptile specialist you go to ? if so I would make an appointment ASAP just to get a check up all is OK.

I don't, as this is my first snake and i've only had him a couple of months, all of this time he's been very active and eating really well, and he's shed once. I got him when he was about 4 weeks old from a friend.

When I say limp, I think it was more that he just seemed slightly weaker and i'm exaggerating in my own head. I'm working away today and tomorrow but i'm 95% expecting him to have shed when I get back.

Thanks for your reply. I will definitely take him to reptile specialist if he's the same when I get back.

Can I suggest it's important to find a reptile specialist even if he is well ? when things go wrong sometimes it's hard to find someone you can trust and better to know who to contact in an emergency really. Just like those of us with cats and dogs we all register with vets when the animals are well just so we have a relationship we can trust when things go wrong.

Completely agree with you. There is an experienced reptile vet 20 minutes drive away so i've registered with her surgery today. Thanks

Good to hear, and that's not too far away some people have to travel a lot further to find people who can help. How is your snake today ? any better ?