Need help with picky corn snake

Its been around 4 months since one of my corns ate. Ive tried her on mice, rats and chicks but shes only gotten halfway through eating a chick and then stopped within the 4 months. Im not too sure what to do so any advice would help thanks

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Gonna need more details, are her temps on point? Is there any chance she’s gravid? Are you waiting a few days to a week between feeding attempts? Is her behavior otherwise normal?

I always suggest going down a feeder size or two to start with. Keep track of her weight regularly. Snakes can go quite a long time without eating for many reasons. As long as there aren’t any other concerning symptoms or significant weight loss, start simple first. I will tag @caryl & @solarserpents as they may have other suggestions for you. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Shes kept at around 28°C i usually try to offer her food 1 every 2 weeks. Her main food is jumbo mice but a few last week i gave a a chick which she ate halfway and then spat it out and left it. I tried her on a chick again today but she completely ignored it. And about behaviour sometimes i do see her out her hides going around her enclosure and trying to climb up the sliding glass door. She hasnt paired with any males so she wouldnt be gravid and has never been bred before so it cant be retained sperm. I usually leave the food in the fridge for 24hrs then let it sit until room temp before feeding which i dont believe is the problem since all my other snakes feed.

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It is breeding season, so if you have any males around, that may influence her behavior. Is 28ºC the overall temperature or the hot side? If overall, I’d try keeping it a bit cooler, or give her a humid hide so she can be cooler if she chooses. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily try switching feeders as a first option. Go down one or two sizes in mice, and instead of letting it sit at room temp, try warming the feeder in a cup of hot water first. A live mouse would have a body temperature closer to 36.6ºC, it may trigger a stronger food response to have your feeder a similar temp. Do remember, each snake is an individual, and sometimes they just decide to be stubborn for whatever reason.

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There are males in the same room as her and its the bot spot that is 28°C. Ill try warming the food the next time I try feeding her and hopefully that works

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Sounds like a plan. I’d go with warmer, smaller, and just leave it in for a while even if she doesn’t immediately take it.

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Ive left the chick i offered her earlier in her enclosure so im hoping she eats that if not ill probably try her with a smaller meal on the weekend

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Best of luck! Hopefully she takes it.

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Thanks im hoping for the best

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When was her last shed and are you sure she’s female? Usually the first thing I’ll try when an adult starts getting picky is a much smaller meal, heated super hot.

Any females can lay eggs without ever having been bred, but 4 months of feeding refusals isn’t normal for a gravid female.

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Shes hasnt shed for about 2 months and i believe shes female since she does seem to react to the males in the room. Altough ive never actualy sexed her due to not being sure how to and when i bought her on the tub it said “prefered sex female”. Shes around 2 years old and probably 3 1/2 ft

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Sorry you’re having some frustration with your snake. It is possible that she’s not actually female. Longer feeding strikes during breeding season tend to happen with males, though an occasional female may do this. Smaller prey items of the same sort she’s used to heated to quite warm, possibly putting the snake into a bin with only the food item are all good ideas. I would try a smaller mouse, heated thoroughly, in a bin near sundown. If she doesn’t take it in an hour, reheat it and leave her and the prey in a bin overnight.

I’ve got a few other questions. How long have you had this one? Was she eating consistently before these past 4 months? Any changes in her environment or household, including any new pets? Did you change food sources? What about handling? Any changes in her body?

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Ive had her around 2 years. She has been like this before around a year ago but went back on food. There are no new pets in the house or changes in environment. The place we i get the food i believe changed supplier which might be an issue? I also forgot to mention she escaped in early feb but i found her quickly and she hasnt eaten since then. Shes still roughly the same length ans my other corns around her age but shes skinnier than the others.

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It sounds very much to me like she’s actually a he! Especially since there was a feeding refusal about a year ago too. If you want to post a clear picture of the underside of the tail, we can make an educated guess about the sex. Or a reptile vet, reptile shop, or possibly a local breeder could probe her for you. Or you could always send a piece of shed to Rare Genetics to really know for sure.

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Heres a picture. It was kinda hard to get since she kept moving



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That very much looks like your girl is actually your boy, which would definitely explain some, if not all, of the issue!

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It looks male to me too. I counted about 70 pairs of subcaudal scales, which puts it right at the male/female threshold. But judging from behavior and the thickness at the base of the tail, I’d definitely lean male.

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Ill make sure to get her or him sexed properly then. If it does turn out to be male then that explains alot

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I suggest the shed testing through RGI, if you can, as it has the best accuracy. If we assume at this point that he’s male, I wouldn’t worry much about the non-feeding during breeding season. You’ll likely have a repeat of last year where he starts eating again. On top of that, from your photos he looks to be in great body condition. This would also explains the escape in early February, probably went looking for ladies!

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Ive just rang the vet closest to me and they siad they can sex them next friday for free

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