Just not hungry?

[guidofatherof5]

I know I'll probably get scolded for this but I stopped by Ray's tonight and I'm gonna try some live minnows on my little male Blackneck. He hasn't eaten in the six weeks since I got him and I want to see him eat. If he don't eat eventually it won't matter. I had an Eastern that was fed nothing but these minnow's from from the same bait and tackle for ten years and he is still wiggling so I'm hoping if I can break the ice he'll start eating pinkies and nightcrawlers and ween him off the minnows.

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

[guidofatherof5]

I know I'll probably get scolded for this but I stopped by Ray's tonight and I'm gonna try some live minnows on my little male Blackneck. He hasn't eaten in the six weeks since I got him and I want to see him eat. If he don't eat eventually it won't matter. I had an Eastern that was fed nothing but these minnow's from from the same bait and tackle for ten years and he is still wiggling so I'm hoping if I can break the ice he'll start eating pinkies and nightcrawlers and ween him off the minnows.

You might try using the minnow for scenting. Chop it up and scent the other food items.

[Natrix]

Feeding live prey items to snakes will always be a shady subject. We as herpetologists should endevour to give our charges the best care we possibly can that includes offering natural prey Items such as live fish & amphibians. There is always the risk of parasitic infection and the ethical question is always a human one. The point is the snakes certainly won't mind......... How many of us actually do offer these items? I don't but only because there isn't any suitable natural items to be found here, plus I wouldn't want to risk parasitic infection. I have no probs feeding live guppies though

[EKS56]

What is the longest to your knowledge that a snake could go with out eating before they die. I am just before sticking some food in his mouth by force.

[chris-uk]

What is the longest to your knowledge that a snake could go with out eating before they die. I am just before sticking some food in his mouth by force.

I've been worrying about my 2 year-old Eastern Blacknecks, they stopped eating in October and haven't eaten again yet (although in the last week they've started becoming more active again). I contacted their breeder (Sjoerd) to ask how their parents behave, and it appears that my two are following the same pattern as their parents - binge eat over the summer months, stop eating in the Autumn, and then start showing some interest around now.
I know they were in good condition before they stopped eating, and they've been extremely inactive (I didn't brumate them, but next year I will be brumating them so that they conserve more energy in the cold). I'll weigh them later and see if they've lost much weight, I've not been disturbing them much while they've been inactive.

Hopefully your guys are following the same Blackneck pattern as mine and their parents.

[chris-uk]

I'll weigh them later and see if they've lost much weight, I've not been disturbing them much while they've been inactive.

My female has lost 1g (40g to 39g) and the male has lost 8g (42g to 34g) since October. The male was more active than the female over the winter (in that I actually saw him occasionally without going digging to check he was still alive).

Have you weighed your guys? Do you know if they are loosing weight since you got them?

[Invisible Snake]

Try placing a thawed pinky in the water bowl with a few live minnows, I've used that trick to slowly convert 1 of my EBNs into taking pinks.

[CrazyHedgehog]

have you checked the heat? try upping it a notch, ( what is it at?)
I had some tetrataenia that wouldn't eat, I cooled for a few weeks then raised temps, they are eating now.
One needs to see movement though, so chopped up worm over a chopped up pinkie seems to be doing the trick at the moment. . .

[EKS56]

The room temperature has been between 70* - 75*. That's the low end of what's recommended so I went and bought a heater that sticks to the side of the tank to raise the temp a little today. He doesn't act like he feels bad. Plenty of movement, tongue licking, no visible sores or tumors around the mouth. He just don't want to eat. It'll be 6 weeks Tuesday.

[guidofatherof5]

The room temperature has been between 70* - 75*. That's the low end of what's recommended so I went and bought a heater that sticks to the side of the tank to raise the temp a little today. He doesn't act like he feels bad. Plenty of movement, tongue licking, no visible sores or tumors around the mouth. He just don't want to eat. It'll be 6 weeks Tuesday.

It's good that you are observing this situation calmly.