What do you feed baby corn snakes

Corn Snake Care Sheet - Reptiles Magazine

Corn Snake –

Pantherophis guttatus (Elaphe guttata)

Corn snakes are one of the most popular of all pet snakes and for good reason. Their extremely variable and gorgeous colors and patterns, ease of care and breeding, and generally docile dispositions have earned corn snakes their rightful, premier place in herpetoculture. The size of mature corn snakes is just right: big and hardy enough to accept regular handling, yet not large enough to intimidate a novice or child. Easy to breed and care for with an endless array of genetic traits, corn snakes offer something for the newest snakekeeper, yet they also challenge those with years of experience.

Corn Snake Availability

Corn snakes are readily available at pet shops, reptile expos, online reptile shops and directly from breeders. Although wild-caught specimens usually adapt as pets, captive-bred corn snakes are highly recommended because of the beautiful color and pattern morphs available; the greater likelihood of getting a healthy, parasite-free snake; and the details about age, history and parentage that may accompany them.

Photo Credit: Bill Love

Blood red corn snake.

Corn Snake Size

Corn snakes hatch at 8 to 12 inches long, and most eventually reach 4 to 5.5 feet in length.

Corn Snake Life Span

With proper care, a corn snake could live at least into its latter teens, and it may well live into its 20s. They are often reproductive until 10 to 12 years of age and sometimes longer.

Corn Snake Caging

Baby corn snakes can easily live in a plastic vivarium the size of a large shoebox for the first several months of their lives. Adult corn snakes need a cage at least the size of a 20-gallon long reptile terrarium, but bigger is even better. Snakes are not social animals, so cagemates are quite stressful. House only one corn snake to a cage. All snakes are escape artists, so make sure the cage is absolutely escape proof. Snake habitat products like climbing branches may be appreciated, but a couple of dark, tight reptile hides are essential to help the snake feel secure.

Corn Snake Lighting and Temperature

No special lighting is required, but natural light from nearby windows will help your corn snake adjust its day and night cycles, and its seasonal cycles. Be careful to avoid direct sunlight shining into the cage, or the temperatures could quickly become lethal.

Provide a temperature gradient with a light, or undertank heat pad or cable. On the warm end 85 degrees Fahrenheit is perfect, and room temperatures (low 70s) are fine for the cool end. One long, skinny hide, such as a hollow log or PVC pipe, can be placed so one end of the hide is cool and one end is warm. Be sure to check the temperature inside the warm end of the hide — not on the glass. Temperatures can vary quite a bit within just a few inches, so thermometer and hide box placement is important.

Misting the enclosure often causes fungus and mold. If the corn snake sheds its skin in pieces, increase humidity inside the hide box by adding a clump of damp moss or paper towel whenever the snake prepares to shed. Remove this damp filler in between sheds to avoid buildup of bacteria, mold, etc.

Corn Snake Substrate

Most breeders use aspen shavings as bedding because it is absorbent, soft and holds its shape when snakes burrow. Cypress mulch also works, but avoid aromatic woods such as pine or cedar. Newspaper and reptile carpet also suffice, but the corn snake tends to get under it whenever possible. Avoid sand because it may cause impactions if ingested.

Corn Snake Food

The primary natural food of corn snakes is appropriately sized rodents. Some baby corn snakes also eat lizards or an occasional frog. Adult corn snakes may eat birds or their eggs. Do not offer crickets because corn snakes don’t recognize them as food.

Hatchlings normally eat newborn mice. Increase to a jumbo mouse for a large adult corn snake. Most corn snakes learn to eat previously frozen, but fully thawed out, mice. Be prepared to offer a live newborn mouse to baby corn snakes stressed by a new home or not used to thawed mice yet. It usually won’t take many times to train them to take thawed mice. Placing your corn snake and a thawed mouse in an empty container with a few air holes and closing the lid will help the snake concentrate on the food, and encourage it to eat. Be sure the lid is on tightly, and don’t put it near a heat source, or you risk overheating the snake. Cuts made into the skin of a thawed mouse ensure faster and more complete digestion. Feed baby corn snakes once every five to seven days, and feed adult corn snakes once every seven to 10 days.

Photo Credit: Bill Love

Okeetee corn snake.

Corn Snake Water

Fresh water should always be available in a shallow, heavy reptile water bowl. Clean out the bowl every few days or sooner if it is soiled. Place the bowl in a cage corner so it can be easily found as the snake cruises the cage perimeter at night.

Corn Snake Handling and Temperament

Hatchling corn snakes are naturally nervous and defensive. Fearless babies were eaten quickly long ago and never passed their genes onto future generations. Although it is normal for baby corn snakes to flee, hide or defend themselves, it is also true that they have no real ability to harm you. A white mouse or a cat that plays too roughly with its owner can do far more damage than even the largest corn snake.

It is important to give a new corn snake a few weeks to settle into its new home and into a regular feeding routine before stressing it with unnecessary handling. After three or four successful meals, start handling your corn snake for short periods, except for the first two to three days after a meal. Be sure to approach the corn snake from the side rather than the top like a predator would do. Lift it up gently but with confidence. Hesitation scares the corn snake, and makes it likely to hide or bite. If needed, use lightweight cotton gloves to bolster confidence for as long as needed. Once the corn snake begins to realize that you are not going to eat it, and also that it needs to calm down to regain the security of its quiet cage, it will usually tame quickly and become very used to handling.

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When To Start Feeding Baby Corn Snakes

Knowing when to start feeding a baby corn snake is key in ensuring that it gets a good start in life. Baby corns are usually good eaters and will consume frozen-thawed pinkies. This is not always the case, though.

Baby corn snakes can be fed a pinkie shortly after hatching. It is not uncommon for baby corns to refuse food until they have shed for the first time. This usually happens between 1-2 weeks after hatching. Continuously refusing food is a cause for concern. You can try scenting the pinkie, tub feeding, adjusting the enclosure, and feeding live prey to encourage the corn snake to eat. Force-feeding is an emergency resort tactic. Few reptile vets will recommend force-feeding unless the snake has lost over 10% in mass or has other health issues.

Overfeeding your baby Corn snake may not seem like a bad thing as growing snakes need vitamins and nutrients. However, overfeeding or power feeding can result in an unhealthy snake with a shorter lifespan.

Hatchlings will usually be between 8-12 inches long and can start eating shortly after hatching. In all likelihood, though, a hatchling won’t eat this soon. It’s quite common for a snake hatchling to ignore food until its first shed. This usually happens within 1-2 weeks of hatching.

Still, you can offer food to a baby corn snake shortly after it has hatched. Don’t be concerned if it rejects the food, however. It won’t hurt the baby snake to wait a short while after hatching for its first meal.

If a baby corn snake continues to reject food after its first shed it is a good idea to start recording its weight and growth daily. Breeders will usually track this information post-hatch and keep feeding records. If you bought the snake from a dealer, you’ll be able to request this info from them.

What Do Baby Corn Snakes Eat?

Corn snakes eat mice in the wild and in captivity. In the wild, they also eat birds, frogs, lizards, and other rodents. Baby corn snakes should be fed pinkie mice.

The size of the snake will determine the size of the feeder mouse. Choosing the right sized feeder mouse is important. Too small, and the snake won’t get enough nutrients to grow properly. Too large, and the snake may have trouble eating. It could also suffer internal damage.

The table below details guidelines for feeding snakes by age. This is not set in stone. In fact, it is better to choose a feeder mouse based on the size of your snake rather than its age. Choosing a mouse that is the same thickness, but not thicker, as your snake’s mid-body section is the ideal size.

Snake’s Age	Feeder Mouse Size	Feeding Frequency
Hatchling:	Pinkie	Every 5-7 days
Juvenile:	Fuzzy	Every 7-10 days
Yearling:	Small or Hopper	Every 7-10 days
Adult:	Adult or jumbo	Every 10-14 days

Remember, the larger the feeder animal, the longer to go in between feeds. If your corn snake is particularly large and jumbo mice aren’t cutting it, try small rats. Rats offer more nutritional value. A rat also takes longer for a snake to digest. Be sure to adjust the feeding schedule accordingly.

How To Feed a Baby Corn Snake

Corn snakes are usually good eaters right from the get-go. Using a pair of feeding tongs or tweezers, hold a thawed pinkie by the middle and wiggle it before the snake. A bit of encouragement might be in order. Do this by touching the snake’s mouth with the head of the pinkie. In most cases, this will be enough to earn a feeding response.

Once the corn snake has latched on, release the pinkie. Avoid startling the snake while it eats as it may stop eating.

Should I Use Vitamin Or Calcium Powder?

Studies, such as this one in Copeia, have shown that a snake’s growth is directly related to how much food it ingests. This includes the quality of the nutrients, fats, and minerals in the food.

Sprinkling your snake’s food with vitamin and/or calcium powder is something that you can do for a growing snake. It’s not necessary, but it can be beneficial to their growth, especially hatchlings.

Coating food with these supplements also has the benefit of ensuring that a snake is receiving all the nutrition it needs. This can be good for growing snakes, or snakes that have gone off food and need a nutrient boost.

My Baby Corn snake Won’t Eat

Sometimes, a baby corn snake will reject food even after its first shed. There are a few methods you can try to trick the snake into eating before resorting to force-feeding.

Scenting Food

Scenting the pinkie can be a way to trick a baby corn snake into eating. Corn snakes in the wild will also consume lizards, frogs, and small birds. Occasionally, captive-bred ones will have the same preference.

To scent a pinkie, wash and dry the mouse. Rub it on a frozen-thawed chick so that the scent is transferred. Now offer the scented pinkie to the snake. You can also do this with frogs or lizards.

Training the snake to accept unscented feeder mice is ideal, because, aside from chicks, other feeder prey animals are difficult for many to come by.

Container Feeding

Container feeding can be another useful tactic for convincing picky baby corn snakes to eat. Here’s how:

Find a round container that has a lid.
Place the feeder mouse by the inner wall and seal the snake inside the container. Leave it alone for 10-15 minutes.
Return the snake to its enclosure when done, even if it didn’t eat.

The snake will continuously bump into the feeder mouse as it follows the curve of the container. This can trick the snake into eating. The container’s walls should not be clear. Although placing a towel over the container can work, the lid should be pierced in several places to allow airflow.

Pros for tub feeding:

There’s no bedding, so there is less mess and no chance for the snake to ingest substrate
Tub feeding is good for encouraging picky eaters to consume food

Cons for tub feeding:

Removing a snake from its environment can stress it out and discourage it from eating its meal
Picking up a snake to put it back into its enclosure can cause it to regurgitate its meal because that’s how snakes escape threats

Location

A baby corn snake may reject food if it feels anxious. Consider:

Is the enclosure too large? Snakes can feel exposed and unsafe in too large enclosures.
Are the temperature and humidity levels correct? Corn snakes need a temperature gradient of 75-85°F and humidity levels between 40-50%.
Are there any external factors, such as loud music or scents, making the snake uncomfortable? Place the enclosure in a calm space that doesn’t see an abundance of activity, such as a study or den.

Adjusting the enclosure can be the right move. Once the snake is feeling more secure, it may eat its food.

Live Feeding

Frozen-thawed pinkies are ideal feeders. However, if your baby corn snake refuses frozen-thawed then a live pinkie is an alternative. Place the pinkie near the snake and give it some privacy. Don’t leave the pinkie in there for more than 10 minutes. If the snake doesn’t eat the pinkie, remove it.

Breeders that raise a corn snake to eat only live prey should notify a possible owner about its eating habits. Getting a corn snake raised on live food to take frozen-thawed can be difficult.

Force-Feeding

Only consider force-feeding if the snake has lost over 10% of its weight and a vet agrees that force-feeding is the way forward. Force-feeding a corn snake, at any age, should not be done without first being shown the process by a reptile vet. It should also only be done in emergency situations.

Is Overfeeding My Snake Bad?

Overfeeding a snake can cause it to become overweight. It can also cause a young snake to grow faster than it should. This can shorten its lifespan and cause other health issues.

Is My Snake Overweight?

The signs of an overweight snake are:

Raised fat reserves
Being overly soft to the touch. Snakes are lean and muscular when at their ideal weight and should be firm to the touch
Pronounced fat rolls when coiled
Scale spread
Obvious hips above the tail

How Long Can You Keep Frozen Mice?

Feeder rodents can usually be kept frozen for up to 6 months. Ideally, they should be put deep in the freezer to avoid partial thawing.

If you notice a small amount of freezer burn on a feeder mouse it can still safely be fed to the snake.

Thawing Frozen Mice

Thaw the pinkie in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Do not use boiling water, as this can change the smell and texture of the pinkie. You’ll know the mouse is thawed when you can poke its middle and feel no lumps inside. Do not thaw a mouse in the microwave or offer a partially-thawed mouse.

Baby corn snakes can be fed shortly after hatching. In all likelihood, they won’t eat until after their first shed. Don’t be alarmed if your baby corn snake refuses to eat for the first 1-2 weeks of its life.

Post-shed, if your snake still refuses to eat it might be time to try different feeding methods, such as container feeding or scenting. Force-feeding is a last resort and should only be done in emergency situations.

MLA Style: Carter, Lou. "When To Start Feeding Baby Corn Snakes" Snakes For Pets, (August 11, 2022), https://www. snakesforpets.com/when-to-start-feeding-baby-corn-snakes/.

APA Style: Carter, L. (August 11, 2022). When To Start Feeding Baby Corn Snakes. Snakes For Pets. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from https://www.snakesforpets.com/when-to-start-feeding-baby-corn-snakes/

How to care for a corn snake?

Natalia | June 8, 2021 | Veterinary | No comments

Taking its name from the corn granaries, which attracted mice and later these predators, the corn snake is an excellent house snake.

How does the corn snake behave?

Generally docile, relatively easy to care for and does not grow very large; this is a great choice, especially for beginner snake owners. However, these reptiles are also a favorite of even experienced owners due to the many beautiful colors and patterns that have been bred in captivity. Closely related to rat snakes , Corn snakes are sometimes referred to as red rat snakes. They are native to the southeastern United States, mostly land-dwelling, and active mostly at dusk and dawn.

How big does a corn snake grow?

ADULT SIZE: 90 to 150 cm long; sometimes up to 180 cm long

How long does a corn snake live?

LIFE EXPECTANCY: 15 to 20 years

Corn snake behavior and temperament

These reserved snakes allow people to handle them and are generally docile. But when they feel threatened, especially in the wild, they can vibrate their tails as a defense mechanism, similar to rattlesnakes.

Like most snakes, corn and rat snakes are consummate escapers. They will push the lid with their nose looking for weak spots and tiny holes, so the fit of the lid is very important. If the snake gets out of the cage, it may get lost or injured. An escaped snake can also scare your guests.

Corn snake housing

The 75 liter glass tank is a large housing for the corn snake. It is important to use a securely closing lid that can be clamped from above.

Corn snakes need to hide to feel safe. Provide a hidden box (any closed container, such as an overturned cardboard box) large enough for the snake to curl up in; if it is too big, the snake will not feel safe. Pieces of bark can also provide a hiding place for your snake if they are on a substrate that allows them to hide under the bark. Ideally, there should be a place to hide in both the cooler and warmer part of the hull. Also provide a forked branch for climbing.

Temperature control for the corn snake

Maintaining the correct temperature in the home of the corn snake is vital. An overhead incandescent light is the preferred heating method, but corn snakes come from temperate climates so they don't need tropical temperatures. Keep the ambient temperature between 26.7 and 29 C. The bathing area should be between 29 and 31 C. At night, the temperature should only drop to 24 C. Heating pads or heat tape can be used under the tank, but they can make it difficult to see how much case heats up, so use thermometers inside.

Humidity for corn snakes

Fortunately, corn snakes prefer the humidity of a normal household. 40 to 50 percent is a good range for ambient air in the hull, up to 60 percent will promote healthy shedding. Monitor your corn snake enclosure with a hygrometer, especially during the drier winter months; you may need to spray the tank more frequently or refill the evaporative water tank.

Corn Snake Substrate

These snakes love to burrow and hide, so using a layer of loose substrate (floor lining) at the bottom of the enclosure is key. A variety of materials can be used as the bottom layer of the case. Newspaper without ink is a utilitarian choice, as it is very easy to clean, but its caged appearance leaves a lot to be desired. It is possible to use indoor/outdoor carpeting and if you cut two pieces, you can rotate them, replacing the clean one with the dirty one while cleaning; Wash and dry contaminated product thoroughly before use.

Aspen shavings can be used for the top layer. Shavings stained with feces can simply be scooped out; if necessary, clean and freshen the chips. Move the snake to a separate feeding container to avoid accidentally swallowing the chips. Do not use pine or cedar shavings because the aromatic oils can cause irritation and breathing problems for your pet reptile.

Sand, soil and corn cobs are also not suitable substrates for corn snakes.

Food and water for the corn snake

Corn snakes are carnivores. In the wild, they follow their prey primarily by smell rather than by sight. Captive corn snakes should be fed pre-killed frozen mice that have been properly thawed. 2 The young are taken out to be fed mice on the little finger, and the size of the prey should be increased as the snake grows. The prey can be both wide and slightly wider than the snake's head.

Feed growing snakes twice a week; Adults only need to be fed one suitably sized prey each week or 10 days. Your snake's appetite may decrease around the time of shedding, so reduce your feeding frequency if your snake is about to shed, as evidenced by cloudy eyes and dull, cloudy skin.

Because corn snakes drink water by soaking it up through their mouths, a water bowl is also needed; It is important to keep the water clean. Snakes often use water to help them defecate; when this happens, empty the dishes and immediately wash and refill them. A heavy, shallow dish a few inches in diameter is a good source of water. You may even find your snake soaking into the dish, especially in front of a shed. Use non-chlorinated water whenever possible.

General health and behavior problems

Mouth rot or infectious stomatitis is a bacterial infection of the mouth that often causes blisters of saliva and inflammation in and around the mouth. If left untreated, this ailment can cause infection in the bones and the snake's teeth can be lost. A toothless snake will not be able to eat properly.

Like most snake species, corn snakes are susceptible to fungal diseases and respiratory infections. A fungal infection is characterized by a change in skin color. A sign of a respiratory infection is open-mouthed breathing or wheezing. All of these health problems require treatment by an exotic animal veterinarian who has experience with reptiles.

About the author

Natalia

There are many formidable, kind and funny animals in the world. Everyone goes their own way, some with people, and some without them. Our cats and dogs have become family members. We separate their fights, give them our caresses. And in return with love, we receive this devotion in everything. With respect and love!

Maize snake. Feeding. | Teniura

In nature, maize snakes feed on small and medium rodents, bats, birds and their eggs, occasionally lizards. Are eating unstable, as they hunt for something then they eat it.

At home, maize is fed

laboratory mice
mastomys
rats
hamsters (rarely because they are fat)
quail chickens

In no case should you feed maize and other snakes with meat from the store, for them it is an inferior food. The snake definitely needs vitamins and trace elements that are in the internal organs of rodents and birds. And wool and feathers are needed for peristaltics, and they come out unprocessed.

Feeding babies

Little maize hatches from the egg and in the first 7-10 days the baby completely absorbs the reserves of the yolk sac that he has drawn from the egg. Before the first feeding, the baby should make a mistake, shed, and only after that you can start feeding him.

Not all corn snake babies begin to eat immediately after the first molt. In nature, such babies die, and at home there is a chance to teach them to eat on their own, by force-feeding several times.

If you are a beginner and get your first snake, take only one that is already stable on its own and has not had burps. And it will be already a little grown maize, and not a baby.

Babies under 4-6 months of age should be fed every 5-6 days only by newborn naked mice, occasionally hamsters. Growing maize snake should not starve.

Mastomis pebbles

Important! It is better to place a small snake up to a year in a compact container of 10-15 liters, having previously equipped it in accordance with all the rules. In terrariums and containers of large volume and without shelters, maize tend to become stressed and refuse to eat.

Feeding adolescents

Every 3-4 months, as the snake grows, it is necessary to transfer to a larger food and select for each baby individually one suitable KO. The food object should be increased gradually and at the same time feed less frequently. Also be guided by the thickness of the snake: the thickness of the KO can be a maximum of 1.5 of the thickness of the snake.

Adult snakes can be fed once every 7-9 days pubescent mice, mastomis, newborn rats, quails.

Naked rat

Feeding adult maize

It is enough to feed adult snakes every 7-14 days with a food object of a suitable size and weighing about 40 g: a large mouse, a chicken, a small running rat. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the size of the snake, the larger the snake, the more KO it can be offered. Too much KO can lead to unwanted burping.

Corn snakes are easy to pick up defrosted food.

Maize snake actively grows up to 3 years.

Thawed day old chick

Feeding and molting

Snakes must not be fed during molting. Usually grown and adult individuals themselves refuse to eat during molting.

Very small snakes molt quickly, they can shed in one day. It happens in the morning he fed, and by lunchtime the serpent had already left in a molt And usually, together, the processes of molting and digestion of food take place in babies. painlessly.

Feed change

Not all snakes easily switch to a new type of food. If the snake refuses new type of food, you can try to deceive her by rubbing the new type of food with the usual scent food. For example, “rub” a hamster with a mouse.

It happens that a snake eats only live food, it also eats one species, for example, the Dzhugnar hamster, but refuses to eat other food, for example, a mouse. And in this case, you can retrain the snake: put the mouse to the Dzhugnar hamster so that the mouse is saturated with the smell of the Dzhungar. This can take a lot of time, most likely it will not work to transfer the snake to a new type of food the first time.

When to feed

Corn snakes should only be fed after how they are completely fucked up. Adult snakes usually do this on the 3rd day, quite kids - earlier.

Snakes usually drink after they have eaten, so make sure that the water in the drinking bowl is clean.

It is not necessary to give vitamins with meals, because that with complete food, snakes get everything they need, and an overdose vitamins are dangerous.

It is safe to feed animals on the mat. They will not swallow artificial grass with their food.

What to ask when buying corn

When buying corn snake you need find out

Age of maize
Is it stable on its own?
What does maize eat (mouse, hamster… size)?
How exactly did the baby eat (from tweezers to hiding at night. ..)?
How many times and how did you eat (if a baby)?
Accustomed to thawed food?
When did the baby last eat?

If maize is a few years old weeks stably eats on its own, then, subject to proper maintenance even a beginner has no problems.

If the baby has only eaten once on his own, then it is still very risky for a beginner to take such babies. It doesn't mean baby She is already eating on her own.

And remember, the more you ask about what and how the corn snake eats, the fewer nutritional problems will arise in further.

Important! After moving the snake to a new house (and even a new terrarium), it should not be disturbed for several days, and you can feed it no earlier than after two or three days. The maize snake of any age must get used to the new environment. Stress can cause the snake to stop eating, and worse, regurgitate.

Spitting is highly undesirable for any snake and can lead to further problems or even death of the animal.

Defrost feeding

they refuse the mouse and eat only a live mouse. Some refuse for a long time eat thawed food.

If maize does not eat defrosted try tear (cut) the skin of the KO to increase the smell. Leave KO for a while time with the snake, maybe she needs time or some specific conditions.

All snakes prefer a certain way of eating, e.g. etc.

When the snake must not be disturbed

After feeding the snake, in no case do not disturb it, and even more so do not pick up, remember, this can lead to such adverse effects, such as burping of feed.

When a snake is molting, it must not be disturbed either. At the same time, during molting, some animals become inactive and lethargic, while others, on the contrary, become aggressive and nervous.

Spitting

If this happens, do not disturb the pet and pause feeding for at least 10 days for snakes of any age. After a break, start feeding the snake half as much food as usual.

Why won't the corn snake eat?

The reasons for refusing to eat can be different and only understanding the reason, you can answer the question of how to feed.

Stress . Maybe in a new environment (moving to a new house, to a new terrarium) or after some of your manipulations. In this case, you should feed the snake on the second or third day, so that she gets used to it, calms down, in no case before.

Not hungry. Feed too often. Overfeeding and "acceleration" of growth snakes inevitably leads to obesity of varying degrees, even in young individuals. And this in turn leads to health problems and even death of the animal.

Constipation. You can help the animal to make a mistake - let it swim in a warm water. If this does not help and constipation for a long time, then you need to contact your veterinarian, to understand the causes and eliminate them.

Never ate by myself. It happens that small maize are not fed from birth on one's own. In this case, you need to try different KOs and different methods. feeding and only if nothing helped, then feed the baby forcibly. Feed maize baby should definitely be entrusted to a veterinarian or an experienced terrariumist. It happens that you have to "shove" small corn several times before they start eating on their own.

Molting snake. The snake has already begun the process of molting, but it is not noticeable yet. At some snakes only by their blue eyes can be seen that they are in molt, although the process starts earlier.

Poor conditions of detention . For example, there is no temperature difference or insufficient heating in a warm corner The low temperature leads to a decrease in the snake's appetite and activity of the digestive processes.

Sexual behavior and reproduction. Male over 2 years old (sometimes earlier) from February to April maybe in a race. Refusals from food can be long - up to several months.

The female may be pregnant. Pregnant females often lie in a warm corner and may refuse food throughout pregnancy until masonry. But offer KO is a must for a pregnant female.

Females can lay unfertilized (fatty) eggs even without mating with a male. If the snake has not laid fatty eggs, it “dissolves” them and feeds on it for some time.

Unusual KO. Snakes may refuse an unfamiliar prey item. If a, for example, a snake has always eaten mice, then a chicken may be abandoned. snake can refuse stale KO, and that's good, otherwise there may be problems health and even death.

Disease. In this case, you should definitely contact your veterinarian and treat the animal.

How to feed the corn snake

If you cannot find a suitable KO for your pet, remember that maize in good shape can live without food.

How to feed maize:

Wait a few days, the snake may shed or become cloudy. In this case, feed the snake after the molt.
Place shelters in warm and cool corners, the snake may be refusing to eat due to stress.
Try another KO of a suitable size (hamster, quail, chicken). “Feed” an unusual KO with a familiar smell. For example, put the mouse for some time to the jungarik.
Cut the skin of the thawed KO in several places to smell it.
Try to give a live CO. There are individuals who refuse to eat defrosting.
If the maize is already an adult, older than 2 years, then you can not feed it for a month and offer food after the hunger strike.
The snake can be gently wintered at a temperature of 18-20 degrees for 3-4 weeks. When the temperature returns to normal - feed.
Small maize to leave naked in a shelter for the night.
If the animal is losing weight, shedding continuously, has sores in the mouth or other symptoms, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian and treat the animal first.
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