male hognose refusing to eat

[PJ FF]

Hey guys, befor I left for Reno on thursday, I offered my 3 hoggys pinkies. Only the 2 females ate while the male refused. Today I offered him food again and he still refused it. I tryed it with ALL the lights off to where it was pitch black. I left it in there for about 2 hours and still wouldnt eat. I weighed the all and heres the weights on them:
Male(non-eater)...... weighed at 10 g.
Female(sister)...... weighed at 12 g.
Female(alot older)........ weighed at 24 g.


Also, the male that has refused twice has still ate 2 other times befor he started refusing.

[wildlifewarrior]

Check your husbandry on that individual, temp, humidity etc etc, that is usually the problem. Were they f/t or live? Good luck!

~mike

[PJ FF]

I fed them all f/t with the cage temps at 86 and humidity at 42%. I am picking up a live pinkie tomarrow just to give it a shot.

[RichardA]

Also, remember these snakes know what the Baro pressure and such are.......with winter rolling in and other things going on........It is close enough to smell the females?

[Gecko Den]

At 10 grams he could care less if he smells a female. Hognose are notorious for going on hunger strikes, one of the reasons I quit keeping them was because they were such a pain when they stopped eating. Keep monitoring his weight, unfortunatly at 10g their isn't a lot of wiggle room. Of course you can try all the little tricks; feeding him in a small container/brown bag, dipping the pinky in tuna fish juice, braining the pinky, etc....

I had one female that, at around 20 grams stopped eating, she didn't eat for three months before she started to lose weight, I tried everything, finally I was able to get a western plains toad at a reptile show, I kept the toad as a pet and would rub the pinky on the toad to scent it. That got her eating again and I eventually got her off of scented pinks and back on unscented.
Good Luck with him.

[Colin Vestrand]

i was just about to post the same thing. i have an 05 male... he skipped one meal, at the next feeding, now he's skipped his last two. he's the only one in my collection refusing. i've had the snake for a year and its never skipped a meal... frustrating, but he seems healthy and is still active and pooping and everything like that. ive' tried feeding him in a deli cup, braining, and just leaving the pink at the door of his main hide.

[RichardA]

size, age, so on..........doesnt matter if he smells other snakes that right there can cause any snake to not eat. Even more so for snakes that eat other reptiles and amphibians. Would you eat a cracker if you could smell a steak right next to you?

[PJ FF]

Well he is eating as I speak. I got him a live pinkie and that got him to right away.
Do you think that is caused by the live mouses smell? It seems like it would make sence that the live have alot stronger of a scent than the f/t.
Thanks for all the tips!

[RichardA]

Good! Glad it ate for you!

Live sometimes is the only way for a while.......it happens......LOL

[Colin Vestrand]

hmm, mine still wont eat... starting to worry, he's eaten one pinky in the last 6 weeks.
he doesnt seem to be losing weight, but i've tried everything except scenting... suggestions?