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#2093760

Ninja lizard
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Why ?

i found a snake in my backyard add took it in(it looked skinny) i did tons of research on it but could not find out what it is.... anyway he was eating fine(pinks/fuzzy and the occasion mouse) but now hes not eating. iknow its almost winter but he is pretty thin for not eating awhile?
can some help

11/09/09 05:14pm

#2093761

Ninja lizard
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Message To: Ninja lizard In reference to Message Id: 2093760

Why ?

oh yea i thought it was a Grey rat snake but not for sure (i didn’t know if that would help but just to make sure!!)

11/09/09 05:16pm

#2094038

Fairy Frog Mother
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Message To: Ninja lizard In reference to Message Id: 2093761

Why ?

It could be going into Brumation.
Wild snakes do not eat reliably in captivity and are light and temperature sensitive. (Its how they can tell the seasons are changin)

11/10/09 02:59pm

#2094049

Ninja lizard
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Message To: Fairy Frog Mother In reference to Message Id: 2094038

Why ?

thanks,but should i still keep him because my wants me to let it go????

PS: its a baby

11/10/09 03:27pm

#2094248

Concolor1
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Message To: Ninja lizard In reference to Message Id: 2094049

Some Thoughts . . .

I think its way too late in the year to consider releasing it, particulary given your location . . .

If you’ll hope over to the "Bull, Pine, and Gopher Snake" section and scroll down, there are some threads about hunger strikes with w/c snakes. I had a problem with a little gopher I caught literally down the street from me (one reason I kept it because it’s in essentially a residential neighborhood with lots of cats). This snake had just eaten a big meal when I captured it, promptly went into shed mode, and then ate for a few months before starting to refuse everything around the middle of August.

I know one of the my threads (after I brumated it over the winter) is titled ’Tis a Beautiful Sight to Behold," and I included a picture of this snake taking down its second meal after I removed it from the unheated closet.

JackAsp was particularly helpful with advice in the threads below that one, so if you hunt around, you should get some good answers. Right now (since it really doesn’t matter the actual length of the brumation period so long as some minimal length of time is observed), I’d keep the snake warm and with plenty of water to make sure it isn’t a simple matter of the snake going into shed.

Assuming it’s a gray rat snake, there’s no reason it wouldn’t adjust well to captivity, particularly given its age and size.

11/11/09 12:00am

#2094297

Ninja lizard
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Message To: Concolor1 In reference to Message Id: 2094248

Some Thoughts . . .

thank you all for the help I’m going to get a lamp soon and hopefully he will start eating!!

11/11/09 06:28am

#2094326

Snakehunter64
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Message To: Ninja lizard In reference to Message Id: 2094297

Some Thoughts . . .

good luck! ;) do you have any pics of it? may not be a Grey Rat snake, though, if you’re in Maryland. it’s a baby? must be a young Black Rat snake. they have a pattern when young, then it fades to black with age.

11/11/09 09:03am

#2094408

Ninja lizard
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Message To: Snakehunter64 In reference to Message Id: 2094326

Some Thoughts . . .

i also thought that ill post a pic shortly

11/11/09 03:13pm

#2094435

Concolor1
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Message To: Ninja lizard In reference to Message Id: 2094408

No Need for a Lamp . . .

It’s pretty much a consensus that snakes don’t need special lighting (despite what the Petco and Petsmart employees say), but you will want an under-the-tank heater of some sort and probably a thermometer to monitor the temps . . .

11/11/09 04:47pm