i need bull snake advice!!!!

I have a juvenile bull snake that I found last August in Billings MT. I need specific information regarding its care and feeding, especially good books that I can buy regarding this type of snake.
He ate well (1 pinkie a week) till October when he stopped eating completely for at least 2 months.
He ate 1 or 2 fuzzies in January, then 1 more this month.
He looks wrinkled and flaky like he might be shedding (he has shed once since I've had him.
He always has water and 2 hides, and has aspen bedding
His activity level is much less than what it was last year and stays pressed against the glass at the cool end of the tank (not in a hide).
Humidity in the house is probably pretty low. I introduced moss that I spray when I can.
Is he hibernating/burmating?
When does this normally begin and end?
How should I care for a snake while in burmation?
I can provide pics of the snake and enclosure to anyone that asks
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey pictures might help you might want to post some!

Pix are attached. More are available, or I can take whatever addt'l pics you need.

He's not in brumation unless you're keeping him cold enough to slow down his metabolism. There are a couple of reasons he might not be eating - the first one to consider is temperatures. What is the room temp, and what are you using to provide heat?
That snake has a retained shed...most of my bulls wouldn't be phased by that, but I have a couple that might feed sporadically if they were left that way. I'd soak him & get that old skin off.
What's with the gloves???

Originally Posted by hhmoore

He's not in brumation unless you're keeping him cold enough to slow down his metabolism. There are a couple of reasons he might not be eating - the first one to consider is temperatures. What is the room temp, and what are you using to provide heat?
That snake has a retained shed...most of my bulls wouldn't be phased by that, but I have a couple that might feed sporadically if they were left that way. I'd soak him & get that old skin off.
What's with the gloves???

Maybe he's agressive and doesn't wanna get bit? *shrug* Harald, do they make lip gloves?

I love the pic you snapped of that.

Well, if he's so afraid of a baby bull that he has to wear those gloves, he probably should have left it where he found it.

A WC bullsnake could be following natural cues that it is time to brumate....hence the not eating....but, if it isn't actually put into brumation, he's just not eating. The difference is that being in brumation will slow its metabolism, and the time without eating won't have much effect on it; whereas if it isn't cool enough, it will lose weight & could be at risk.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

He's not in brumation unless you're keeping him cold enough to slow down his metabolism. There are a couple of reasons he might not be eating - the first one to consider is temperatures. What is the room temp, and what are you using to provide heat?
That snake has a retained shed...most of my bulls wouldn't be phased by that, but I have a couple that might feed sporadically if they were left that way. I'd soak him & get that old skin off.
What's with the gloves???

I wasn't wearing the gloves, someone else was. I was the photographer. He's a typical bull snake in aggressiveness and is snippy with quick hand movements. He is calming down, tho.
I'm getting conflicting info regarding heat/light and brumation/hibernation - some are telling me to cool him down and reduce light, some tell me to maintain light and heat that it's lenght of day/time of year that he responds to. I would prefer to maintain stable year-round lighting and temp with regular feeds, but I will do whatever is necessary to maintain his health.
Currently I have a heat lamp for day time and a red light for nighttime warmth (both on 12hour timers). I also have a heat pad attached to the warm side of the tank
He has 2 hides (neither of which he uses) and a water dish
He has moss that I spray to increase humidity, but I doubt that it helps much.
So............... should I be trying to hibernate/brumate him?
For how long?
Light? No light?
Tank temps?
How long should I be soaking him for and how often?
Should I do anything else to aid the shed?
Again, I can't stress enough how much conflicting information I've found on the internet. I would really like to find a good, authoritative book by a reputable author regarding Pituophis that addresses all these concerns.

The thing is, different techniques work...for different reasons. You have a WC bullsnake, it's natural for him to respond to seasonal changes by preparing for brumation.
First - you have to get him straightened out. Soak him, and get that shed off him. Leave him alone for a couple of days, and offer him whatever it is that you've been feeding him (did you say pinky?? I have only started 3 bullsnakes on pinkies in all the years I've kept/bred them, and they were runts.)
Second - your description of conditions was noteworthy in that you made no reference to temperatures. A bull snake will feed through a wide range of temps, but may stop (or feed less frequently) toward the high and low ends of that range. Figure out where your temps are. Bulls do not need constant high temps, a night time drop into the mid 60s or low 70s is not a big problem this time of year. You've got the heat pad, so you might consider losing the night light.
Third - if, after clearing the old shed and making sure your temps are appropriate, he still doesn't eat, take a good long look at him. If he looks like he is starting to lose weight, it's kind of a toss up...some camps would say to cool him down (let him brumate, to "reset"), others would say not to (because if he's underweight, there is more risk...as a general rule, only animals in top shape should be brumated). Personally, I would probably wait it out, since you said he ate a couple times in Jan, and once in Feb - that should be enough to sustain him. Sometimes its as simple as changing the prey item - offer a rat pink instead of a mouse fuzzy (I start most of my baby bulls on rat pinks, but get a few each year that will only start on mice....I've tried starting on fuzzy mice, but I've noticed that I get more nonfeeders and slow starters than when starting on rat pinks. *These are my experiences, and may differ from other people's)

Originally Posted by hhmoore

The thing is, different techniques work...for different reasons. You have a WC bullsnake, it's natural for him to respond to seasonal changes by preparing for brumation.
First - you have to get him straightened out. Soak him, and get that shed off him. Leave him alone for a couple of days, and offer him whatever it is that you've been feeding him (did you say pinky?? I have only started 3 bullsnakes on pinkies in all the years I've kept/bred them, and they were runts.)
Second - your description of conditions was noteworthy in that you made no reference to temperatures. A bull snake will feed through a wide range of temps, but may stop (or feed less frequently) toward the high and low ends of that range. Figure out where your temps are. Bulls do not need constant high temps, a night time drop into the mid 60s or low 70s is not a big problem this time of year. You've got the heat pad, so you might consider losing the night light.
Third - if, after clearing the old shed and making sure your temps are appropriate, he still doesn't eat, take a good long look at him. If he looks like he is starting to lose weight, it's kind of a toss up...some camps would say to cool him down (let him brumate, to "reset"), others would say not to (because if he's underweight, there is more risk...as a general rule, only animals in top shape should be brumated). Personally, I would probably wait it out, since you said he ate a couple times in Jan, and once in Feb - that should be enough to sustain him. Sometimes its as simple as changing the prey item - offer a rat pink instead of a mouse fuzzy (I start most of my baby bulls on rat pinks, but get a few each year that will only start on mice....I've tried starting on fuzzy mice, but I've noticed that I get more nonfeeders and slow starters than when starting on rat pinks. *These are my experiences, and may differ from other people's)

Whats a WC bull snake? I'm sure the WC is in reference to the area of the country I'm in, but what does it stand for?
How long should he be soaked and how often?
From what I've read (you're gonna hear me repeat that a lot) putting a bull snake in a damp pillowcase for a little while will help with the shed. I'm of the mindset that if it doesn't happen readily in nature that it probably shouldn't be attempted in captivity. I can't think of anything in nature that would approximate being tied up in a wet pillowcase.
I started him on mouse pinkies which seemed the appropriate size for him from what I've read and he ate them readily for several weeks. After he stopped eating he had grown enough that I was giving him mouse fuzzies.
Temp range is varied right now. Previous advice told me to cool him down to appropriate "brumation" temps, so he's in the basement with daytime temps in the mid 80's and nighttime temps in the upper 50's. I can move him again to a warmer area of the house to maintain a more stable temp. However, even as cool as his tank has been, he was pressing himself against the glass on the cool side of the tank for days (not in his hide). He seemed to want a cooler temp. I intend to maintain tank temps in the low 70's to upper 80's with the use of a temp regulator of some sort, as well as moving him into a larger tank.
Are you familiar with wild or captive bred bull snakes? And is there much of a difference in your opinion? From what I've read captive bred snakes are generally more docile and easy to care for than wild, as well as healthier overall.
I will begin feeding rat fuzzies
How do I manage sheds that aren't coming off?
How do I (or should I) brumate/hibernate him? Start/stop months? Overall brumation temps? Since you think he's reacting to seasonal changes outside than I guess it would make sense that whatever I do he will slow down thru the winter, right?
From what I've read, snake owners will weigh food and track feeding and growth. Is this overkill or should I consider it?
Does he require UVA/UVB light? From what I've read, some people think that incandescent is fine.
What should humidity level be like? It's dry in my house, especially in the winter.
A lot of questions, I know, but I've never had a bull snake before.

Originally Posted by shermn8r

Whats a WC bull snake? I'm sure the WC is in reference to the area of the country I'm in, but what does it stand for?

WC = wild caught

How long should he be soaked and how often?

Put him in a container with a small amt of water, and let him soak for an hour or so. There are multiple approaches after that - ranging from putting him in a damp pillowcase, putting a wet towel in the enclosure, wetting down the substrate , etc.[/quote]

I'm of the mindset that if it doesn't happen readily in nature that it probably shouldn't be attempted in captivity. I can't think of anything in nature that would approximate being tied up in a wet pillowcase.

Nature doesn't normally subject them to too dry conditions to the extent that they can't properly shed, either....

Temp range is varied right now. Previous advice told me to cool him down to appropriate "brumation" temps, so he's in the basement with daytime temps in the mid 80's and nighttime temps in the upper 50's.

You're confusing the heck out of him, lol. Warm temps during the day, and brumation temps at night is not a situation I would choose - sure, it happens in nature; but if you want to keep them that way, you have to expect them to respond the way they would in the wild. Either warm him up or cool him down.

Are you familiar with wild or captive bred bull snakes?

Yes.

And is there much of a difference in your opinion?

Yes, Captive bred is the way to go

From what I've read captive bred snakes are generally more docile and easy to care for than wild, as well as healthier overall.

Not much difference in terms of care, IMO. Bulls (pits, in general), tend to be hissy and put on aggressive displays...that's part of their charm. Some will mellow significantly with time, some calm down with handling, and some will always fuss to some extent. It's part of keeping them. WC seem to be jumpier though, and more inclined to follow through with their threats (at least by making more serious threats, if not actually biting). Another generalization would be that CB animals tend to be in better condition than WC...more stable temps, healthier prey, more regular feedings, treatment of parasites - the things that go along with maintaining animals in captivity - are all contributory.

How do I manage sheds that aren't coming off?

see comments above. Personally, I tend to soak, then wet down substrate; or soak and peel.

How do I (or should I) brumate/hibernate him? Start/stop months? Overall brumation temps?

Brumation is their down time. Not strictly required, but many people swear by it (I've seen articles theorizing that not brumating colubrids decreases their longevity, but I don't recall seeing any studies that provided evidence of that). The object is to cool them enough to slow their metabolism...to simulate their winter denning conditions. I simply move mine to the basement. It's usually around 60-65 when I bring them down, and (depending on the winter) will go as low as 45-50 at times. I usually keep them down for 10-12 weeks. When I bring them back upstairs, I don't add supplemental heat for a few days, but will usually offer food within a day or two (my house is usually 70-72, because I keep a variety of snakes in different areas).

Since you think he's reacting to seasonal changes outside than I guess it would make sense that whatever I do he will slow down thru the winter, right?

The changes could be indoors or out - temperatures decrease indoors and out, changing light cycles, etc are factors. This is his first season out of the wild, and the conditions are somewhat sporadic - as I said before, his body doesn't know what to do with the conditions it is encountering.

From what I've read, snake owners will weigh food and track feeding and growth. Is this overkill or should I consider it?

Personally, I don't do that with any of my snakes. I track feeding with hatchlings until they are around 3 months old, then I tend to drift away from that and make note of exceptions - ie when something skips a couple feedings in a row, unusual defecation, retained or skipped shed, etc

Does he require UVA/UVB light? From what I've read, some people think that incandescent is fine.

There are mixed opinions on this. Mine get ambient light from the windows, or the room lights, depending on where in the house they are.

What should humidity level be like? It's dry in my house, especially in the winter.

Bulls are fairly tolerant of humidity (or the lack of) - they occur in a wide range of habitat throughout the middle to western US. I rarely have problems as long as they have water available at all times. I try to keep my house at least 35-40% RH through the winter, though, both for the snakes and my own comfort.