You KNOW your snakes

Sooo, it doesn't matter if it's a corn. a rat, a king, a burm, a retic, ... You KNOW your baby, the way it relates to you...
Well, suppose one day, after it has been cooped up in the same tank for 4 years... you allow it to crawl out of it's tank, for the FIRST time, no hands on, (of course you have grabbed it out of it's tank many times, BUT, this is the first time the snake has CHOOSE to come out) She came right to me. I put her back in her tank, and she REFUSED to eat.
This weekend, I gave her small fuzzys to eat, (we are talking about a 5 foot pueblan) she cruised the lid, as if she wanted to come out, she refused to eat again.
I do think these critters remember stuff, and If there are any sssnakee lovers who have been in a simular situation, I would like to know. I brained her food, then reheated with egg yolk, she isn't eating. I'm not worried, Scarlett is very round and healthy.
So what do I do, let her out alone, and then try to get her to eat, or just go back to the same regiment... clean, fresh water, then drop a couple of mice in...... Thanks Jan
I really need a hug, and some good support.

Hey guys..glad to have ya here...How's Lil Jaf doing?

It's warm...it's spring. Give her a little time.

In my experience, the one thing any snake (or any other caged animal for that matter) craves is freedom. You say you just gave your snakie a taste of it for the first time in 4 years! That is probably distracting her from food and probably will for a while. You just changed her routine and she is reacting to the change. this doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Before I moved, I would often leave the tanks open and let the snakes go for a cruise around the reptile room. Unfortunately, the room they're in now isn't snake-proof, so I can't let them do that anymore. I even let them go (one at a time) to the feeding tub and get their own food when it was feeding time. (This also made it much easier to find them if they did manage to get out on their own, as they would usually be hanging on the feeding tub waiting for a meal) They perk up and come to the top of their cages whenever I'm in the reptile room now, hoping for a chance to come out. When I do open the cages, to change water, spot clean,etc. they climb out. I just keep an eye on them and put them back in when I'm done. They eat just fine because they are used to things being that way.

I would try just letting the snake come out on her own whenever you are going to take her out of her cage, instead of grabbing her. That way she will get accustomed to that happening and will probably settle down and go back to eating normally again. As I'm sure you're aware, a healthy, well-fed snake can go for months without eating and be none the worse for wear. Just look at it as an opportunity to get to know your snake better, see how she reacts to changes in her environment. Your snake will be fine, I'm sure.

Thanks for the kind replies, feeling MUCH better now.
Scartlett is a zoom-zoom critter, of course being a milk snake.
But I had never seen her being so careful and slow before, kind of brought tears to my eyes. I guess I'll have to let her try it again, but.... I can't let her loose... we have two recliners, a hideabed couch, and alot of bookcases ect in the room! oh boy, would that be a major hide and seek! (DARN this small, one bedroom apt...)

Could I just use this thread as a little personal journal, Randy is better at the other places.....
Anyways, Scarlett shed last night, right before bedtime, so I figured I'd clean the mess up this morning. Well between making coffee, turning on all the cage lights and the T.V., I found a movie on I liked.
At some point I noticed movement in her cage, and glanced over to see what she was doing. Scarlett had a BIG piece of shed drapped over her head, like a bonnet, and was climbing/reaching for the top of her cage. It was almost like she was telling me, "If MOM won't clean up this mess, I guess I'LL have to do it MYSELF!"
LOL, needless to say, I got her cage cleaned up right then!
She still isn't eating, sigh, maybe in another week...
Sometimes critters have funny sides to their personalities...
We have a Taiwan Beauty,1.0, about 6', that when he takes a dump, he'll just lay by it (and watch it), until somebody (ME) cleans it up! When I clean his "swimming pool/water dish", put it back, and try to pour new water in it...He gets in it while I'm trying to fill it! Then... he will completely go underwater afterwards
and blow bubbles though his nostrils. NO, he doesn't have any body buddies... He just likes making bubbles! He's my BIG sweetie! Just another weekend at home Jan

Randy has raised a Ceretroprys Ornata, (pac man frog) since he was a frogling....May of 1981.
Friday we discovered that Rambo had passed away, 23 years after Randy fell in love with a quarter sized froggy.
I have only known him for 5 years, but in that time he grew in my heart as well. He was my sweet prince, my sweet breath, my "other guy" in my life.
We learned after we bought this computer back in 2001, that the Ornatas bought today only live for 8 years. It was a blessing to know that Rambo had lived 3 lifetimes, and blessed my life in the process.
Randy wondered if we had a World Book Record... it doesn't matter, a little place of my heart is broken right now...
Rambo is sleeping in the freezer right now, we are making plans to have him freeze dried or taxi-mounted, so he can always be with us always.
I'm sorry.... can't write anymore.... Jan

She finally ATE this weekend! I offered her a small mouse and a hopper....Nose bleeders. She ate the small adult first, then wolfed down the hopper! Our 6'ft Tawain gulped down 3 jumbo mice, and the Blotched king, (Jaffo), was in BLUE shed, but "MR. PIGGY" ate 2 small mice, then thanked me Sunday by pooping all over the top of his hide....
I'm worried about our new snake... She is the Rough Green Snake... we named Greenlee. We have put 4 to 5 medium sized crickets in her cage.... First every 3 days, now it is EVERY day, she pounds them down in no time flat, and then.. is looking for more!
I'm worried about internal buddies that may be making her want to eat more, or she may have had crickets in her "last" home bite her, or she might have had alot of other snakes in the same tank, "whoever eats the fastest, gets the mostest"! (I was raised on a farm with 6 siblings... I know that tune!)
Our hoggy was in shed/blue... not going to eat... The banana Cali shed quick on Friday, she got her 1 live hopper, then ate 2 f/t hoppers after I dangled them in front of her. I still can't get her to eat a f/t at first, she needs the "wiggly" to get her in the mood!
Our temps are right, we have thermostats in the HIGH,medium, and low spots. Our critters just have their own SPOILED wants!
Just another weekend....Jan
P.S. We threw Rambo's tank in the dumpster today, Monday, it crashed into alot of pieces, I just couldn't use it for another critter... I miss him SOOOO MUCH!

We decided to have Rambo "freeze dried" after he passed away, so we found a place back east that would take care of him. He will be mounted on a piece of driftwood, with a plaque " Rambo 1981-2004" It will take a few months before we get him home...
but the wait is worth it! Jan

SFR...
Most of our snakes have gone from hoppers to small adult mice! Except for the baby variable king, he is on 3 large pinkies now! THANK YOU SUMMER!
The banana cali is eating F/T now!
(Of course the hog nose isn't... He still wants live hoppers!)
SOOOO, my 2 year old TAIWAN, who has been handled in the past with mouse scented hands!!!! Tonight I put 2 jumbo mice in his tank... WITH 18 inch tweezers, guess what... Snakes HAVE TEETH!
(He Got my Eagle finger!) WOW!
Most of the finger is in a bandage right now. No wonder we nick named him "BUCKET MOUTH"!
No matter how much you trust your critter, they are still WILD!!!
Teko is eating 3 JUMBO mice every 7 days, I suggested 4, but Randy told me "3 BIG mice and a FINGER tonight is enough!"
TEKO is almost 7 feet long, and never tried to bite before, but ALWAYS wash your hands between feedings! (Stupid feeding response.) Just another weekend.... Jan