Why are my male snakes sometimes refusing to eat? Females are eating like champs.

[JohnCA]

I'm new to the hobby. Please cut me some slack if my questions are off-base or off-target.

I have four house snakes. All young adults. Two females and two males.

My females always eat .. every time. My males are occasionally finicky ... much less reliable eaters compared to the females.

Recently my males began skipping meals ... both of them.

Each snake has its own enclosure, but the enclosures are in close proximity.

Are my males skipping meals because:
They are mostly full grown (their length is a good size for male house snakes) and their eating slows when they are no longer growing much now -- their metabolism has slightly slowed?
Even though it is still quite warm where I live, the snakes feel a change in season?
The males' close proximity to the females has them distracted?
Or all of the above?
Or some other reason?

Because I'm not a seasoned snake enthusiast, I get a little unnerved (perhaps unnecessarily) when my snakes skip meals. The males are eating about every 2 or 3 weeks recently ... small meals.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Socratic Monologue]

I don't keep house snakes, but my hogs and knoblochi kings (and rosy boas, though to a lesser degree) will alter their feeding habits or go off feed from time to time, I suspect for all the reasons you've listed. I have a lone male ball python, too, who has gone off food for up to 9 months, with no apparent ill effects and with no apparent reason for starting up again. He's been with me about ten years and I'm still learning his habits.

Hopefully someone who keeps house snakes can chime in here and give you some specific pointers.

Keep looking for info, and keep learning, but try not to get worried about feeding peculiarities. Snakes are funny critters.

 

[ajhyp]

Even without brumating temps, some snakes feel winter by looking at how long the sun is up. If you keep them in a naturally lit room, this might be the case. It could also be alot of different factors, but as long as they are eating(even if small feedings in once a while,) it should be completely fine.




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[bcr229]

All of my adult colubrids slow down on feeding over the winter. It's nothing to worry about - just offer smaller meals and less often.

Mine get voracious in the spring to make up for it. I have to watch a few of them carefully as they tend to mistake my pinkie finger for pinkie mice when the weather starts warming up!