Occasionally you will come across a corn snake that just will not eat. The species is generally a good eater but corn snakes sometimes refuse to eat for no obvious reason. This is most common with hatchlings but some adults go through periods of not having an appetite.
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Causes
Newly bought snakes may not eat in the first few weeks, just like most other reptiles. This is because they are confused and may feel insecure as if they are in someone else’s territory. Allow the snake to have a settling in period of two weeks where you do not disturb it unless changing the water.
Stress is a big cause of loss of appetite; stress can be caused by a variety of things such as loud noises, temperature problems, lack of suitable hides, and size of housing, irritating substrates or parasites.
Try different food items such as birds (quails or their eggs), reptiles (anoles) and other rodents (hamsters). If you find the corn snake likes these specific food items then try (for example) rubbing hamster blood on a mouse/rat to trick the snake.
Feeding Methods
Warm the mouse/rat up then wiggle it in front of the snake with a good pair of forceps. There are several reasons to use forceps but the main one is so that the snake knows where the food ends and you begin.
Cut the top part of the head off the mouse/rat to expose some smell. This can often encourage the snake to eat the meal because they cannot resist those aromatic smells. Possibly leave it on the warm side of the tank overnight.
Some corn snakes will enjoy eating anoles or heads of anoles. Try feeding these and then try rubbing the anoles blood on the mouse/rat or wrapping anole skin around it.
There are special lizard smell sprays that will make a rodent smell of lizard and since some corn snakes like to eat lizards this may encourage feeding.
Eventually if all else fails, you may have to force feed your corn snake. You should get hold of an expert to do this for you as it is very dangerous. It involves opening the snake’s mouth and pushing food down its throat. Needless to say it is very stressful and if done before exhausting all other options as it may cause more bad than good.