In this blog post, we will answer the following question: How long can a black snake live without food? We will describe a snake’s digestive system, metabolism and energy preserving. We will also give you 8 causes for why your pet snake stopped eating.
How long can a black snake live without food?
Black snakes can go for several weeks without eating. Snakes can reduce their metabolic rate by 70%, allowing them to conserve energy for extended periods while growing.
Black snakes are rarely picky eaters, but may refuse to eat due to being pregnant (carrying eggs), moulting, having a disease or being mishandled. Black snakes also like their food hot and will reject their prey if it is not thawed properly or if it is served too cold.
How can black snakes survive without food?
Snakes already have a low energy demand, which explains why they only need to be fed once every few days. According to a study published in the journal Zoology, wild snakes can reduce their metabolic rate by 70% and even go months without eating.
The researchers found that the snakes burned selected fat stores during the early stages of starvation. The next source of energy the snakes used was protein. Snakes that were less adapted to starvation were more likely to use more protein.
If your snake refuses to eat due to any of the reasons outlined below, consider giving it a few days before offering food again.
Why has my black snake stopped eating?
Black snakes eat meat that they don’t need to be fed frequently. They are far from picky eaters and will often eagerly consume items of prey as long as they are no larger than the snake itself.
Mice and rats are a Black snake’s main food preference, but they also feed on birds, bats, moles, amphibians, and other reptiles. The cheapest and most convenient food for your black snake is pre-killed frozen mice or small rats.
Baby Black snakes are generally fed baby mice, also called pinkies, for the first ten days after they are born. After the first ten days, they may start eating a pinkie every 4 to 5 days until they are old enough to start consuming larger pinkies called fluff or fluff. However, some snake owners face difficulties feeding baby black snakes.
Baby snakes that reject food early on are called “non-feeders” and trying to feed them can be stressful. If your baby black snake does not want to eat, you should check for one of the following reasons:
- It hasn’t adjusted to its new home yet
Baby snakes are naturally nervous and defensive. The black snake hatchlings that weren’t afraid of were quickly eaten long ago and thus unable to pass on their genes. Baby snakes are harmless, and it is normal to see a chick trying to run away or hide.
If you suspect that your black snake won’t eat a pinkie because it hasn’t fully settled yet, try giving it a few weeks to adjust to its new home.
Maintain the regular feeding routine but avoid stressing it with unnecessary handling. Here is some information on how to handle a black snake for the first time. After 3-4 successful feedings, start handling the brood for short periods, except the first 2-3 days after a feed.
Approach the young snake from the side, rather than from above, as this would mimic the actions of a predator. Pick up the snake gently, but without hesitation, as this can scare the baby. You can wear lightweight cotton gloves until you are confident enough to handle the snake without them.
As the black snake begins to understand that it is not its potential prey, it will begin to calm down and gain the safety of its comfortable enclosure. Very soon, you will also begin to tame yourself and become comfortable with its handling.
- Peeling cycle
It is common for a black snake to reject food if it is early in its shed cycle. During the moulting process, you will notice your snake’s eyes turn a milky blue colour for a few days. Also, its skin may start to appear dull and cloudy.
When the snake’s eyes clear again, it is ready to spill. You can make the process easier by allowing your snake to soak in a shallow dish of warm water.
Typically, a black snake will go on a food strike and will hide during its moulting cycle for a couple of weeks. Some snakes may feel irritable and uncomfortable during this stage due to their lack of vision caused by the milky glaze in their eyes.
There are some cases where the black snake will continue to eat despite the weight loss. However, if your snake refuses to eat when it is moulting, it is best to wait until the cycle is over.
Moulting during the digestion of a meal can cause certain moulting areas to get stuck. This is mainly due to the stretched skin that tries to accommodate the food lump from the snake’s recent meal.
According to a study published in the journal of Zoology, snakes can reduce their metabolic rate and even go months without eating. Therefore, if your snake refuses to eat during moulting, it is best to leave it alone as it will be fine without food until it is ready to eat again.
- It was recently fed
A baby black snake should be given a pinkie every 4 to 5 days until it is large enough to consume fluff. Snakes, like most other reptiles, only eat what is necessary to survive. Therefore, if you gave your young snake a meal just two days ago, it is likely that it will reject a meal that is given too early.
- The food is not hot enough
Baby snakes and adult snakes will generally eat a thawed pinky or adult mouse with minimal trouble.
However, some snakes insist that their food be hot because it is a great way to make the food feel “alive” to the snake. Therefore, it is critical that you completely thaw your snake’s frozen food, be it a pinkie mouse or an adult mouse, in a safe manner.
- Your snake is sick
Like other animals, black snakes are vulnerable to diseases and parasites, some of which can be deadly. Has your snake been tested for parasites when you first bought it?
Signs of disease or parasitic invasion include loss of appetite, lethargy, lack of activity, vomiting, changes in stool, or any abnormality in your snake’s appearance.
- Your snake is too cold
Snakes need to be in a warm environment to digest their food properly. If your snake realizes that it does not have a hot area in the tank where it can go after a meal to relax and digest, then it may choose not to eat.
According to the Journal of Experimental Biology, snakes are ectothermic (or cold-blooded) animals, which means they have no internal mechanism to regulate their body temperature.
Unlike mammals, snakes do not get their energy from calorie intake. This is a survival advantage that helps snakes go without food for much longer than mammals.
So how do snakes maintain homeostasis within their bodies? Snakes use environmental heat, such as from the sun’s rays, to speed up their metabolism, which in turn helps them digest their food.
Provide your snake with a warm area, via a heating pad, as well as a cool area in its tank at all times to help regulate its body temperature.
- Feeding a black snake in a Separate Enclosure
Many hobbyists are under the misconception that feeding a snake indoors can make it aggressive. However, the modern understanding of reptile psychology suggests that beliefs about aggression may be wrong.
Your black snake terrarium is its territory, and most snakes have learned to associate opening their tanks with mealtime.
Therefore, taking a snake out of its established territory, where it feels safe, comfortable, stress-free, and trusting, and moving it to a tub for each feeding can be counterintuitive.
Rather than moving the snake at every meal, consider training it to understand the difference between handling time and feeding time.
A good way to introduce regular handling is to hit the snake with a paper towel roll. If it attacks, at least there is no harm to you, and if it doesn’t, it will learn that it is not time to eat.
Also, unlike humans, snakes don’t like to “eat out.” Moving the snake in and out of its cage not only increases its risk of stress, but it can also cause regurgitation because you are moving it immediately after it has eaten.
- It may be carrying eggs
Female black snakes generally stop feeding if they are gravid (egg-carrying). This is because the follicles or ovules are taking up space inside the snake’s body, preventing it from eating a lot. The body of the snake is more focused on the production and care of the eggs than on digestion.
If you want to offer food to a waiting snake, try offering a smaller meal. For example, if you were feeding your medium-sized rats, consider offering medium-sized to juvenile or adult mice.
How long does it take for a black snake to digest its food?
It takes up to 48 hours for a black snake to fully digest its food. Therefore, you mustn’t handle your pet for the first 48 hours after feeding to allow it to digest its food and avoid any regurgitation.
Regurgitation can also occur if your snake has eaten something too large to digest. If this happens, you should avoid panic. Wait a few more days and offer it something smaller – preferably something no bigger than its circumference.
FAQ on How long can a black snake live without food?
How long can a black snake live without food or water?
A black snake can live without food or water for about 2-3 months. However, some black snakes can live up to 6 months without eating.
How long can a snake go without eating?
A snake can go without eating for about six months. In the wild, they are used to going weeks without food. They slow down their metabolism and preserve energy.
How long does it take for a snake to die of starvation?
It may take about six months for a snake to die of starvation. However, in the wild, snakes are used to living for many months without eating anything. Snakes don’t usually starve themselves unless they are stressed or ill.
Will a snake starve itself?
Snakes will not starve themselves to death unless they are neglected or ill. Some of the reasons why a snake may starve itself is overfeeding is their breeding season or they are stressed. The stress comes from living in poor conditions or because of being neglected.
Conclusions
In this blog post, we answered the following question: How long can a black snake live without food? We described a snake’s digestive system, metabolism and energy preserving. We also gave you 8 causes for why your pet snake stopped eating.
To remind you, black snakes can go for several weeks without eating. Snakes can reduce their metabolic rate by 70%, allowing them to conserve energy for extended periods while growing.
Black snakes are rarely picky eaters, but may refuse to eat due to being pregnant (carrying eggs), moulting, having a disease or being mishandled. Black snakes also like their food hot and will reject their prey if it is not thawed properly or if it is served too cold.
If you have any questions or comments on the content, please let us know!
References
Journal of Experimental Biology – Starving Snakes
Science Daily – How Snakes Survive Starvation
Nature.com – Snakes strike back at starvation
