Why won’t my snake eat

Pet Snake Questions

I’m having difficulty getting my snake to eat. We purchased him and another snake from Petco nearly a month ago. The other snake has been eating consistently and will readily take any prey item offered, often eating what he refuses.

We have tried both live and frozen-thawed feeders, as the Petco employees stated that he had previously accepted both. Initially, we suspected his refusal to eat was related to a mite infestation, but he has since been treated, and I have not observed any mites for several weeks.

We also attempted moving him to a separate feeding enclosure, but this appeared to increase his stress rather than encourage feeding. I have additional plants and vines arriving in a few days to provide more cover and enrichment in his enclosure, as I am considering whether his environment may be contributing to the issue.

Should I wait until I have added the new enclosure furnishings before trying additional feeding methods, or does anyone have recommendations? For frozen-thawed feeders, we have even tried scenting them by placing them in bedding from live mice before offering them, but he still refuses to eat.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Posted Jun 2, 2026, 1:04 PM UTC

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