Snake feeding issue

Question
Hello,
 I have a ~5 year old female snake (ex-breeder).  I got her about 7 months ago on "consignment" at a reptile expo.  The person selling her (for a friend) didn't know much about her besides her gender (this includes her age, last shed, what prey she eats, etc).  It took a few weeks but I got her eating one f/t mouse every 5 days or so (I waited for a poop and then fed again).  She is very shy and would not eat with anyone around.  I found the best way to feed her was to place the mouse just outside of her warm hiding shelter and then turn off the lights and go to bed.  About 6 weeks ago she started refusing food.  Then she shed and a week later finally took a mouse.  She has refused to eat since and has moved to her colder hiding area (about 70-75F).  I have a digital probe for the warm area and it's been at 85F this entire time.  I did offer a f/t mouse once a week but she had no interest.  Two days ago she started moving around her cage and is still very restless (even this morning!).  She looks like she's hunting (or trying to escape) but still won't take a mouse.  I'm now getting worried about her.  I was planning on picking up a baby rat and seeing if that helps (and then a fuzzy and as a very last resort a live mouse).  Do you have any suggestions or explanations on what might be going on?  Is she looking for a mate (I thought only males fasted during breeding season)?  Thanks so much!

Answer
First off, I'd be a little suspicious as to her background. 5 years old isn't all that old for a snake, so if they described her as an ex-breeder I tend to think there was some other issue with her. That aside, I'm not sure I'd totally believe that she is a female unless you have probed her yourself.

Given that, it is possible that you have a male and that he is indeed in breeding mode. That would explain the behavior that you are seeing. It's also possible for females to carry sperm from one season to the next, so it's also possible that you have a female that is about to lay eggs (though I think that is less likely). Female's don't fast in the Spring, they usually gorge themselves with food.

If the snake is a male, then you can just wait it another month or so and it should start eating. It's also possible that you did get a female, but whoever it was sold her because she's kind of a picky eater and they were tired of dealing with her. Or perhaps she had become eggbound at some point. Like I said, 5 years old is really prime-time for a female snake. You can also try scenting your mice with something like catfish filet from the grocery store which usually works well. If not, try the live mouse/rat, just make sure that you stun or kill the mouse before giving it to the snake. If the snake still refuses food, then it's time for a vet check to make sure that it doesn't have internal parasites.