Why. Wont. You. Eat???

[shelliebear]

My female ball python Madison and male ball python CleoMantra WON'T EAT and haven't for about a month now.
Neither of them look emaciated or anything, but I do see a bit of loose skin on them, more than I'd like to see. Nothing alarming, in my opinion, though.
They've both gone of feed before, but it still worries me. My husbandry seems to be ok--I'm trying to best I can in this drafty apartment to keep temps up, with lots of lamps and whatnot, as this apartment is positively FREEZING.
Madison weighed about 800-900 grams a few months ago, and Mantra weighed about 1300 at the same time.
Should I be worried that it's been almost a month?
And why won't the two of them eat when my other male ball python Nergal is right next to them, with the same husbandry conditions, and he eats every week like a piggie (and go figure, he's about 1500 grams and doesn't need to gain more weight, lol)?
Arghhh! I'm at a loss, again. My babies are on a feeding strike and I hate it

[Jerhart]

Welcome to Ball Pythons.

One of my females had her first meal yesterday...the meal before that was on May 3, 2011.

I changed nothing. Just tried to feed her every week. This week she decided she was hungry.

No need to worry yet.

[shorty54]

It could be a change in Ambient pressure, or temperature outside! You never know! I have 2 males that stop eating around December and start at different times! One male just ate and the other still hasn't! If they're have ate mice in the past and are now on rats. Try an adult mouse. This worked for one of my female Lesser's. She didn't eat for about 2 months. So, I gave her a mouse again. Now she's back to eating normal! Just some ideas from my experience!

[shelliebear]

Cleo will *NOT* eat mice. He never has and I doubt he will--he just doesn't recognize them as food. One time when we were switching him to F/T food we tried mice at first, and he starved himself for a month every time we offered a mouse because he doesn't know they're food--he acted afraid of it. But we gave him an F/T rat and he gobbled it up. It's weird.
Guess I could try a mouse, though--I know a certain big, chunky boy who *LOVES* F/T mice even though they're too small for him and would eat it if Cleo didn't! *cough* Nergal *cough*

[MazAnth]

Welcome to the wonderful world of ball pythons

Mine have gone off feed from 9-13 months with no problems. Just keep an eye on her weight and she'll eat when shes ready.

[shelliebear]

Wish they'd just realize how much it scares me when they don't eat and....EAT! lol...

[angllady2]

It ok hon. Take a deep breath and repeat after me.

This is perfectly normal, they aren't going to starve. This is perfectly normal, they aren't going to starve. PLEASE EAT SOMETHING! This is perfectly normal, they aren't going to starve.

It always helps me.

Gale

[Homegrownscales]

Totally. Normal as Gale mentioned. Before I had a scale though I would worry like this. If you have a scale and a baseline weight for them you're good. Just offer weekly. They won't starve. They will eventually snatch their food up again like nothing even happened.
Breathe deep darlin and ignore their silly antics. I've had a male go off feed for 11 months before. That whole time he only dropped 200g. Ya I was frustrated with him.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

[RestlessRobie]

WHY WONT YOU EAT ????

Because your a ball python

[SquamishSerpents]

Can't really add anything that hasn't already been said!