1yr BP refused meals 2 weeks help.

[jeff_blake]

hey all, as in the title i have a 1yr old bp ive had since a hatch. it's has always been a great eater and has never missed a meal untill 2 weeks ago. temps are maintained day and night varying from 84-90. I have noticed that since it started refusing meals it's been trying to escape, which it has never really attempted to before. doesn't seemed to have lost any weight, and has been fairly active and playful like usual, did lay down a fairly large poo last night.. any ideas to try? getting a tad worried as a first time bp owner going through the phase of a picky eater. thanks for looking

[I-KandyReptiles]

What is your setup like?
Do you have a heat gradient? I'm confused. Is the whole tank at 84-90?

[jeff_blake]

sorry should have been a bit more specific. hot side is 86-90 cooler side is 80-85 give or take a temp or 2. setup hasnt changed since i got it. im running Overhead lamps.

[norwegn113]

lol welcome to the wonderful world of the picky eater pythons! Ball pythons when they are young will eat consistantly up until the time they reach about 1year old then some will decide to go off feed in the winter months. That is completely normal for them but VERY disturbing for us as owners. 2 weeks is not going to harm your snake at all. mine have gone off feed for as long as 2-3 months at a time ( some peoples even longer) with no health problems at all. Then one day they just start taking food again! DO check that your temps and humidy levels are correct and that your BP is not going through a shed. It may also be that it had built up stool. If all is good try leaving a thawed rat in its enclosure over night. i have had mine several times refuse food at the time of feeding but take the rat i left as an offering sometime during the night ( do not leave live food unattended though). If it still refuses to eat try offering food every 2 weeks and eventually it will take it.

[jeff_blake]

well that would make perfect sense. just turned a year old as of a few months ago. at first i thought it was the rats. i may get hatred here but ive always gotten her the petco frozen mice and rats, all have been white. when i offered it the first time she refused, the package i got was a new bag, and all black ones. racist snake

[jeff_blake]

she finally ate!!

[twoyrbrat]

" Fabulous "!!!
BPs are subject to eat, or not to eat. I have heard of snakes going without food items for much much longer. I personally have a snake rack that is an excellent source of heat, humidity, and a cool side to regulating my snakes in a happy, healthy environment.
I feed all my seven snakes about every 8 days. Once in awhile one refuses and i go to the next week and often than not, the food item is scarfed up. So far I only had to prime a baby to eating, and that is my "Mouser" who is picky about his mice, with size and colour.......go figure! LOL. And so I go on.......

Suz

1.0 Spider
1.0 Pinstripe
1.0 Lemon Pastel - flamed out
0.2 normals
0.1 lemon pastel
0.1 Red corn snake
1 Oscar Fish

[Weapon-x]

As others have said- welcome to the world of finky eatters. Glad she finally ate for you. Used to freak me out when mine stopped eatting at one point it was 2 months before they took a meal. Just keep an eye on their weight and keep offering food once a week. If they start to lose weight then it's time to start to worry.

[kitedemon]

let me guess you snake is around the 1000 GM area? It seems to be a typical weight for them to go off food for a while. Keep an eye on husbandry and weights and wait. I am glad she ate but it is quite possible she will stop again sooner or later.