She Won't Eat

[Roxokko]

I've had a bp for about 10 months, and she's my first and only snake. I know it's normal for her to go without eating for about a month, but it doesn't stop me from worrying. I feed live and always keep a close eye on her and the rat. Since I got her, she's been a very skittish snake; not aggressive in the slightest. She seems almost too scared of the rat to eat. Is there anything that I can do?

[h20hunter]

Is she losing weight?

[Roxokko]

I'm honestly not sure. I don't have a scale to weigh her

[MJT_23]

Is she noticeable getting skinnier? If not I wouldn't worry. If all your husbandry is correct, it's just part of owning ball pythons

[Roxokko]

She is a bit thinner than she used to be. And I believe all the conditions are correct. Should I try going back to frozen?

[Roxokko]

However, I don't think it's severe enough to be considered "losing weight".
Thanks for your help. Sometimes I just need to be reassured that snakes can be finicky eaters.

[MJT_23]

She is a bit thinner than she used to be. And I believe all the conditions are correct. Should I try going back to frozen?

Has she eaten live with you before, or when you tried switching is when she stopped eating?

[NH93]

You might want to consider investing in a (cheap) digital kitchen scale for weighing and keeping track - which requires a journal of sorts, either paper or electronic. Very useful. The scales cost about $10 at big box stores.
How long has it been since she's eaten?
I would also try a f/t rat, as you've mentioned. Normally people try to switch FROM live to f/t... not the other way around.


But other than that, all I can say is... join the club.

Best of luck!

[Pythonfriend]

two things you should get:

- a digital scale that can measure in grams, resolution 1 or 2 grams, max weight maybe 5 kilograms maybe 2 kilograms. available as kitchen scales. some come with a bowl that fits on top.

- a infrared temperature gun. there are different qualities here. search this forum for "temp gun". the advantage is that you get a decent temperature reading so quickly that its not a pain to check and re-check temperatures. regular thermometers or thermal couples have the disadvantage that it takes time to make a measurement.

1 month without food is no problem. sometimes they dont eat for several months. they still need access to fresh water, but on water alone, its crazy how long they can survive. but you need to make sure its not caused by problems with temperature, humidity, or some other husbandry-related issue. keeping track of the weight in grams helps to determine if its something serious.

[Roxokko]

Has she eaten live with you before, or when you tried switching is when she stopped eating?

She's eaten live for quite a while now. She's never had a problem before. However, I know she does like to get very close to the rat, almost cuddling with it, before striking