Ball Python and Hibernation

[Dutti]

Does ball pythons typically go through a hibernation? My 4 years old male ball python is sleeping since the beginning of this year. He wakes up approximately every 5 days to drink water and goes back to sleep. Sometimes in addition to drinking water he makes a short 5 minutes round in his cage and then goes to sleep. Did anyone experienced hibernation with their ball pythons? when should i excpect mine to end his hibernation?

[JodanOrNoDan]

Ball pythons do not hibernate and yours is not hibernating either. It is typical of these animals to not eat for a few months this time of year. Make sure your temperatures are good. He could be cold or just be acting normal. Comfortable ball pythons don't do much. His environment should be reflect this.

[Dutti]

He did not only stop eating, as i said he is sleeping.Temperatures and humidity are always good, nothing wrong with that.

[JodanOrNoDan]

I don't know how you could tell if he is sleeping or not, but if the environment is good and the animal is not loosing weight he is most likely fine.

[Eric Alan]

Again - ball pythons do not hibernate (or brumate, or whatever). I'm not sure how you're coming to the conclusion that he is sleeping rather than simply hiding and/or conserving energy. Unless, of course, you have a camera on him and are reviewing the footage from when you're not able to stare at him 24/7.

A hiding ball python is typically a comfortable ball python. Even though we normally keep them in the same conditions year round, it is likely that your male has simply gone off food and is conserving energy because that's what years and years of evolution tell mature males to do during the natural breeding season. Ball pythons have a slow enough metabolism as it is so, when you combine that with a mature male this time of year, you get the behaviors that you're observing.

Also, welcome to the site!

[Dutti]

Thank you for the reply. I meant by sleeping is that he goes inside his hiding area and does not move at all except every 5 days to drink water or sometimes to make a short round in his cage. I know that the animal is fine and healthy. But his behaviour is very much like going through Hibernation.

[Dutti]

Eric Allan.. Thank you. your answer is convincing

[Lizardlicks]

Not hibernation, and not sleeping. Just chilling in his hide and conserving energy. You can tell the difference between a sleeping snake and an awake one if you pick up the hide. An awake one will be immediately alert and oriented. An asleep one will be non-reactive and may startle if you disturb it. Even when sleeping more and eating less during the winter months, this is not true hibernation (brumation, in reptiles). That would involve a suppression of metabolic activity in order to prepare for a long winter, which they don't have in their native home in Africa.