Mojaves and eating

Are all mojave's, such awesome eaters? My mojave boy has yet to stop eating for the season even though he is breeding on a weekly basis! I don't think he has ever missed a meal! Everyone else has stopped including my big normal girl whom he is breeding. Is this typical of Mojave's?
Mike Kelly

:Dnope! my mojave male has never eaten for me ,its ben 6 months, the only one morph i know of that has a behavor dif is the spider, i hearn they are frendlyer and eat better and breed better.

Well, I've got 49 ball pythons and last week, only 3 refused to eat. All 3 were in shed. None of mine really ever go on fasts. I might get a 2 or 3 week refusal, then they are back on feed (unless they are gravid) :)

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Originally Posted by Maurice Tebele

:Dnope! my mojave male has never eaten for me ,its ben 6 months, the only one morph i know of that has a behavor dif is the spider, i hearn they are frendlyer and eat better and breed better.

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How old is your mojave? Some ball pythons require a small snug enclosure. How big of an enclosure is he in?

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Originally Posted by Maurice Tebele

:Dnope! my mojave male has never eaten for me ,its ben 6 months, the only one morph i know of that has a behavor dif is the spider, i hearn they are frendlyer and eat better and breed better.

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6 month fast for an '09 Mojave? Maybe you should check your husbandry and see whats up since he's never eaten for you.

Both my Mojaves are right at 1000 grams and they were both born in 08. They never miss a meal. sometimes they get the extra rats if another ball refuses it.

Maurice,

I'm very concerned that your '09 mojave hasn't eaten at all for you for six months. That's a LONG time for a baby to go without food, and it's not normal for a baby to not eat that long. If he was an adult, I wouldn't be concerned, but babies are hard wired to eat as much as possible to get as big as possible their first year.

Can you tell us more about your set-up so that we can help you get him eating for you? I hope you've at least taken him to the vet so that we can rule out a medical reason for him refusing to eat? What was he eating for his breeder? What are you offering him? How often are you offering?

Have you reviewed our caresheet yet?
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

Especially this section?

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WHY WON'T MY SNAKE EAT?
In almost all cases, a ball python refuses to eat due to husbandry issues. Especially a young one. If your snake misses more than one meal (sometimes they won't want to eat while in shed) please check the following possible causes:

Lack of Security -- No hides, or hides that are too large or exposed (ie: half logs). They prefer dark, tight hides they barely fit into. Also, if the enclosure is too large, or too open (glass) or in a high traffic area with a lot of loud noise or movement. Another snake in the same enclosure can also cause serious security issues.

Over Handling -- Frequent intrusions into the enclosure, changes to the enclosure, and/or long frequent handling sessions can cause a shy snake to feel vulnerable and refuse to eat.

Improper Temps -- Temps that are too high or too low, or temps that fluctuate too much. Make sure you have an accurate and consistent read on your temps.

Improper Lighting -- Bright white lights shining directly into the enclosure, or 24 hour lighting can cause stress. Make sure there is some sort of day/night cycle.

Offering New Prey -- Changing prey species (ie: mice to rats) or methods (ie: live to f/t) can cause refusal. Such changes can be made, but may require patience and persistence.

Improper Offering of Prey -- Offering prey too frequently can do more harm than good. If a snake refuses, do not attempt to feed again for a week. Also, changing environments by moving to a feeding-box or removing hides and "furniture" can cause refusal in these shy snakes.

Prey Too Large -- Too large an item may intimidate a snake and cause refusal, or even a regurgitation if it is eaten. Also, if a ball python has eaten large meals in the past, it can cause a sudden an indefinite period of fasting.

Mites -- An external parasite common to snakes that must be treated and eradicated. A product called Provent-a-Mite (P.A.M.) is the safest and most effective method.

Seasonal -- Sexually mature ball pythons may fast for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months during their mating season (typically anywhere from late fall to early spring) especially if a sexually mature snake of the opposite sex is in close proximity.

Illness -- If all other possible reasons are eliminated, a vet check may be in order to look for internal parasites, as well as possible infections to the skin, scales, mouth or respiratory system.

Fortunately, ball pythons are extremely hardy snakes that can go for months (if necessary) of fasting without suffering any ill effects. This gives a responsible keeper plenty of time to figure out why the snake refuses to eat and get them on a regular, consistent feeding regimen.

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It concerns me that you don't seem too concerned about it. I may have missed past posts asking for assistance, and if so, I apologize.

But I'd encourage you to accept our help to figure this out BEFORE you consider adding any new animals right now. Otherwise, you may just repeat th husbandry issues with a new snake and then have two non-feeders on your hands. :(

:O:D:D:O:O:D:O:Dhe is the picture of helth! and i gess he needed your incoragement! he ate for me!!!!!!!:D:O:O:D:O:D

im just shocked ! its like as soon as other people woried about him,he ate!!! thanks for consern!:D:D

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Originally Posted by Maurice Tebele

:O:D:D:O:O:D:O:Dhe is the picture of helth! and i gess he needed your incoragement! he ate for me!!!!!!!:D:O:O:D:O:D

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I find it hard to believe that a BABY that hasn't eaten for six months is the picture of health. If any of my '09's skip a week or two, I can see a visible loss of weight in just 2 week's time. I can't imagine how thin an '09 that hasn't eaten in six months is. I've had an adult in the past that fasted for six months and I wouldn't call them the "picture of health", because they weren't nice and rounded out like their feeding counterparts, they were visibly thin.

Glad to hear he ate for you. :)