Ball Python won't eat. Third months in a row.

Hello everyone,

I was already posting about my issue, but theres some more details + pictures.
The last time he ate was the end of December — after that he refused to eat 3 times.

Recently he finally shed (7-10 days ago) and I was thinking that he'll get back his appetite but it didn't. It's a second day that he stays with the small female rat and she's alive.

He has undertank heater + top heating lamp.

Please advice what can I do to make him eat.

Thank you

http://cs6137.vk.me/v6137128/3489/f8e3F7kYERw.jpg
http://cs6137.vk.me/v6137128/3482/B4xLnWKDv9g.jpg
http://cs6137.vk.me/v6137128/347b/zya0THZ9DeQ.jpg

My first suggestion is to take the rat out of the cage. House it separately with some food and water.

My second suggestion is to get some tight fitting hides, preferably the rock cave type that only have one small opening. This can be as elaborate or as simple as you'd like. I use plastic bowls from the dollar store and cut out an opening. Works great and is super cheap!

Patience. Your snake looks to be at a very healthy weight so going off feed for a few months is no big deal. Just offer food once a week and he will eat when he is ready.

So you suggest to change his hiding place?
He was using this wooden one for all his life.

Ball pythons can be very shy snakes. Even if something has been a certain way for their whole life, it doesn't mean that it is ideal. A tight fitting hide could be all he needs to jump start his appetite. Could be all he wants is a girlfriend and he won't eat until he feels like it. There really is no way to know.

The fact that he is laying outside his hide leads me to believe he might not like it very much.

Its not where the hide is. It may be what the hide is. The half logs do not offer much security. I would recommend buying a hide from Reptile Basics. They will have one in the size you need and are reasonable.

A rat left untended can do alot of damage to your snake. Snakes have even been killed that way.

If he is laying on his hotspot I would put a hide there and another one on the cool side.

Maybe put the hide on the hot side, where the lamp and heating pad is, water
bowl in the middle, and another hide for the cool side. Also like kaorte said, get a hide with 1 small opening. Also maybe throw some fake plants in there too. You want him to feel as secure as possible in his tank. Is your temperatures correct too?

At least staple / thumbtack cardboard to one end of the log and back it up against a wall. It's a temporary solution at best but is budget friendly. I was a half log person until I learned about the Reptile Basics hides and their unique design clicked with my sense of logic. I have been tempted to hot glue cork panels to the outside but have yet to draw up the measurements. Have you looked into Kitedemon's tank flip conversion? It looks like you have the right kind of tank for that.

Mine is a picky winter eater too. I've learned when mine hungry but only because I give her the security of two identical hides (and proper temps.). In other words since all of her conditions are right she must be out and about because she is hunting. She ate yesterday and she ate the 10th but before that it was December something and October before that.