Concerned about fasting

This might seem a bit log winded but I feel that background info may help me get the answer or suggestions I need.
Age CB May 2012 bought him end of june 2012. Housed in a small tub and was a good feeder on rats of appropriate size. When grown on he was moved to a 3ft x 13" x 18" vivarium heated with a cermamic bulb on a thermostat, cool end 27-28c, warm end 30c and basking spot 33c. He continued to feed regularly.
Then in June last year we moved him to a 3ft x 2ft x 2ft vivarium and created the same temperatures as peviously stated using the same equipment. We added extra plants, a larger water bowl and other decoration so the vivarium was not big and open. He was very active climbing around and he continued to eat for a few weeks but then feeding started to become erratic.
He then stopped eating in december 2013 and has not eaten since. Weight was holding steady at 1.2kg but has now started to drop weight at a rate of 16g every 14 days roughly. Seems ok in himself active, bright eyed and no wheezing and is still over 1kg at the moment. We have continued to offer rats at a rate of once every 2-3 weeks and have tried varying sizes to try and entice him. Have tried rats heated as that's how he use to eat and even tried not heating them.
I am wondering if this is just breeding season fasting or is this related back to the move to the larger vivarium when his feeding became erratic after a few weeks? I am not panicking YET as I know they can fast for a long period at a time, its the fact that weight is starting drop quickly.
Should I just wait and see or do you think this is linked to the move?
Should I put him in smaller housing? Maybe a tub? I have tried the theory of changing and disinfecting every thing in his vivarium so he thinks its new but no luck there.

Thanks for any advice or suggestions you can give me.

Well how big is he? The enclosure he is in might be too big for him and might need to move back down to a smaller size enclosure. If you moved him in june and he ate all the way until december then I dont think it is because of the move or he wouldnt have started eating at all. If he is an adult it could very well be that he is off for breeding season. Most of our adult males go off food for a period of 3-7 months depending on the male.

Give. The weight the fast could last month even a year without causing any issue.

Change in weather, over feeding, breeding can all lead to fast some lasting longer then others.

You can if you wish try to downsize and see if your BP resume feeding, it may work but it may also not.

More often then not it is a question of patience and main tending and optimum husbandry.

Now what I notice in your post is that you make mention of your BP being very active, is it during the daytime?

I am also curious what prey size do you usually offer when he is eating? Also how often do you handle your BP.


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Originally Posted by Deborah

Give. The weight the fast could last month even a year without causing any issue.

Change in weather, over feeding, breeding can all lead to fast some lasting longer then others.

You can if you wish try to downsize and see if your BP resume feeding, it may work but it may also not.

More often then not it is a question of patience and main tending and optimum husbandry.

Now what I notice in your post is that you make mention of your BP being very active, is it during the daytime?

I am also curious what prey size do you usually offer when he is eating? Also how often do you handle your BP.


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Hi, thanks for replying. In answer to your questions. He is active at night starting around 10pm this can last for a short period or can go on for hours. Climbing and crashing around the vivarium, this does not happen every night but will almost always happen on the night we have offered food. Because of this we have tried leaving a rat in with him but he always leaves it. His activity is sporadic he will sometimes go for a 1-2 weeks staying in his hides and not moving around at night. At the point of when he was eating he would eat either an extra large weaner rat (70g-90g) or a small rat (110g-130g) he feeds on frozen thawed always has done. We have tried items of this size and also tried rat fluffs to see if this would entice him to eat. Would prefer to stick with rats and only switch prey if essential. His length is 3.5ft. He was being handled on a weekly basis but since fasting handling is being kept to essential cleaning only.

So long the activity is at night it's ok.

What you are feeding can be part of the fast as well, one thing is certain is that BP are definitely over fed in captivity.

At this point it's gonna be about patience more then anything else.

In the future when he resume feeding you may want to feed smaller prey items weekly, small rat nothing over 4 weeks which are generally around 65 grams. Even then it will be way more food then he would ever get to consume in the Wilde.

You will find that smaller preys usually translate in more consistent feeder that eat year round.

Hang in there make sure he is well hydrated and wait it out.


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Thanks for that. Its interesting to see what you say regarding feeding smaller prey. Over hear in the UK people are always saying you should feed around 10% of the snakes body weight. We have another royal that will only take mice and only one at each feed. He only eats every 2-3 weeks but still seems to have grown well. Will certainly feed smaller items in the future and ignore this feeding 10% and see what happens. Thanks.

Just thought I would update this thread.:)

Another two months have gone by and still he is not eating.
He comes out of his hide towards the rat flicks his tongue and then disappears back in to his hide and thats it.
Have left it in the viv for him on several occasions but nothing.

We are now seriously considering moving him in to a tub to see if this helps with feeding. He looks ok and is above 1kg still. Its obviously bothering us more that him, lol.

Please don't lose hope, my big VPI Axanthic female, whose has not eaten since
October, has finally broken her fast. She ate a small rat yesterday :taz:
My Calico female also took her first rat since January. What changed?
I haven't a clue, just VERY happy to see them eating again.
good luck

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Originally Posted by Red123

Just thought I would update this thread.:)

Another two months have gone by and still he is not eating.
He comes out of his hide towards the rat flicks his tongue and then disappears back in to his hide and thats it.
Have left it in the viv for him on several occasions but nothing.

We are now seriously considering moving him in to a tub to see if this helps with feeding. He looks ok and is above 1kg still. Its obviously bothering us more that him, lol.

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I subscribed, my male has been doing the exact same thing seeing the rat flicking his tongue then going back into his hide. Sometimes he won't come out at all, and I use a hair dryer to heat up my rats and when it comes on everyone is out looking for food. He's just been completely uninterested in eating which is so frustrating! I really hope both of our snakes break the fast soon.


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Originally Posted by AlexisFitzy

I subscribed, my male has been doing the exact same thing seeing the rat flicking his tongue then going back into his hide. Sometimes he won't come out at all, and I use a hair dryer to heat up my rats and when it comes on everyone is out looking for food. He's just been completely uninterested in eating which is so frustrating! I really hope both of our snakes break the fast soon.


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Well today we cleaned vivs out completely. A different substrate has been put in and loads of new branches and everything has been moved around. Will try feeding in a few days time. Fingers crossed. I really would prefer to keep them in vivs if I can get them feeding again.