Ball python no longer eating rats but will eat mice. Why?

Hello,


I have a bit of an odd case, which I still feel that I’m missing something. I have owned this ball python for almost 3 years and I have been feeding her f/t rats consistently with no problems up until this year which she suddenly stopped eating, it was 3 long months of me trying to figure what was wrong and adjusting her husbandry and I even took her to a herp vet because I thought she was stargazing, they told me nothing was wrong. I then heard that switching from rats to mice or vice Versa helps so I tried feeding her a mouse after three months of no eating and she ate it! I was so happy but then when I started offering her rats again (that were similar sizes to the mouse) she refused, I then gave her another mouse and she ate it. I don’t know why, she’s never had mice before with me and now that’s the only thing she’ll eat.




Does anyone have any explanations?
Also how do I get her to eat rats again??

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Originally Posted by Tugstendragon

Also how do I get her to eat rats again??

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Wait her out. A three month fast for an adult is nothing.

Some snakes have taste preferences, just like other living creatures including us.

BPs are also "skilled" at fasting anyway...you might try feeding 2 items at once: thaw together one each rat & mouse, so that combined it's not too large of a meal.
With any luck, the cross-scenting may help. Or as already suggested, just wait it out. There is no appreciable difference as far as nutrition of rats vs. mice, it's just a
matter of size "convenience" (for an adult BP, one adult mouse is just too small).

You gonna have use tough love and at that age if the animal is in good condition it could take to up to a year, or you can feed what works.

This is the risk you are taken when swithing prey type espcially since mice are more enticing to BP due to their smell.

Try waiting until night, keep the room dark, sneak in with as little light as possible and just drop a warm f/t rat at the entrance of her hide with the head facing inwards, leave the room and check back in about 20 minutes or so.

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Originally Posted by Tugstendragon

Does anyone have any explanations?

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When I'm from we have a saying "The cure was worse than the disease".

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Wait her out. A three month fast for an adult is nothing.

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This topic is a constant here, and this IS the correct advice (above).

If you research your species, you should know at any point in time a royal may refuse food. A three year old snake skipping 3 months is nothing.

You likely did yourself a disservice by going back to mice which will ultimately make it harder to go back to rats.

I get it, there is a learning curve and you probably became overly concerned, however you can literally pull up past thread after past thread here on this very topic.

Our royal hasn't eaten since December, and that's the way it is.

UNLESS you see some glaring health issues or you have a very young animal, there is nothing to worry about.

Strap in for the long haul, this is what they do.