Need help with hunger strike, details and numbers below.

IMAGES - https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/4472...7-90e07e3f0279


I have more decorations arriving today that I’ll be installing, but this is her current tank. It’s a homemade 4x2x2 PVC enclosure with homemade 3D-printed side ventilation.
The tank is heated with a 100W deep heat projector on an Inkbird thermostat. Lighting is from a separate smart bulb. I also have two Wi-Fi Govee thermometer/hygrometers at floor/substrate level that give detailed temp and humidity logs. Temps have been checked/calibrated with an infrared temp gun.
She eats frozen/thawed rats sized proportionally to her body weight. She has not struck at prey since around 1.5 years old. Instead, she usually eats later after the rat is placed near the front of her hide.
Last winter, she started refusing food and has never fully gotten back to eating consistently. I’m trying to figure out whether this is husbandry-related, seasonal, stress-related, or something else.
She is very active at night, which I can see on her corner-mounted camera.

1. Snake:
   - Ball python
   - Estimated age: ~26 months
   - Current weight: 868 g on 6/20/2026
   - Last successful feed: 6/6/2026
   - Refusals: 6/20/2026 and 6/30/2026
   
2. Data range:
   - Logged from 4/1/2026 to 6/30/2026
   - 15-minute intervals
   - Day/night split used: Day = 8 AM–11 PM, Night = 11 PM–8 AM
   
3. Warm side Govee floor-level averages:
   - Day temp average: 89.1°F
   - Day humidity average: 71.9% RH
   - Night temp average: 83.9°F
   - Night humidity average: 77.3% RH
   
4. Cool side Govee floor-level averages:
   - Day temp average: 77.2°F
   - Day humidity average: 59.9% RH
   - Night temp average: 74.1°F
   - Night humidity average: 63.0% RH
   
5. Inkbird heat-probe averages:
   - Day temp average: 88.0°F
   - Night temp average: 79.8°Fhttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7-90e07e3f0279

Your husbandry seems dialed in. I don’t see any issues there. I would hardly consider two missed feedings a hunger strike, especially for a BP. I’ve had BPs that suddenly and unexpectedly stopped eating for 8 and 12 months, and they were perfectly fine and healthy. You didn’t mention that she’s lost any significant weight, and if that’s the case, I wouldn’t be worried at all. I’d just offer food every 2-4 weeks until she decides to eat again, and they all eat eventually. If she does start losing a lot of weight, or shows any signs of illness, I’d schedule a visit to the vet. Other than that, it seems like pretty typical behavior for a BP.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StarkTech1

She eats frozen/thawed rats sized proportionally to her body weight.

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You don't say! Tell me more. I ask because overfeeding can lead to inconsistent feeding.

Greetings,

Are you sure she is a female? My males average ~900 grams at 24 months, and my females ~1100g. Poor feeding behavior is common for a male at that age/size.

It sounds like you are using one heat emitter for your entire enclosure. I measure air temperature (ambient) and surface temperature as two independent factors. I would not expect an overhead projector to give belly heat, and I would not expect an under tank heater to provide ambient. In my own experience: Neither measurement should ever be over 90F (even it averages), and neither measurement should ever be under 78F (even if it averages).

One additional factor that sometimes people forget is that ball pythons do not appreciate the scent of a 'dirty' enclosure. They have a very good sense of smell...they may decide to skip a week or two until they have a 'cleaner' enclosure and/or they are hungrier.