First Time NOT eating

ive had apep for about a year now. never once had a feeding problem or anything wrong with him. just this week he started not eating him the live mice i always feed him. he lets it round around the tank. what are the causes for this? and how do i fix it?

Incorrect husbandry practices or incorrect feeding practices. If your temps are off or humidity is off, they may go off feed. If you are trying to feed a prey that it feels is too small or too large, they may not accept it. If the snake was overfed, it may go off feed to give its' body time to burn off the excess weight.

so... if you could perhaps give us you exact temps and humidity. tell us about your set up... (how many hides... what size they are, where they are etc)

perhaps we can help you a bit more ;)

two hides, one cool, one warm (uth). cool side bout 83, warm bout 94. humidity 43. been the same since i had him. and he has done so well. one thing i did notice is he hasnt pooped since his last feed. he always poops days after his feed. he normally spends most of his time in his warm hide. but lately he's been real active, climbing and exploring. odd behaviors

your warm side is a little too warm... i would set it down to 90-92 and your warm should be 80-82 and your humidity should be 50-60%

most times... when a ball goes off feed it's because of their husbandry issues.

i would begin by correcting your husbandry and see if that makes a difference.

Every keeper may choose different temperatures to keep their snakes. I don't feel 94 is too warm for the warm side, myself. I keep my snakes at 95/84 and they are all still eating(with the exception of one stubborn, queenly snake named Amani *EHEM!*), and shedding great. Since we have breeding activity going on here, I have my night drop set on 16 hours night and 8 hours daytime(85 warm side and 80 cool side during the night time cycle). But this is only for helping to induce breeding, and not recommended for Ball Pythons that aren't breeding. I have 5 other Ball Pythons('05s and '06s) in another rack and they are kept at 94/84 constantly.

Maybe get a space heater for the room, just in case cooler drafts are getting into the cage. And if you can, try to raise the humidity a bit to around 50-55. You can also put a lamp on a timer in the room for 14 hours on and 10 hours off to help him think it's the warm season again. Try not to handle unless you need to clean the enclosure or anything else necessary(stuck shed).

Hopefully after you get those ambient temps up, and leave him completely alone for 2 weeks or so, you can offer a small live mouse and see how it goes.

ive kept the husbandry the same since ive had him. 4 perfect sheds in a row. he always ate. never had a problem. strange. he finally pooped last night. but he still wont eat. considering going to the vet.

I wouldn't rush off to a vet unless your really noticing some odd behavior, but its not that strange for a snake to not eat one time around. Give it a week then try again, if he still doesn't eat, give it one more week. If your still freaking out (I know where your coming from because I would be too) then maybe see a vet.

Before you rush off to the vet, or change something that doesn't need to be changed, consider the following quotes and their sources...


"Many ball pythons that have been eating regularly will stop feeding in the winter and will most likely not begin feeding again until late Spring. Although nerve racking to the owner, this is typical ball python behavior. Unless your snake is younger than one year of age or under weight, this fast should not pose any problems for your snake." - The Sutherland's

"Some ball pythons, especially wild caught animals, will fast from time to time even though they had been feeding regularly. This is not usually cause for alarm. Make sure all the cage parameters are correct, continue to offer food weekly, and be patient. Most resume feeding after a while." - Bob Clark

"There are periods of time during the year when fasting is common. Sometimes the fast can last several months and seems to be part of the normal life cycle of a Ball Python." - Mike Wilbanks

"Be prepared for the possibility of your snake going off feed, and keep an observant eye on the snake's overall condition and body weight. This is typically nothing to worry about with healthy, well established pythons, although it can be extremely frustrating to the keeper. If your snake is healthy continue your husbandry routine as usual, yet reduce the amount of handling the snake receives to a minimum. Offer your ball python food every 10-14 days until interested in eating again, as the snake will eventually "turn back on" and resume feeding normally." - NERD

Just something to think about...

hmm...i will definately take all that in consideration. kind of makes sense. its been freezing here in fl lately. thanks!