help!!!!!!!

hey everyone! i am completely new at this so please be patient with me. my girlfriend and i recently moved in together and naturally her five year old ball python moved in with her. my problem is that even before the move Rebel wasn't eating any rats. i even got him smaller rats than he is accustomed to and still no luck. i know that snakes can go some time without eating and the guy at the reptile store told me that it was mating season so its normal that the snake doesn't eat????????????? can anyone out there please shed some light on the situation. thank u kindly.

The dude at the reptile store was right, just give it time or try to change the die. Maybe try mice, or you could go for pre-kill (if you already do pre-kill try live). Not much else to say.

There are a number of reasons a ball python will go off feed. The first thing we need to know before we can guess why this snake has gone off feed is its husbandry and history.

How long has your gf had the snake?

What are the temperatures in the enclosure? What is the humidity? How are the temp and humidity levels read (with stick on gauges or digital devices with probes)

How often does the snake usually eat and what size prey does it eat?

Does the snake have sufficient security including two hides, one warm, one cooler.

It is true that bp's can go off feed during the winter season for various reasons even if the environment is proper. Hopefully we can give you a good idea of why the snake is not eating. My bet is that the bp is stressed from being moved but it could be a combination of issues that are the cause.

Be sure that the snake is not handled until it is feeding well again, the stress of being handled during this time can prolong the period of time the snake is off feed.

Fasting can be due to several reasons seasonal, overfeeding, husbandry, stress you need to investigate and figure out if anything can be done for for this BP to resume feeding.

If the BP has a good body weight and I would assume it does and is not losing too much weight there is not much to worry about, I have a few that have not ate in 100+ days but I have identified the problem :)

Now to identify the possible problems here are some questions

How big is your BP (weight)?
What type of enclosure do you use?
How big is your enclosure?
Is your enclosure in a low traffic area?
What are your temps (cool & warm side)?
What is your humidity?
What type of thermometer/hygrometer do you use (dial,stick,or digital)?
What kind of hides do you provide (log, homemade, cubbyholes etc) and how many do you have?
Are your hides tight (all side touching your BP’s body) and identical?
What do you usually feed to your BP (Rat, Mice and size)?
How often do you handle your BP?
Is your BP in shed?
Is your BP healthy?

I gota keep those questions on hand Deborah:)

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Originally Posted by missi182

I gota keep those questions on hand Deborah:)

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Those questions often help identify the possible problem. ;)

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Originally Posted by rebel08

hey everyone! i am completely new at this so please be patient with me. my girlfriend and i recently moved in together and naturally her five year old ball python moved in with her. my problem is that even before the move Rebel wasn't eating any rats. i even got him smaller rats than he is accustomed to and still no luck. i know that snakes can go some time without eating and the guy at the reptile store told me that it was mating season so its normal that the snake doesn't eat????????????? can anyone out there please shed some light on the situation. thank u kindly.

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Some bp's only eat 3 months out of the year. It is important to feed them as much as they will eat when they are on feed..

I have a female ball that I've had for almost five years as well, and last year she too stopped eating for 4 months and I couldn't figure out why. People told me a lot of different things, but the reasons will vary depending on the situation. Many older balls go off feeding during the winter, this is common. Don't get too worried unless you notice the snake loosing weight considerably. If there's a reliable source of feeder gerbils in your area I suggest you offer those to the snake. My female quit her fast for gerbils and loves them! Unfortunantly she won't eat anything else, but I'm just glad she's eating again. Hopefully this helps, just keep trying, eventually your efforts will pay off.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Those questions often help identify the possible problem. ;)

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Oh I know, but I always leave a few questions out if I type it out each time.

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If there's a reliable source of feeder gerbils in your area I suggest you offer those to the snake

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Switching prey is rarely a good idea and can cause more than one problems.

Ball Pythons are imprint eater, if the animal imprint on gerbil he might never switch back, gerbils are expensive and potentially more dangerous than other rodents. (aggressivity + long sharp teeth) If the animal had to be re-homed someday this could be an issue making it impossible for him to find a good home.

Trying to find out the cause is always the first step than making necessary changes or be patient is the second step.