BP not Eating

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

Has anyone seen the effects(if any?) UVB Bulbs have on BP's? I read one thing that says the Light can reduce stress and increase appetite???

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While I think most say it's not essential for snakes (as it is for some other animals) & I personally don't use them, I'll also say that over the years of keeping snakes I've always had a sense that the occasional outdoor sun exposure has beneficial effects on a snake's metabolism & appetite. (caution: NOT in a container & NOT if temperatures are too high)

So whether you want to try adding the UVB light* or actual sun exposure, I don't think it's going to hurt anything, as long as you don't over-do things (most snakes don't prefer bright light, & you need to monitor for safe temperatures always.) I don't know off-hand of any major scientific studies on this, I think the evidence is mostly anecdotal. *The natural sun is far more effective & powerful than an artificial UVB light, plus, they're only "good" for about 6 months (last I heard?)- it's not that they burn out in that time frame, only that the UVB output diminishes.

Personally, I just take a stroll outside for sunshine & holding my snakes (one at a time) when I have time, weather permitting.

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

Has anyone seen the effects(if any?) UVB Bulbs have on BP's? I read one thing that says the Light can reduce stress and increase appetite???

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There have been a few studies that suggest that UVB does have it's benefits, even when discussing nocturnal reptiles. That being said, it's not needed for a healthy snake and isn't a long term solution for the issues you're having. For you specifically, I would avoid changing anything about your enclosure for awhile until your snake is heating consistently for you. You don't want to read one thing, get a bulb that ends up being too bright, and stress your snake back into not eating.

Plus, UVB bulbs tend to be a little pricey, and they really don't last that long. You're also looking at if the UVB penetrates your mesh lids, are you using coil vs. tube UVB bulbs, just a lot of variables when trying to figure out if the equipment you're dropping money on is even giving your snake what you think it is. I'd much rather just take a walk outside and let my guys get a little natural sun every now and then, then waste money on bulbs that may not give them anything of benefit.

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Originally Posted by Hugsplox

...until your snake is heating consistently for you...

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You meant to say "eating" I'm sure? :D It's worth a LOT of money if you find a self-heating snake...;) :rofl:

Another thing with using artificial UVB lights is the distance they have to be from the reptile to even be effective. Not worth it to me either, real sun is best & it's free.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You meant to say "eating" I'm sure? :D It's worth a LOT of money if you find a self-heating snake...;) :rofl:

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:rofl::rofl::rofl: I'm calling Proproducts to discuss a patent for this right now!


Also a quick edit!
I don't want anyone to think I'm against UVB bulbs or their use. I use to keep bearded dragons and uros who require UVB, so I'm all of them. There's just a lot of variables to take into account that I'm not sure are worth the effort with a BP. For example, it's pretty well accepted that tube type UVB bulbs are better than coils but they're also more expensive. You've also got things like MVBs that I am a huge fan of, you've got some bulbs that wont penetrate mesh lids so they're basically useless, etc etc. I just feel like it's money that could be better spent on other enclosure and husbandry upgrades when we're talking snakes.

OH NO! i definitely don't want to mess with the lighting since she has only eaten for me just the 1 time, I'm just throwing it out there(UVB lighting) for down the road maybe...

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

OH NO! i definitely don't want to mess with the lighting since she has only eaten for me just the 1 time, I'm just throwing it out there(UVB lighting) for down the road maybe...

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Good! So I'll just throw THIS out there for you to consider: I'd suggest that after you've had this snake for several months AND she is eating reliably, when you pick her up to clean her enclosure and the temperatures outside happen to be good (low 80's), try taking a slow casual stroll outside while holding her, say for about 15 minutes- she'll enjoy sniffing all the new scents too.

I know that many like to put their snakes down to roam in the grass, but personally I never do that. Not that they wouldn't enjoy it, but they can pick up parasites (pinworms & other kinds of worms, ticks, etc) as well as unknown pathogens left by wild birds & other animals.

And if you do this a few times a year, I think that's good enough, personally. At least, that's what I do. (I'm doing this in my privacy-fenced back yard also- if you live in an apartment or have neighbors that might make life difficult for you, you need to pick a more "out of the way" place, obviously.)

yesterday was the first time she came out in a long time, and she looked like she had a piece of Substrate on her head, i was right she was shedding, she must have just began shedding right around her first feeding, i was lucky to get that in..how long does a shed take? some snakes take longer than others???

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

yesterday was the first time she came out in a long time, and she looked like she had a piece of Substrate on her head, i was right she was shedding, she must have just began shedding right around her first feeding, i was lucky to get that in..how long does a shed take? some snakes take longer than others???

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Yeah the length of time can vary quite a lot ...

It’s probably worth spraying the viv a couple of times each day now until you’re certain it’s shed the old skin .

In Royals /Ball Pythons the shedded skin is found in a tight , messy lump usually under one of the hides ..


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ok, im new you can all laugh at me, but what is "VIV"?

Can you please post a pic of your enclosure for her? Also have you tried getting in contact with the person that you bought her from? Try asking them for information on what the ball python was eating there schedule what they used in their enclosure what type of food they fed her. Try to see if you can get them to send you the hide box that she was using before she might like having something in her enclosure that she remembers is hers. It is good to try and stay consistent with how and what you feed your ball python. Try to only offer food once a week. Post a picture of your ball python too so we can see how healthy she looks.