She stopped eating, is it normal she stopped peeing?

It's been a month since she last ate. She's 1090 grams and it has gotten very cold in NJ. Also I've been watching her weight and it's been the same so I'm pretty confident she's just chilling out for the winter. The temp in the tank dropped from the usual 73F to as cold as 65F, but I've setup a red lamp after seeing it that low. I've always kept her in the low 70s and never had any issues with her, she's 1 year 6 months old. Eats like a beast.

The only I'm not sure about is that during this time she hasn't pee'd, poo'd and urate'd...is that normal? She does drink from her bowl so I'd think she's ok.

She's also a lot less active, pretty much sleeps all day and night.

They get most of their water from the rodents that they eat so it is normal for there to be a reduction in urine.

Are you talking about cool side temperatures or is the hottest part of the tank in the 70's?

the warmest part is low 70s, the UTH is 89F

It's really best to have the cool side be around 80 degrees. Generally people say that no part of the cage should get below 75. What type/wattage bulb are you using?

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

It's really best to have the cool side be around 80 degrees. Generally people say that no part of the cage should get below 75. What type/wattage bulb are you using?

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I understand it should be but it's never been and I've never had a single issue. I started using a 75 watt red bulb.

Is it a regular looking bulb?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

Or one of the heat bulbs like these?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...AvailInUS%2FNo

It does look more like the regular one but it does get hot. I'm going to take a wild guess and say I should be using the heat bulb

Yes, the second bulb that I linked to will put out significantly more heat.I would also suggest getting a 100 Watt and using a lamp dimmer to keep the temperature right where you want it.

Any issue with resting the bulb on glass?

Here's my tank
http://i.imgur.com/2r16A.jpg

Is there only 1 hide in there. You should have one on each side. As to putting the bulb on the glass I woudln't do that. I'd suspend the light above the tank, a few inches will make a big difference.

You can get something like this:
http://www.petco.com/product/5011/Zo...amp-Stand.aspx

These are the lamps I use, which have built in rheostats:
http://www.petco.com/product/116922/...plies_Lighting

If it is really cold, you need to move your tank away from the window. The window is not as insulated as as interior wall. If you take a reading you'll see the temps are colder at the window than next to a wall. Just move the tank and that should help.

Females also go off feed sometimes at about 1000g. Some people call it "the 1000g wall". I'm not saying that's what happened. By all means, do what everyone else has suggested but it could just be "the wall!"


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It would help greatly if you insulated that tank on three sides. It would also help her feel more secure. You can pick up the thin pink sheets of styrofoam insulation at any hardware store or Home Depot. Cut to fit just right on the back and both sides. Many people will paint the sheets first so it doesn't look funny. Glass doesn't hold heat very well. Another reason to get the tank away from the window.

Also, how large is your UTH? I always recommend to people using an aquarium that they get a UTH that takes up 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottom of the tank. Then just be sure it's regulated by being plugged into a thermostat. The UTH must always be controlled. Too many people get a tiny UTH that is barely the size of the footprint of a hide box and those won't warm much.

A probed, digital thermometer such as the super affordable accurite weather station available at Walmart is what's needed to monitor both the hot and cool side temps. The probe should be on the surface of the glass, inside the tank, directly over the center of the UTH. Then you place the entire unit on the opposite side of the tank (inside it). The unit will tell you an outdoor temp (the probe reading of the hot side), an indoor temp which is the cool side/ambient air temp, and the humidity. You can't go wrong with one of these. I have 4-5 of them reading various racks and enclosures in my house.

With the proper insulation on that tank, the proper size UTH (regulated of course), the proper digital thermometer, and moving that tank to an area where the normal room ambient air temp is a comfortable degree, you shouldn't have such low temps in it. Considering it is completely enclosed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by interloc

Females also go off feed sometimes at about 1000g. Some people call it "the 1000g wall". I'm not saying that's what happened. By all means, do what everyone else has suggested but it could just be "the wall!"


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Interloc has a point, but the low temps you describe is concerning. Even breeders who cool their females at night during breeding season generally won't cool that low because it greatly increases the risk of RI.

Animals are incredibly resilient. Many pets can survive in deplorable Conditions for years and not show signs of clear distress or disease. you have to consider the ball python's natural habitat. They live in (sub?)tropical savannas and specifically Underground essentially. The areas a BP lives in rarely get below 80°f And humidity is almost always @ 60-65%. So while your snake doesn't show what we as SOCIAL mammals as distress , the snake could be under severe stress or distress.
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