Eating problems

I've encountered my first eating problem with my ball python. :( my python went a month without eating at one point and eventually ate. It's been 3 weeks since I last fed him and he is refusing to eat. He looks interested at first and stares at the rat but won't eat it. Can someone help! Is this bad?


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We need a little more info. How old is he, how is your enclosure setup, temps humidity, etc? As much husbandry info as you can provide. Also how long have you had him? When is the last time he shed? Are you feeding F/T or live? What methods have you tried for feeding?

My enclosure is coconut fiber as a substrate a hide on the cool side and hot, I also have some artificial branches and foliage running through the middle, and I keep the warm side at about 90-93 and the cool side usually stays at 75-80. The humidity is definitely my issue but I maintain it everyday and make sure it's very humid in the tank by using a mister. This has never been an issue until I switched to rats. He weighs about 270 grams


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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

We need a little more info. How old is he, how is your enclosure setup, temps humidity, etc? As much husbandry info as you can provide. Also how long have you had him? When is the last time he shed? Are you feeding F/T or live? What methods have you tried for feeding?

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I started him out on frozen but that was when we encountered the problem, he started refusing frozen and went a month without eating and I literally troubleshooted everything and decided to try to make the transition to a live feeder and it worked.


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Newbie suggestion here based on what I've seen the more experienced suggest...so please...take with a grain of salt. Why not go back to mice and feed two smaller prety items instead of one rat? Maybe try scenting your rat with a little sweet mouse to get him going?

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Originally Posted by EntertheWutang

I started him out on frozen but that was when we encountered the problem, he started refusing frozen and went a month without eating and I literally troubleshooted everything and decided to try to make the transition to a live feeder and it worked.


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Feed him live for now and switch him to FT later. At 270g he's still growing and needs consistent feedings. If he's willing to eat live, feed him live for now.

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Originally Posted by h20hunter

Newbie suggestion here based on what I've seen the more experienced suggest...so please...take with a grain of salt. Why not go back to mice and feed two smaller prety items instead of one rat? Maybe try scenting your rat with a little sweet mouse to get him going?

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That's a good suggestion but tried feeding smaller frozen mice too haha. Literally tried everything, switching to live was my last resort cause I was starting to get worried. :(


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you can try to feed two smaller mice. At that size as said eariler feed him what he will eat. Once he gets a little more weight on him you can try switching back to rats, sceting, etc. I assume you are feeding him in his enclosure correct?

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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

you can try to feed two smaller mice. At that size as said eariler feed him what he will eat. Once he gets a little more weight on him you can try switching back to rats, sceting, etc. I assume you are feeding him in his enclosure correct?

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Oh okay. Thank you! And yes in the enclosure! I put the rat hopper in there with him and they had a standoff for literally 5 minutes but he didn't eat and eventually scurried away into the branches so I grabbed the rat and tried the bathtub and that didn't work either...I know they're pesky eaters, but I'm just worried and trying everything


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I would still feed one at a time though, dont put both mice in alive at once.

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Originally Posted by EntertheWutang

Oh okay. Thank you! And yes in the enclosure! I put the rat hopper in there with him and they had a standoff for literally 5 minutes but he didn't eat and eventually scurried away into the branches so I grabbed the rat and tried the bathtub and that didn't work either...I know they're pesky eaters, but I'm just worried and trying everything


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Get a really small mouse hopper (~10g) and a really small rat pup (~18 to ~20g). Feed the mouse first. When the mouse is in the belly, feed the rat pup. Your snake should still be in feeding mode.

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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

I would still feed one at a time though, dont put both mice in alive at once.

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What if my snake isn't even eating a small rat pup? Is my snake going to start to starve? Cause I know in the wild they can survive off of like 3 meals a yesr


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my 800g male has been off food since it is breeding season and we usually feed him f/t. last week i thawed a small rat for him and left it in his enclosure overnight, in the morning it was gone. i would thaw whatever you have and leave it in there overnight. some seem to want to eat late at night and when no one is around.

I'd say forget the whole 2 mice thing and start him on rats right away..as soon as I made the switch from mice to rats,my guys started to blow up.

uually of your enclosure isn't right especially as babies that can affect them I'd think,cause from my experience with mine and what I hear from others,babies shouldn't be rejecting meals and should eat atleast every 5 days

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Originally Posted by jesst

my 800g male has been off food since it is breeding season and we usually feed him f/t. last week i thawed a small rat for him and left it in his enclosure overnight, in the morning it was gone. i would thaw whatever you have and leave it in there overnight. some seem to want to eat late at night and when no one is around.

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Yes only FT. Never leave a larger feeder in iver night alone with a snake...a rat pup or hopper or pinkies is fine if that's the case. I wouldn't anything larger

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I'd say forget the whole 2 mice thing and start him on rats right away..as soon as I made the switch from mice to rats,my guys started to blow up.

uually of your enclosure isn't right especially as babies that can affect them I'd think,cause from my experience with mine and what I hear from others,babies shouldn't be rejecting meals and should eat atleast every 5 days

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I had him on frozen rats for 3-4 weeks, it seemed like once I made the transition from mice to rats, it all went down hill. I was feeding him 45g rats no problem. I'm pretty sure he took down a 52g one as well. Then he had no interest whatsoever, and went a month without eating. I would leave the rats in the habitat all night, I called my reptile center and they said try a mouse cause he might be more familiar with that smell and he refused the frozen jumbo mouse. So as my last resort, I tried a live one and he ate it. It's been 3 weeks since he last ate and he's doing the same exact thing.


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Hmm...idk man..usually I think live sparks a response over FT. My little guy wanted nothing to do with FT and still doesn't. He will only eat live and switched to rats easily. These snakes are weird bro,so I feel ya man.d just double check all my temps and you don't need the humid super high about an avg of 50 is,when in shed keep it up around70-80, that's how I have my set up. But at 270 grams he shouldn't be rejecting meals. Def double check. My one guy is 85 grams and my other 352 grams, so far so good.

My Lex is on a strike again, this is week number 3 that she's refused, nothing has changed she's just a bugger, tried a bigger mouse, smaller mouse, just tried a rat (she's at 400 grams), she is just like that.
Just gave the other 3 their first rat pups and they ate them no problem!!

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