BP is on Hunger strike.....

So about 3 weeks ago I moved my bp into a 40 breeder, but before I moved him he was kind of picky about eating...I gave him a week to settle in, temps have been consistent as has humidity..He doesnt want f/t like we were doing, I even left a rat in over night (f/t of course) and nothing...Tried a live mouse, still nothing not interested whatsoever....Weight has been consistent, hes maybe a year old, 962grams, shedding/pooping fine, not really lethargic or anything...Any advice? Keep offering every week or wait? THanks.

Make sure he has water ava all the time.

other than that just keep offering him food... =]

he always has water...

It may well be the 40 breeder. That's a pretty large glass tank so a few issues may have arisen. First will be the fact that these snakes tend to not do well in large, open tanks where they feel exposed. Remember these snakes naturally live a lot of their lives underground tucked into dark burrows and tunnels so big, open bright areas tend to freak them out.

Then there's the issue of keeping a 40 breeder with a large, open mesh lid at the right temps and humidity (unless you've already dealt with that).

What did you have this snake in before you moved it to the 40 breeder?

20long before he was moved into here, I'm thinking about getting a 30long just to decrease height but I may as well get a plasitc or something, be nice to make this work though...I covered half of it with a couple towels and stuff

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pilot511

20long before he was moved into here, I'm thinking about getting a 30long just to decrease height but I may as well get a plasitc or something, be nice to make this work though...I covered half of it with a couple towels and stuff

---

A 20 long can hold an adult for it's entire life.
Theres no reason to move up in size from that. A 40 is too big and will make him feel insecure.. a 30 would be the maximum for a full adult, and he's not even a complete adult yet.

Good luck.

would you just recommend going back to a 20, or getting the vision model 221 (24inches wide x 22inches deep x 12inches high)?

Smaller is better for picky feeders. Tubs are even better for those picky guys(shorter ceilings)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pilot511

would you just recommend going back to a 20, or getting the vision model 221 (24inches wide x 22inches deep x 12inches high)?

---

Hm.. 24x22 would be an ok size I think. :]
If he looks like he fits in it well, then that would be fine. Is it about the same size/bit bigger than a 20g?

well ill be at the daytona show in 2 weeks, I can probably find something there (or can I for people who have been there?)

even though I feed him in a seperate container though he still woudlnt eat?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pilot511

even though I feed him in a seperate container though he still woudlnt eat?

---

Uhh..
Feeding in a separate container decreases your chance of getting him to eat.. by A LOT.
By moving him, he is already stressed from being moved from his home to a completely unknown place where he is not going to be likely to eat.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blackcrystal22

Uhh..
Feeding in a separate container decreases your chance of getting him to eat.. by A LOT.
By moving him, he is already stressed from being moved from his home to a completely unknown place where he is not going to be likely to eat.

---

Exactly, he is most likely not eating becasue he is stressed out. I suggest putting him back into his 20 gal, and leaving him alone for about a week. Then try to feed him a live mouse or small rat. Once he starts eating again, you could try to switch him to f/t.

Are you thinking of ever getting another ball python, or more? If so you may want to consider a rack system. If you do, I suggest at 32qt rack system. It would hold up to four ball pythons. I get mine from Reptile Basics, but there are many other reptile rack system suppliers.

Hope this helps.

I went through something similar with my smallest female normal... but it was a move from her 20long to a TUB that did it. She Hated that tub and wouldn't touch food the whole time she was in it. Now she's back in her 20long tank and eating regularly again...unless of course I offer her a mouse that's even a little 'too big' by her standards. I think this snake is destined to be small...she won't take anything over a small adult mouse. :( But she's eating.

A 40 is way too much space for any BP but a large female. I wouldn't even put a big girl in a 40, I would prefer a 30 breeder.
I suggest putting your snake back into the familiar 20g, give him the week to re-settle, and feed INSIDE the tank. That way, you're minimizing stress factors as much as you can. Then, just give him time and he'll eat for you again before long. :) If not, then look elsewhere for the cause since the housing is 'stable'.

alright one of my friends is moving so I just picked up a 20l and 10 from him today (my black milk is now in my bp's old 20L) so Im going to get temps stable, put him in there and see how it goes, thanks for everything, should the 20L be good for his life, or go to a 30L or something like a 24x22x12?