Non feeder

He's a male, 3 foot long , around 2 years old.

I brought it home about 1.5 months ago, tried feeding f/t 4 times and he never ate, I even left them overnight.

Now I decided to go live, I left the mouse with him for around an hour while observing him. He showed a little interest in him but as soon as the mouse moved he was afraid and backed. during this hour he yawned twice but he doesn't have a respiratory disease.

In the 1.5 months he has been at my house he pooped twice and shed once (good shed). He has a 70 - 80% humidity, ambient temp 25 - 28 degrees, hot spot - around 30 degress. A hide and a log.

What else could I try?

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Originally Posted by anti-

He's a male, 3 foot long , around 2 years old.

I brought it home about 1.5 months ago, tried feeding f/t 4 times and he never ate, I even left them overnight.

Now I decided to go live, I left the mouse with him for around an hour while observing him. He showed a little interest in him but as soon as the mouse moved he was afraid and backed. during this hour he yawned twice but he doesn't have a respiratory disease.

In the 1.5 months he has been at my house he pooped twice and shed once (good shed). He has a 70 - 80% humidity, ambient temp 25 - 28 degrees, hot spot - around 30 degress. A hide and a log.

What else could I try?

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Even tho I think this is a joke I will try to help
Hot spot as close to 91 degrees as you can get it.Cool side as close to 82 degrees as you can get it ambient temp will need to be around 82.Humidity should be around 50 to 60 unless in shed then in the 70s.Get two hides that are round one way in and one way out just big enough for the snake to fit in.Put one on the hot side one on the cool side.You really need to do your homework or you will soon have a sick snake.
Mike.

i don't know what you think he's joking about.. unless you probably didn't realize that he's quoting temps in celcius.

to the OP, Sounds like husbandry might be off, being scared of a feeder is a sign of stress, and BPMIKE's suggestions are all good.

I'm sorry the temps are in degress celsius :oops: which roughly translate to what you said...

I guess i'll try to cover the sides of the tank with some black cardboard and maybe add a fake plant, what do you think?

Is it possible for you to provide a picture of your enclosure?

If not what size enclosure is it?
What was the snake feeding on prior to your purchase?
Have you thought about trying a rat instead of a mouse?
Are the hides tight fitting?

it is a 20 gallon glass aquarium (around 3 feet long),

I don't know what it was eating before,

the hides are tight fitting yes.

I think this is a husbandry problem which can be easily fixed.
Your hot side temp should be closer to 33-34*C. This is a temp that they need in order to digest their food properly. This can be obtained with a Under tank heater being controlled by a thermostat. You must control any heat source that you use or else you could burn your snake.

How are you measuring your temps? What kind of thermometers? You should be using digital thermometers with a probe to get the most accurate readings. The stick on gauges and strips are garbage and are extremely inaccurate.

What kind of hides are you using? Ball pythons are very secretive and if they don't feel safe and hidden, they might not eat. Half log hides are NOT recommended because they are very open. Instead, try to get some rock cave type hides with a small opening. Your snake should fit snugly inside.

Also, tank size can have a lot to do with it. In a big tank, a bp can feel very exposed. Sometimes moving them to a smaller enclosure will make them feel safer. Adding a bunch of fake plants to "clutter it up" will also help make him feel more secure.


If you fix all of these things and he still isn't eating within a month, he might just be looking for a mate. This isn't a problem then. He will start eating when he needs to. On that note, are you sure it is male? Females go off feed more often than males.

Good luck!

I would try to bring your ambient humidity to around 50-60%. Covering up the sides of the tank and adding fake plants will certainly help the situation.

You can also crumple up pieces of news paper and put them in the tank. This will help provide your snake with some added security. If he's not showing interest in the live mice I would try offering a live small rat.

You will want to monitor the snakes weight if possible to record any weight loss during his non-eating period. Also make sure you only offer once a week. Do not try to offer consecutively as this can cause further stress to the snake.

Has he been handled at all since you brought him home? If the answer is yes, then stop handling him, and try again after he's been left alone for a week. I would recommend trying an appropriately-sized live rat. Some ball pythons prefer rats, and some prefer mice, in my experience. Since you aren't sure what he's used to, if he won't take one, then try the other. Also, try feeding him about an hour after lights out.

thanks a lot,


I will start by adding some plants and cover the sides, and i'll give him a week without handling and try feeding him again after.

My bp just started again this past weekend, and before that hadn't eaten since early October. We've had a weird spring/summer and he finally decided enough was enough.

If your husbandry is right I say to try different food. African rats or gerbils are hard for a bp to refuse.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

i don't know what you think he's joking about.. unless you probably didn't realize that he's quoting temps in celcius.

to the OP, Sounds like husbandry might be off, being scared of a feeder is a sign of stress, and BPMIKE's suggestions are all good.

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When it said degrees I thought it meant degrees:rolleye2:
Mike.

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Originally Posted by BPMIKE

When it said degrees I thought it meant degrees:rolleye2:
Mike.

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:P Degrees are for both. Degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius :)

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

:P Degrees are for both. Degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius :)

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I am not the sharpest nail in the box.
Mike.

hehe ;)