BP Won't Eat - very nervous

I’ve had ball pythons eat like garbage cans, and then had some that won’t eat for months.

I thaw them out in the same room, so they snakes can smell them. The hungry ones are usually active and ready to ambush. If they are just curled up ignoring the scent, I don’t even offer them lately, ask find it’s a waste of time.

Sometimes they won’t eat if there is bad environment/husbandry of course.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

I’ve had ball pythons eat like garbage cans, and then had some that won’t eat for months.

I thaw them out in the same room, so they snakes can smell them. The hungry ones are usually active and ready to ambush. If they are just curled up ignoring the scent, I don’t even offer them lately, ask find it’s a waste of time.

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I also thaw out my feeder in the room belly up (on the top of the enclosure even) using around a 2 hr thawing then checking for a soft belly then quick heating up time. I find doing that is a great tool for making the snake hungry. How would you like sitting in front of a restaurant hungry for 2 hrs, wouldn't it make one even more hungry. My snake knows now when she is getting fed and has her head out the hide door most the time and makes a quick grab.

But when fellow posters say we shouldn't thaw out in air but only use water because of bacteria build up then the same say to leave the feeder in all night it makes me shake my head wondering why they would turn down and advise against a good feeding tool and then say to leave it out all night is ok. Bogertophis is very vocal about air thawing but all night is alright I guess to her. But she isn't the only one. I figure to each his own but I want people to know I believe that thawing in air carefully timed is a great tool or method. I will continue to do it because A. I don't think it harms the snake or causes turn downs at all in fact it is the opposite and B. the ones who say 2 hr air thaw is bad give WORSE advice and say all night is ok.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

And this advice is coming from the person who says thawing out in the air for 2 hours causes bacteria? And they don't eat carrion? But it's alright to leave it overnight??? :O

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Lol, I find this funny and you do make a good point. But in all fairness, when you leave the prey in there for 'overnight' it's not so they can eat it six hours later, they basically eat it in the first hour of being left alone or they don't eat it. The point of saying to leave it overnight is more so meant to just give the snake some privacy and let them take it on their own without interrupting which may lead to a shy snake abandoning the prey.

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Originally Posted by ballpythonsrock2

And this advice is coming from the person who says thawing out in the air for 2 hours causes bacteria? And they don't eat carrion? But it's alright to leave it overnight??? :O

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Why are you "shouting"? :rolleye2:

First off, I assume you are feeding in the evening (usually works best for BPs), and by leaving the prey 'overnight', that basically means you should turn out the lights
& leave the snake alone in the dark room, no disruptions. Many are too shy to eat with human presence, and IF they're going to eat it after it has been presented the
usual way, some will take the opportunity in a dark, quiet room, once the owner stops hovering & leaves. Once you have the prey thawed out you shouldn't be re-offering
or re-freezing it, so why not take the chance & leave it. A few snakes like to be drop-fed, this way you'll find out, rather than just wasting it. Very doubtful that your BP
is going to wait until 3 am or the next daylight to eat the now-funky rodent...so bacteria is not an issue. Get it?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Why are you "shouting"? :rolleye2:

First off, I assume you are feeding in the evening (usually works best for BPs), and by leaving the prey 'overnight', that basically means you should turn out the lights
& leave the snake alone in the dark room, no disruptions. Many are too shy to eat with human presence, and IF they're going to eat it after it has been presented the
usual way, some will take the opportunity in a dark, quiet room, once the owner stops hovering & leaves. Once you have the prey thawed out you shouldn't be re-offering
or re-freezing it, so why not take the chance & leave it. A few snakes like to be drop-fed, this way you'll find out, rather than just wasting it. Very doubtful that your BP
is going to wait until 3 am or the next daylight to eat the now-funky rodent...so bacteria is not an issue. Get it?

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Not really shouting, just like larger print (about the no. 3) my eyes aren't the best, please don't take it as shouting. And I see more clearly ( no pun intended) why you stated the over night statement now. I wasn't mad I just don't agree with you about the air thaw verses water thaw reasoning and I hope we can agree to disagree hopefully about that and respect each others opinion. I don't disagree with you about the drop feeding but to tell you truth that has never worked
for the snakes I have had but your right it's worth a try. And I personally don't like to re-freeze anymore either. One shot is enough I figure too. And I agree with many of your feeding tips, like at night or dim light and the walking past, playing it coy, etc. Your spot on with myself with those ideas.

As far as re-offering, I have re-offered after another re-heating with the hair dryer and that has worked more than once. And sometimes sticking the head and body in the hide has worked the second or third attempt. But if it don't work after a couple re-heats or a drop feed, then one should wait 7 days or 5 being the soonest before trying again. My snake now usually comes out the hide and eats on the first attempt lately.

The more snakes you have kept, the more you realize how many different ways there are to get some to feed. They truly don't all follow the same playbook.
Drop-feeding shouldn't work for BPs...by the time they get to it, the rodent has cooled off...yet some here have posted success with just leaving the rat or mouse.

My only intent was to offer alternatives to try, & thanks for explaining you need larger print...yes, I did think you were ranting. As far as re-offering, you're talking
about re-warming & doing so right away, & that's perfectly fine...I really meant it's best not to either re-freeze for another day, or to re-offer to another snake, which
is a "good way" to spread diseases thru-out your collection. I hope that never happens to you...it seems safe, but just like us, snakes can be ill without showing
overt symptoms until later, like after you've already given the rodent they bit or touched & left uneaten to another snake.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

The more snakes you have kept, the more you realize how many different ways there are to get some to feed. They truly don't all follow the same playbook.
Drop-feeding shouldn't work for BPs...by the time they get to it, the rodent has cooled off...yet some here have posted success with just leaving the rat or mouse.

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This is so true. I am so glad that this forum is here as a resource and that people with experience are willing to help those just starting out. I never would have even considered drop feeding if I hadn't read about it here, and it is the only way one of my BP's will eat. He won't strike with me standing over him, but if a leave the mouse at the door of his hide it's gone within 5 min of me closing the doors. Most of the time he strikes it from inside his hide and drags it in.

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Originally Posted by kthoms104

My 1 yr. old BP (male) hasn't taken food for 2+ months.

After the first month, I decided to stop trying to feed him to give him a break. I waited one more month, but he still won't take food.

Husbandry is all good to my knowledge, 90F hot side and 70% humidity on cool. I'm feeding frozen and make sure they're heated up before.

I know he's probably just on a seasonal feeding strike but I'm starting to panic - he's getting somewhat tiny. Any advice would be very helpful

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Few Questions...

1.) Has this snake ate for YOU in the past and just started having this issue?

2.) Have you upgraded / moved him to a different size enclosure recently?

3.) How much does this snake weigh?

4.) Have you tried feeding him a LIVE mouse? Rat?

Two of mine are just coming off fasting since October. One decided to eat just as suddenly as she decided not to and is back to her normal greedy self.
The other, who has always been a great eater, had one small rat in January, and another in March, but nothing since. He IS starting to get a few wrinkles, which tells me he's losing weight so felt it was time to do something that might pique his appetite. Last week I broke down and bought him a live small rat (he's always eaten f/t) and he immediately came out of his hide, tracked it down and nailed it.
I REALLY don't want to switch him to live full time, but am hoping this was enough to "kick start" his appetite.
When I got my first snake, I'd panic if he didn't eat every week, now that I have several b.p's and a little more experience, I'm a lot more relaxed about the whole eating thing. Mind you I don't LIKE that these two went almost 7 months without eating, but I'm not losing sleep over it either. :-)

Good luck with you noodle, I'm sure he'll eat again for you soon, try not to worry. :-)