Feeding wall in yearlings

[JamesJ]

I only started building up my collection of ball pythons a year ago (keep and breed plently of other snakes / lizards) and most ate fine up until the last few months.

I've heard from plenty of sources that they somethings hit a feeding wall at around 1KG in weight, and then slow down abit. Ive got a female pastel at 750g who is still eating like a pig, but my male spider who used to be my best feeder has become really picky since passing about 500g (he is now around 670g) and has not eaten for a month. Is this likely to be his age and the fact he is becomming sexually mature? Would have though it would be abit early to be a breeding season fast. Not worried yet since I have heard them fasting for upto 8 months or so but it is anoying / frustrating!

Also have a normal female who will strike and then leave it, strike then leave it over and over again (she will eventually eat it sometimes), any tips of how to make her a more consistant feeder?

Should also point out that they are fed defrost, I'm over in the UK and thats how its done here. I do breed mice so could try live mice, but would prefer to keep them on rats.

They are all kepts in tubs in a rack with plenty of hides. 92* hot spots, 80* cool end.

[Freakie_frog]

there are times when Juvi's just tend to take a break..Don't get discouraged just keep offering and they'll come around

[piper]

In my opinion, if they are on rats, keep them on rats for sure, I have one that I have on ASF's now, but she was eating 2 adult(retired breeder sized) mice, could've eaten more but didn't.

She's the pickiest of them. I have a few that are doing what your snakes are doing, it's a little discouraging thinking you are doing something wrong, but it's really just the nature of these snakes. You'll learn quickly that they just eat when they want to and there is nothing you can do except for making sure the husbandry is spot on.

If they refuse twice in a row, I wait 10 days rather then 5-7 as well, and if they don't eat after 2 times on the 10 day, I move to 2 weeks then start offering more frequently if they take the food 3 feedings in a row.

Cheers,
Mike

[JamesJ]

Cheers for the replies.

I will try leaving them longer after a few refuses and see how that goes. The normal who strikes and leaves repeatedly is probably the most anoying to be honest, cause you think she is going to eat, but then she doesn't. Quite often I will spent hours on a feeding night warming her rat back up and letting her strike again since she never eats if its just left overnight.

On the subject of husbandry, how do you guys in the US measure humidity? Over in the UK, both dial and digital humidity gauges are said to be inaccurate and people just go by good sheds / good general health to know if its correct. When I open my tubs you can feel the humidity (their water bowls are over the heat or they get very little humidity) but no sides ever get condensation, should this be ok?

[PiedPeddler]

Yeah, the humidity gauges are mostly a joke. I guess you could use them to observe humidity fluctuations, but don't trust the reading to be accurate. For your girl that strikes but doesn't eat, get an old towel and if you need to, cut it to size so you can hang it from the front of the tub. Feed her last and as soon as the female takes her rat, just hang the towel over the front of the tub as you close it so that the towel totally blocks her view of everything else in the room. Leave the room and turn out the lights. In an hour, the rat should be gone...
- Paul