Should I be worried?

[Thumper]

Hello All! First post on this site and of course have a few feeding questions/problems? I have had two ball's for about 4 1/2 months. One is an adopted female with no back round at all that I know of. When we first got her she had a huge appetite! She was taking live mice at the rate of two to three per week. Now for the last month nothing at all. Over all appearance still looks good, she is still well hydrated and drinks frequently. I have no idea how old she is either, I am assuming due to lenght of around 26" she is a juvy? Although I am pretty stumped? Any suggestions?

The second is a male. Kind of the same problem as with the female. Feeding was no problem at first then just quit. Was feeding the male at the same rate of two to three mice per week and now nothing. He is also a store bought juvy.

Both snakes are kept separatly and do not share the same tank, Thanks in advance for all replies.

[invadertoast]

Welcome to the site! You'll find a ton of information here Have you made any changes to their enclosures recently? Change substrate type or hideboxes maybe? Make sure your temps and everything are correct... ummm... I just kind of forgot where I was going with this but I'm sure other people will chime in!

[Thumper]

I have made no changes to their tanks since they first arrived. Temps vary between 80-88 and humidity is around 50% at a consistant level.

To me (the novice), it seems quite weird that I would experince this problem with both snakes at about the time?

[Marla]

How are you measuring your temps and humidity? The stick-on analog gauges that are found at pet stores are notoriously unreliable, so your temp could be off by as much as 20 or 30 degrees if that's what you're using. Also, are you providing a temperature gradient with a hide on each side of each enclosure so that the snakes can feel secure and thermoregulate? If you can provide more information, it would be helpful.

[JamminJonah]

that is strange that it's two at once... Welcome to the boards by the way. The only thing I would say is if you don't have one get a thermo/hygro combo from walmart so you can have the hot and cool side both measured digitally (accurately). Sometimes they go off feed for no reason or perhaps there is an impending shed? It woud seem to me that a temperature change could be responsible because it is both at once I would suspect a household temperature change of some sort or maybe they are just full. Welcome again and hope to see you around!

[iceman25]

Try switching over to F/T rats. At some point they may see mice as being too small a food source. Stop feeding a whole week before trying rats. Good luck.

[Wizill]

you need to slow down on that feeding schedule, for sure.

[JLC]

Welcome to the forums!

I don't have much to add to what everyone else has suggested. Double-check your husbandry, and watch for an impending shed. And maybe they're just "full"..... They really don't metabolize food in any way like we do, so it's hard to comprehend when/why/how to feed them sometimes. It could be that they've been feasting so much since they've been with you that they just may need a break from eating.

[Thumper]

I have the little gauges not the "peel n' stick" temp tape. I hope these aren't what you ment?

Both seem to thermoregulate well. I have the both tanks set up with "hot" side and "cold" side with water dish on the cool side and the hide on the opposite. Are you saying I need to a hide on each end of the tank?

Shedding seems to be at "normal" rate? The female sheds a little more fequently than the male. But the same time I have no clue what a "normal" shed schedule is? Thanks again.

[Marla]

It sounds like you have a good start, but you'll end up with easier to handle, easier to feed, and overall more healthy snakes if you make a couple of changes. Snakes' immune systems depend on their being able to get their bodies to the temperature they need at the time in order to work properly.

I am saying that you need a hide at each end of the tank. It doesn't need to be expensive or fancy, just something the snake can feel secure in. Otherwise they may be staying at a temp that's not what they need in order to feel secure. It's good that you do have a temp gradient with warm and cool sides, but you need to know the temps pretty accurately and they need to feel secure on both sides.

And yes, I meant the dial type gauges are very inaccurate. You can buy a digital indoor-outdoor thermometer/hygrometer combo that will tell you the temp for both sides of the tank at once and the humidity at WalMart for under $15 and it's well worth it. It's typically with the big thermometers that go outside your house near paint and hardware. Set it to show "inside" and "outside" temps (not time and temp) and lay the unit on the floor at one end of the enclosure then put the probe wire on the floor at the other end, burying the extra wire under newspaper or whatever substrate you're using.

As far as frequency of shed, that will vary depending on the growth rate and condition of the snake, but it's not something to worry about. If the sheds are one piece and the snake is eating and has no skin/scale problems (scale rot, burns, etc.), frequency will take care of itself.