What if...?

[ViperSRT3g]

So I was re-reading some of my older posts here, and I came to a surprising epiphany that I was wanting to ask others to see if it might hold true.

My BP has gone off feed for the past month or so, and hasn't been too concerned about eating anything offered to him. I figured he's just not hungry for some reason. I had gone through all the possibilities, cleaning out his entire tank, giving him fresh new aspen bedding, ensuring the husbandry was correct, so on and so forth.

And then while reading one of the older threads I've posted in, the idea came to me. What if they go off feed because they were getting too large for their hides. So in order for them to fit in their hides, they had to stop eating to shrink down a bit? I noticed just before my BP stopped eating that he was having trouble fitting into his hide because he was getting so fat.

I'm tempted to test out this theory by getting my snake a slightly larger hide, and then seeing if he'll eat anything again. And so I'm posting this to see if anyone else has noticed any similar patterns in their snake's behavior?
Might their need for security and hiding actually cause them to prioritize hiding and being ABLE to hide, higher than eating anything? Please post about your snake's behavior prior to going off feed, or coming off of a hunger strike.

[coldbloodaddict]

Doubt the size of the hide matters...I don't even use hides...

[Reptile Frenzy]

We dont use hides either but you have a good theory. If they cant fit inside something to hide and be more secure than maybe they would go off food to shrink down. Maybe its instinct kicking in. I dont know how true this theory is but try it. Makes sense a snakes instinct would take over and it would try anything to protect it self from death. Maybe your scaring him too much! Just kidding try it and see...

[Ripsaw642]

Sounds to me like it's time for a new hide anyways, so you get to test your theory!

[cheaversg]

I had kinda the same question except it was for enclosure size instead of hide size.