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  1. #1
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    4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    My ball python hasn't eaten in four months. I have been trying to feed him the same live mouse for the last four months. He shed but I don't think he shed completely on his eyes so I used tape (gently) but nothing came off. I have no means to keep track of his weight. What can I do to get him to eat and so I can get rid of the live mouse?

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    After 4 months of starting death in the eyes you would think he would have earned himself a pardon...

  3. #3
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    Patience (winter is almost over), and spot-on husbandry, which seems to need a little work with stuck shed.

    Mine went 8 months last year, and looking to do it again (adult, though).

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  5. #4
    Registered User Stormy's Avatar
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    Re: 4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    Quote Originally Posted by BallPythonIncaLove View Post
    My ball python hasn't eaten in four months. I have been trying to feed him the same live mouse for the last four months. He shed but I don't think he shed completely on his eyes so I used tape (gently) but nothing came off. I have no means to keep track of his weight. What can I do to get him to eat and so I can get rid of the live mouse?

    Adult BP's can go months without eating; how is your husbandry? How old is the snake? Your post doesn't really give enough information for others to help you.

    And NEVER use tape any where on your ball python!!!!! I suggest you do some research on proper care of a ball python before you seriously injure your snake!
    1.0 Trick Pinstripe (Loki)
    0.1 Firefly Axanthic (Oreo)
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    0.1 Bumblebee (Bumble)
    1.0 Pastel Genetic Stripe. (Ozzy)

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  7. #5
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    Re: 4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    Quote Originally Posted by melcvt00 View Post
    Patience (winter is almost over), and spot-on husbandry, which seems to need a little work with stuck shed.

    Mine went 8 months last year, and looking to do it again (adult, though).
    Same ... I had one go 9 months once and I'm sure that the recurs for fasting is around 21 months ( by a Royal ) ..




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  9. #6
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    Re: 4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    He's about a year and a half years old.

    His cool side is about 70 degrees and the hot side is about 90 degrees. I have two heat lamps on the hot side. One for at night and one for during the day. He out grew his log that he would hide under during the day and I'm getting a new one for him. He has other logs that he can move around on, one of them he likes to sit on top of to be closer to the heat lamps.

    Okay, please don't shout at me with the exclamation marks. When I was researching on to help him with his eyes it was suggested on other sites to use tape or a q-tip. I won't do that again in the future. I don't want to hurt him, he is my first ball python and I'm still learning.

    What can I do about the mouse? I have it in a separate enclosure with water and food. Its gotten fatter since I first got it. Should I get it a wheel for it to exercise on?

  10. #7
    BPnet Senior Member cletus's Avatar
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    Re: 4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    Quote Originally Posted by Zincubus View Post
    Same ... I had one go 9 months once and I'm sure that the recurs for fasting is around 21 months ( by a Royal ) ..
    9 months. I would go crazy. lol

  11. #8
    BPnet Lifer redshepherd's Avatar
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    Just repeating- you don't want to be using tape or anything on their eyes. Tape isn't the way to fix a bad shed. I remember seeing a thread somewhere with someone actually removing the ball python's entire eye cap using tape, because they thought was shed, so the snake lost their eyesight in that eye. Similar to tearing off your eyelid LOL...

    How much does he currently weigh, and maybe you can post a picture of both him AND your setup? The age doesn't actually help much.

    A lot of the time, ball pythons need a lot of cover to feel secure to eat- big leafy vines, branches, foliage, where they feel hidden throughout the tank.

    The half log hides also aren't ideal hides, and could be at least part of the reason why he's not eating. The best hides are ones where they can hide inside it completely.
    http://www.reptilebasics.com/medium-hide-box
    Last edited by redshepherd; 02-17-2017 at 09:25 PM.




  12. #9
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    Re: 4 months and he still hasn't eaten

    Quote Originally Posted by BallPythonIncaLove View Post
    He's about a year and a half years old.

    His cool side is about 70 degrees and the hot side is about 90 degrees. I have two heat lamps on the hot side. One for at night and one for during the day. He out grew his log that he would hide under during the day and I'm getting a new one for him. He has other logs that he can move around on, one of them he likes to sit on top of to be closer to the heat lamps.

    Okay, please don't shout at me with the exclamation marks. When I was researching on to help him with his eyes it was suggested on other sites to use tape or a q-tip. I won't do that again in the future. I don't want to hurt him, he is my first ball python and I'm still learning.

    What can I do about the mouse? I have it in a separate enclosure with water and food. Its gotten fatter since I first got it. Should I get it a wheel for it to exercise on?
    What's your humidity at?

    Fat mouse equals bigger meal for your bp when he does finally eat. People that breed mice don't have room for wheels for all of them. :-)

  13. #10
    BPnet Senior Member cchardwick's Avatar
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    By the time he eats your mouse may die of old age LOL. Mice only live about 12 months, and they are too old to breed at 8 months.

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