Is Behavior Change Normal?

[SaltLife422]

So about 2 months ago my BP shed and refused food until last Friday the 7th. Since that feed she has been in her hide except once to use the bathroom in the other hide.

She is usually out at night exploring. I've checked on her and she doesn't do anything out of the ordinary so I put her back in her cage and she just goes right back into her hide.

Should I be concerned with this new behavior or is this normal?

Thanks!


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[MmmBanana]

As long as your husbandry is correct, that sounds like normal BP behavior.

[SaltLife422]

What about feedings? I skipped this last Friday because she wasn't active and figured she wasn't hungry. Should I try to feed anyway?


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[cchardwick]

What time of day do you try to feed? I try to feed late at night, as late as I can. If I fed in the mornings they would never eat LOL. Going off of food is totally normal for a ball python, I have some that go weeks without feeding, sometimes even months. Usually once they hit the 1000 gram mark they will stop for a couple months or so. Then it picks up until they are about 1500 grams and then they seem to go into the breeding cycle no matter if you pair them up or not and they stop again. The good thing about having multiple snakes is that I can start feeding my picky feeders or non-eaters first. If they don't eat I move on to the aggressive eaters. Works great and I almost never end up with an uneaten rat. I also have a couple reticulated pythons, they were eating all the left over rats but now they are too big and they only eat the large adult rats that are too big for my ball pythons LOL. Seems like ball pythons will go through a growth spurt and eat a lot, then just stop eating. Seems to me like they are letting their head size catch up with their body growth LOL.

[SaltLife422]

What time of day do you try to feed? I try to feed late at night, as late as I can. If I fed in the mornings they would never eat LOL. Going off of food is totally normal for a ball python, I have some that go weeks without feeding, sometimes even months. Usually once they hit the 1000 gram mark they will stop for a couple months or so. Then it picks up until they are about 1500 grams and then they seem to go into the breeding cycle no matter if you pair them up or not and they stop again. The good thing about having multiple snakes is that I can start feeding my picky feeders or non-eaters first. If they don't eat I move on to the aggressive eaters. Works great and I almost never end up with an uneaten rat. I also have a couple reticulated pythons, they were eating all the left over rats but now they are too big and they only eat the large adult rats that are too big for my ball pythons LOL. Seems like ball pythons will go through a growth spurt and eat a lot, then just stop eating. Seems to me like they are letting their head size catch up with their body growth LOL.

I feed once she comes out all by herself. I start thawing the rat out a little before because I know her schedule lol

Last weight after she had pooped was 324g so I have a long way to go lol


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[Craiga 01453]

Sounds like a BP to me. I wouldn't stress it if your husbandry is on point. BPs hide, that's what they do best.

Not sure why you skipped a feeding day after she ate again, but I would feed as scheduled moving forward.
I don't know how you figured she wasn't hungry. Just because she isn't pacing the enclosure looking for food doesn't mean she won't eat.

After she skipped meals the last thing I would do is skip offerings after she ate again.

[SaltLife422]

Sounds like a BP to me. I wouldn't stress it if your husbandry is on point. BPs hide, that's what they do best.

Not sure why you skipped a feeding day after she ate again, but I would feed as scheduled moving forward.
I don't know how you figured she wasn't hungry. Just because she isn't pacing the enclosure looking for food doesn't mean she won't eat.

After she skipped meals the last thing I would do is skip offerings after she ate again.

I only skipped because I kind of "knew" something was off. Turned out today she went into blue again. So I'm a little confused because she's only eaten once since the last shed.

I also personally don't feed during sheds.

But I also do understand that it could just be a normal change in behavior now.


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[Craiga 01453]

I only skipped because I kind of "knew" something was off. Turned out today she went into blue again. So I'm a little confused because she's only eaten once since the last shed.

I also personally don't feed during sheds.

But I also do understand that it could just be a normal change in behavior now.


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I definitely wouldn't skip meals once a snake is back to eating after a food strike. I'd be excited to get any meal I can in a snake that hadn't been eating. You say you "knew" something was off? So you "knew" your snake wasn't hungry? I bet dollars to donuts your snake would have eaten Fri.
But...your snake, your call.

[SaltLife422]

I definitely wouldn't skip meals once a snake is back to eating after a food strike. I'd be excited to get any meal I can in a snake that hadn't been eating. You say you "knew" something was off? So you "knew" your snake wasn't hungry? I bet dollars to donuts your snake would have eaten Fri.
But...your snake, your call.

Lol I used quotes for "knew something was off" and lo and behold she's in shed. I also stated I don't feed in shed.

So maybe I got lucky with "knowing my snake" but I'm sure you know tendencies of yours as well.

Thanks for the input though!


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[JodanOrNoDan]

Lol I used quotes for "knew something was off" and lo and behold she's in shed. I also stated I don't feed in shed.

So maybe I got lucky with "knowing my snake" but I'm sure you know tendencies of yours as well.

Thanks for the input though!


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This is normal behavior in my experience. When coming off a food strike, most of mine will take one or two meals them immediately go into a shed cycle. Some eat in shed and others don't. Good call on your part.