My baby ball isn’t eating anymore and is losing weight (new snake mom)

[chaylibell]

I’ve had my baby ball python since September (he was “born” in June). When he first got home I put him in his tank and a week later he ate perfect f/t hopper mouse. Then a week later I tried f/t rat and he took to it. He then ate every week (or every other week) just fine until nov 23rd. Now he won’t eat. He’s lost 11g (he did weigh 181g dec 7 and now weighs 170g)


I’m a first time snake owner so I’m doing the best I can. He’s in a 20gal glass tank with a uth and day/night timer heat lamp system with hot side of 80-90 and cool side 70-80. He’s got two hides on either size and a large water dish in the middle to keep his humidity up. I use aspen bedding and his humidity usually stays around 40/50%. He also hasn’t shed since November 21st (but I’m guessing that’s due to the lack of eating = lack of growing)


I’ve tried feeding every week f/t rats and mice and different sizes. He roams around his tank at night and has made burrows in the substrate in a few areas. I’m open to any suggestions on what to change/do so that he doesn’t lose any more weight and can be healthy ☹️

Ive also recently been considering moving him to a tub system. I do not plan on getting anymore balls soon so a rack system isn’t necessary but I’m just looking for what’s best for him.

[OneEyedFox]

So the only real issue I can see from the information you gave is that the humidity is low. It needs to be 50-60%. I used to do 40-60% and that was too low and my bp got a dent in his eyes from dehydration. A lot of people refer to this thread here:
My ball python won t eat - My BP is stressed - hatchling 101
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...5&share_type=t
When they need help with their baby so check this out.


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[Tonald Drump]

Well, to bump up OneEyedFox's point, ball pythons need 55-60% humidity at all times, and about 70% during shed, so it could be just the husbandry being off. If not, then it could be a feeding strike, as balls are notorious for that. If he still won't take f/t and starts rapidly losing weight, you should at least consider trying live.

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[CALM Pythons]

I’ve had my baby ball python since September (he was “born” in June). When he first got home I put him in his tank and a week later he ate perfect f/t hopper mouse. Then a week later I tried f/t rat and he took to it. He then ate every week (or every other week) just fine until nov 23rd. Now he won’t eat. He’s lost 11g (he did weigh 181g dec 7 and now weighs 170g)


I’m a first time snake owner so I’m doing the best I can. He’s in a 20gal glass tank with a uth and day/night timer heat lamp system with hot side of 80-90 and cool side 70-80. He’s got two hides on either size and a large water dish in the middle to keep his humidity up. I use aspen bedding and his humidity usually stays around 40/50%. He also hasn’t shed since November 21st (but I’m guessing that’s due to the lack of eating = lack of growing)


I’ve tried feeding every week f/t rats and mice and different sizes. He roams around his tank at night and has made burrows in the substrate in a few areas. I’m open to any suggestions on what to change/do so that he doesn’t lose any more weight and can be healthy ☹️

Ive also recently been considering moving him to a tub system. I do not plan on getting anymore balls soon so a rack system isn’t necessary but I’m just looking for what’s best for him.

As the other poster replied a 10% increase is needed in Humidity, not a huge deal, but if you haven't covered the lid with Tin Foil and a small Hand Towel mist the enclosure and cover it. You temps are off also. That is much to big of a drop. Your hot side is going to what your cool side should be. Your UTH should be on a Thermostat that adjusts the power so that when the house cools the UTH stays 88-90. Your cool side might cool off with the house but if you cover the tank (also put cardboard around the outside Back & 2 Sides) it will hold better temps from the Heat Lamp. When the heat lamp bulb goes just grab a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter). They do a bit better and don't shine light.
Everything else sound ok but the lower temp probably has the snake doing the Winter time Off feed deal. When my snakes got to 180 grams they went off feed during winter too. Lasted a couple months easy. Then ate once and stayed of 2 more weeks. That is common. Since he was eating well before that I would not worry. Spring Fever will be here soon and they will get back to normal. A good way to stay on regular feedings is to not offer so often. Go every 10-14 days instead of every week when he starts eating again. People that feed more often have more of a chance of their snakes going off sooner during winter months and for longer periods. At 180 grams some Balls (males especially) slow down with eating.. Mine hit another growing spirt around 250-300 then slowed again around 500... Im sure he is fine but regulate that Hot Spot and dont let it fall below 86.

[Caali]

When I read your post there were two things I noticed: the humidity and the temps.

1. Humidity should be between 50% and 60%. I read that you use Aspen but I recommend that you don't. Aspen is a humidity killer. I recommend you use eco earth or cypress mulch.

2. Your temps are all over the place. They can change like 1 or 2 degrees but I think the range from 80 to 90 is too big. The hot spot should be around 90. 2 degrees more or less are not a problem but 10 degrees less is. The snake needs the different temperatures to thermoregulate and to digest the food. Cold temps on the hot side could be the cause for him refusing to eat.

3. I don't think rack or not rack is the problem here. Personally I think it kind of depends on the snake. I've heard of cases where snakes only eat in huge enclosures and I mean HUGE! (2m in length, 1m in length and 1m in height)
You should be fine with the enclosure you have had before.

How often did you offer food? How often do you handle him? Is he able to hide away?

My advice is: Don't handle him until he eats. Offer food once a week. Make sure he can hide away. Nail the husbandry.

[tttaylorrr]

everyone else has good points and here's something no one has mentioned yet: the snake ate a hopper mouse, but then you decided to offer a rat. what size rat? and have you tried offering a mouse again?

[Craiga 01453]

Just to piggy back on the temps...
Your temps are a) too low and b) fluctuating way too much.
This leads me to believe they are not regulated by thermostats. ALL heat sources should be regulated to prevent dangerous heat spikes which can cause serious burns or worse to your snake.

My advice: read over the basic husbandry 101 stickies on this forum as well as the stickies on how to set up a glass enclosure.
Basically start from scratch. There's a TON of misinformation out there, but the stickies on this forum have been made into stickies because they are tried and true.
Study those, start over, get your setup right and dialed in and give your BP some time to adjust to proper husbandry. Then after about a week of letting your snake settle in, try feeding again.

[chaylibell]

Thank you guys for all the replies. The back and sides and top of his tank have been covered from day one. I will need to invest in the thermostat for sure as well as the CHE. So I will need two thermostats??

Yes i I tried a mouse again, but he had already been accepting rats.

I have tried eco earth in the beginning but had an even worse humidity prom led, which led me to switch to the aspen in the first place, but I can try again with that.

Ive only handles him twice since he stopped eating and that was only because I wanted him to still feel comfortable it’s me holding him since it had been so long, and to weigh him, but I will stop until he eats.

[chaylibell]

Also! Those temps are ambient. I do have a digital temperature fun and the ground temps are higher. The hot side ground is above 90 right anove his uth. And the cool side stays at 80. He’s always on his cool side tho. Should I still try to raise the ambient and ground temp?? And should I get ceramic bulbs for both sides and have no light ever?

[MD_Pythons]

Yes, get two thermostats. Or you could invest in a Herpstat 2. It can control two heat sources. And 11g isn't all that much of a weight loss, he could've pooped that out. Did you put the eco earth in wet? I have to let it dry for a couple days before I use it.