Old Ball Python Care

[GoldSheep]

I tried GIYF rule, but google doesn't like this question.

My Ball python girl is about 20 years old now. I'm a tad worried about her because she hasn't eaten in quite a while. I put in a rat and she initially shows interest (stalking it, flicking her tongue at it), but then runs away from it. I try to offer her every week around the same time and she's always been a solid eater. Sometimes when she was younger she'd eat 2-3 rats in one sitting with gusto (I sometimes barely had time to put it in before she struck--all her children and grandchildren have been like that too). (I'd give her a rest, of course, and let her pace herself.). She's only gone off eating once before off season unexpectedly when her nose got injured, but once it healed, she was going at it again with the same gusto as before.

But these days, she's not eating as frequently, or as much. It's been a few months since she's eaten and the other ball pythons are eating fine. She's more interested in her old habit of pretending she's a boa and sitting in my lap and socializing than eating rats. (I know because every time I open the cage she tries to get out... and yes, she has plenty of hides, and is fine during the day--she's always been this way--I open the cage and she wants out and doesn't want to go back. She sometimes likes to greet me when I'm near.) But The ol' 5 ft girl is losing weight too much. She used to be nice and plump (over 2500g), like she's supposed to be, but she's growing thinner.

I checked her for signs of infection, etc, but she's perfectly fine otherwise. I've tried to change her bedding, just in case, too, she's being fussy about her surroundings. (She likes to tip over her water bowl when it's empty and stare at me... weirdo--she really is an odd ball python--lots of quirky behavior since I got her when she was small.).

I can't find anything on how to care for an older ball python--like how frequently to offer food, etc only for new babies. Anyone have tips? Anything I should watch for in older snakes. Not sure why she won't eat.

[oreo]

B


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JodanOrNoDan]

I haven't had them long enough to have raised a 20 year old from an egg, but I do have some older snakes. It seems the older they get, the less food they seem to need, growth rate slows, and the fasts last longer. My oldest girl fasted for around nine flipping months. She lost some weight but nothing that really scared me. I don't really start to worry unless they lose body tone.

Once again my data is limited. Hopefully some of the long time keepers chime in.

My advise would be don't offer for a couple weeks.

[Wharf Rat]

I've got a 25 year old. He was on medium f/t rats for the last 15 years or so. I'd feed him every 7 to 10 days. He rarely refused a meal. But about a year ago he started refusing much more often, so I bumped him down to small rats weekly, but now it's more like a small rat every 3 weeks or so. His weight is staying pretty consistent, around 2550 grams. No other real "symptoms", well one other. When he goes into shed I can tell it bugs him more than in years past. Otherwise he seems normal and healthy.

So basically, try not to worry too much if yours feeds less. As long as weight is more or less maintained and there's no other health concerns, just enjoy her. Good luck

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

I've never had a BP that old, but I've had others into mid-twenties: it's typical for them to eat smaller prey & at an increasingly-slower rate, and also to shed
less often...it's all tied together. Snakes grow their whole lives, but that slows way down in later years. I've seen snakes take over a year between sheds.

[GoldSheep]

Ah, I've been trying to feed her medium rats because that's her usual, so should I bump her down to small rats? I wasn't aware that there is a size decrease with feeding older ball pythons.

[Bogertophis]

It's up to you, if she's still taking them & has no apparent trouble digesting them, but I probably would. I've had older snakes that still wanted to eat but would
actually refuse larger prey like they used to eat. I think at some point it appears to be a stress on their digestion, or they'll put on too much weight from excess
food they don't need, & that causes issues too, like 'fatty liver'. When their growth & activity clearly slows down, they just don't need as much food, but just like
the rest of us, we're all different, some in better shape for age than others.