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  1. #1
    Registered User Pals BP's Avatar
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    BP not eating for 3 months

    I have a young ball python that I got about 3 months ago and she will not eat in my care and seems really stressed. I have been keeping ball pythons for over 8 years and boas over 10 years and this is the first young snake to give me problems. Her temps have been 90 on the hot spot using belly heat with humidity between 60 and 80 percent. I had her in a small see through plastic tub on newspaper and hides for the first 2 months and she would just defensively strike at the rodent and not eat. After 2 months I moved her to my Freedom Breeder rack because she is not a hatchling (has some size on her) and I thought she would benefit from more privacy (non-see through tub). I have her on aspen bedding in the tub with hot spot again at 90 and humidity between 60 and 80 percent. She has been in the rack for a month and still will not eat. I tried a large live mouse today and she repeatedly defensively struck at it, but was not interested in eating. It has now been 3 months and she has not been handled at all. Should I try something else or just try to wait it out. She's still a good weight, but I'm getting worried for her. Here's a picture from today after she refused her live mouse.

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  2. #2
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    What's her weight?
    Deborah Stewart


  3. #3
    Registered User Pals BP's Avatar
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    Re: BP not eating for 3 months

    Quote Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles View Post
    What's her weight?
    Currently 495 grams and she was born last year...sorry I forgot to include this.

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  4. #4
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    If the fast started when you moved her that could be your trigger, depending on the size tub you are using right now you can either downsize or wait and see, or simply put her back in her enclosure to see if she will resume feeding.

    At that age there can be many triggers including catching up because they were overfed so it's always about trying to seek what can have trigger the fast (they usually are steady feeder at that age until they reach 1000 grams) and see if you can reverse it.
    Deborah Stewart


  5. #5
    Registered User Pals BP's Avatar
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    Re: BP not eating for 3 months

    Quote Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles View Post
    If the fast started when you moved her that could be your trigger, depending on the size tub you are using right now you can either downsize or wait and see, or simply put her back in her enclosure to see if she will resume feeding.

    At that age there can be many triggers including catching up because they were overfed so it's always about trying to seek what can have trigger the fast (they usually are steady feeder at that age until they reach 1000 grams) and see if you can reverse it.
    Thank you, she has not eaten in my care yet which is why it's so concerning. I have not been able to figure this out. The breeder said she was eating f/t before. Maybe she is still settling in and possibly "catching up" from overfeeding. She is definitely larger that other animals I have purchased at a similar age. When should I start to worry?

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  6. #6
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    Re: BP not eating for 3 months

    Quote Originally Posted by Pals BP View Post
    Thank you, she has not eaten in my care yet which is why it's so concerning. I have not been able to figure this out. The breeder said she was eating f/t before. Maybe she is still settling in and possibly "catching up" from overfeeding. She is definitely larger that other animals I have purchased at a similar age. When should I start to worry?

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    So do you know how she was keep before because with that new info this is where I would start, try to emulate the breeder's setup from tub size to temps to bedding.

    When to worry really depends on the animal, it's not really a matter of weight as much as it is a matter of body proportion and behaviour, and right now she looks great.
    Deborah Stewart


  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Stewart_Reptiles For This Useful Post:

    dr del (06-08-2020),Pals BP (06-05-2020)

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