Ball Python Won't Eat or Shed

[megalegadon]

This is my first time posting on here, so please bear with me!

I don't know how old my BP (his name is Breakfast) is, but I suspect him to be at least a year and a half old. I bought him at PetCo almost a year ago. This was before I knew how unethical it was to buy from chain stores, but I was 14 at the time.

He was a little underweight when I first got him because he wouldn't eat the pinkies the employees were trying to feed him. They were far too small for his weight and size, so I fed him live rat pups, which he ate no problem. After he grew a bit, I started feeding him live rat weanlings. He's also eaten small rats on occasion when the store didn't have any weanlings. I'm looking to start feeding him frozen thawed, but I haven't tried until after he went off feed. Up until the end of December he's been eating, drinking, growing, and shedding as much as a BP should. He would shed once every 1½-2 months, and eat once a week.

Ever since the end of December he's been drinking his water the same as usual, but hasn't eaten or shed (his last shed being sometime in late November). My husbandry has been the same the past year. He's in a 20 gallon with a mix of coco fiber and coco husk as the substrate, as well as multiple hides and foliage throughout the enclosure. The humidity stays around 65%-75% with the help of a humidifier. His temp on the cool side never drops below 75° F, and his warm side stays at around 90° F. I use a heat mat hooked up to a thermostat to regulate the temperature on the warm side, as well as a dim, low wattage heat lamp in the middle that I turn on occasionally when my room is a little colder. He likes to stay in his big hide on the warm side when he sleeps during the day, and comes out at night. He's usually very active from 12 am to 3 am, and usually just chills out for the rest of the night. He's as energetic as he was before, and shows no notable weight difference.

I know it's normal for them to go off feed, especially during brumation, but I tend to overthink and worry. I offer him food once every two to three weeks now, but to no avail. The fact that he hasn't shed in almost three months is worrying as well, so if anyone has any advice or consolidating words, please let me know! <3

[Bogertophis]

Hi...if he's "at least a year & a half" as you said, this all sounds fairly normal to me. And if he's not eating, he's not going to shed much, so I wouldn't worry about that either. You're right not to offer food more often than every 3 weeks, & maybe not even then, if he's not acting like he wants to eat. I'm not seeing your snake or your set-up, but from what you described, nothing jumps out as problematic. Ball pythons can certainly be frustrating at times.

I'm glad you want to get him on f/t for safety reasons, but this obviously isn't the time to make a change- unless he's refusing out of fear of the rodents? Snakes get bit or pinched sometimes, then start losing their nerve- so if he acts hungry, you might try a f/t just to see if he'll take it. After you thaw in cool water, you'll need to warm it up some so it passes for "life-like" since BPs rely on their heat-sensing pits to recognize dinner. Many here swear by using a blow-dryer to warm especially the head, right before offering it- & of course, use feeding tongs.

[slseals1969]

Don't sweat it.

My girl NEVER refused a meal for the first 18 months. She ate everything, from multiple pinkies to the small rats that my son's snake refused. She ate like clockwork, so when she went off feed for about 4 months, I'll be honest, I started sweating and worrying a little bit. She always took them straight off the tongs. When she finally took something when going back on feed, I'd have to just lay it down and leave it for her to take it. After a few feedings she was back to taking it from the tongs after a little zombie dance. Now she is voracious. She's usually out hunting just a few days after feeding and I can hardly get it trough the door before she hits.

Don't even think about where you got the snake. My son's snake came from Petsmart, where he had been for over a year. He is well adjusted and incredibly docile. Breakfast is much better off where he is now. I know how hard it is but just relax and give it some more time.

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