Bp won't eat

[Magnum2020]

So first time snake owner here so bare with me. I know snakes will go off of food at times but i am starting to get a little concerned. His last meal was Feb 7th and weighed around 1040 grams. He has refused food since and i am worried he is going to loose to much weight as now he is 960 grams. He does not look sick or act lethargic. In fact he cruises around his tank more often than not. Cool side around 80-82 and hot side 88-90 and humidity around 60% which it has been since day one so i dont think it is that. Any tips or tricks i can do to get him back eating or do i just wait it out and hope

[Bogertophis]

In general, BPs are "happy" when they're mostly stationary, especially by day. He might be too warm- most keep the cool end of the enclosure somewhat lower (76-78*) so the snake has more temperature choices- that could be why he's restless.

What size prey are you feeding him? & rats or mice?

This chart might also help you- sometimes you might be feeding more than your snake needs to eat, & it's only natural to worry about why they aren't eating- so take a look at this & see where your BP fits in:

[dakski]

As Bogertophis said, the cool side could be a little lower. I aim for 78-80F in the spring and summer and fall when my BP eats. She does fast all winter and I keep the cool side closer to 76-78F in the winter. For what's worth, she starts fasting before things cool down. She knows. If she was eating, I might keep the cool side closer to 80F (tops) but that's irrelevant, because she fasts like clockwork.

If your BP is a male, 1,000G is about when they often start fasting, especially in winter. Usually a little heavier for a female, but it depends.

As Bogertophis asked, it's important to know what you are feeding. Your BP should be eating small rats at this point and probably indefinitely. My 2KG female eats small rats every two weeks. A similar schedule for your guy makes sense. If he tends to skip meals, you can move to every 3 weeks and see if that helps. When I offered her larger meals, she skipped a lot even during the summer. Small rats means she really doesn't refuse unless in shed or during the winter.

During winter, she usually loses about 7% of her body weight and makes it right back up. To be clear, I weigh her dry (after going to the bathroom) and regularly so I know what her average weight is going into fast. I use that weight to see how much she's really lost. With her body condition and age (8 1/2 years old) she could go a year before I'd really worry about her not eating. Having said that, I know my temps and humidity are where they should be.

A BP can lose 80G peeing and/or pooping. Are both weights "dry" weights? Even if they are, I wouldn't sweat it yet.

Also, do not offer too much. If he's refused two meals in a row. Offer no more than 1X a month until he's eating again. Offering and refusing means stress for the snake.

Get your temps dialed in and make sure you are checking them with an IR temp gun and below the substrate - BP's will dig and if 90F on top and 95F below, for example, that might stress him out too and can be dangerous.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Magnum2020]

He was taking 1 small rat a week so over feeding shouldnt be an issue

[Magnum2020]

This is the first time he has ever refused a meal

[Hugsplox]

In general, BPs are "happy" when they're mostly stationary, especially by day. He might be too warm- most keep the cool end of the enclosure somewhat lower (76-78*) so the snake has more temperature choices- that could be why he's restless.

As Bogertophis said, the cool side could be a little lower. I aim for 78-80F in the spring and summer and fall when my BP eats. She does fast all winter and I keep the cool side closer to 76-78F in the winter. For what's worth, she starts fasting before things cool down. She knows. If she was eating, I might keep the cool side closer to 80F (tops) but that's irrelevant, because she fasts like clockwork.

Echoing what Bogertophis an dakski said, I think your cool side may be a little too warm. Typically you'll see your snake thermoregulating during the day, but "Cruising more often than not" sounds like your BP can't get comfortable. Like Dakski, I've always kept my cool end somewhere between 76-78F year around and it's worked out great. Sometimes in the summer it'll kick up to 80 but the warm side is warm enough that the temp gradient is still a good 10 degrees different, if that makes sense.

May not be your issue, but it's not a bad place to start to see if it'll help.

[dakski]

He was taking 1 small rat a week so over feeding shouldnt be an issue

I would go to offering every 2 weeks at this point. Still a small rat. He doesn't need to eat once a week at his weight.

Except for potentially fasting in the winter, I don't think he'll often skip a meal on that schedule.

[Magnum2020]

Actually it started just before we had that record cold snap in feb..(im in michigan..we had single digit and below zero temps at night for about 2 weeks straight). But i guess i didnt realize they could still detect what going on outside even though he is kept in a toasty warm house. Hard to control wood heat...house is generally 75-78. So if this in normal winter time behavior then i guess i wont freak out too much. Hes just over a yr old and i didnt think he would go through that just yet as he is still slightly growing...will update in a few days

[Bogertophis]

Actually it started just before we had that record cold snap in feb..(im in michigan..we had single digit and below zero temps at night for about 2 weeks straight). But i guess i didnt realize they could still detect what going on outside even though he is kept in a toasty warm house. Hard to control wood heat...house is generally 75-78. So if this in normal winter time behavior then i guess i wont freak out too much. Hes just over a yr old and i didnt think he would go through that just yet as he is still slightly growing...will update in a few days

It might well be due to "winter"- & I think snakes detect the air pressure changes that accompany storm systems, so it's maybe not just about the temperatures. Don't forget that day lengths are the shortest in winter also. It's likely they notice that too.

I've had a lot of experience heating with wood & pellet stoves...I know what you mean about fluctuations, especially with temps as low as we all had this winter, even those of us much further south.

Try not to worry too much, many BPs just "do this" anyway.