Concerned my Yearling BP is on a hunger strike

[JJpeep]

Hello Everyone,
This is going to be a long winded post so bare with me. I just want everyone to get an idea of what has been going on.
I want to start by saying his enclosure is the correct heat humidity and he is in his own little corner of the room. He has a nice hide and a humid hide as well. Also has a fresh bowl of water in with him at all times. Now for story time.
I bought this guy back at the end of September. He was shipped to me on October first. He was already almost a year old. Right off the bat we noticed he was very afraid, skittish, very shy guy. I did write once here about his behavior and I got some good insight as to why he would be more skittish and stuff since he was an older guy and was used to his other home for almost a year and it takes more time for them to get adjusted. Made alot of sense to me. One thing we never at a problem with is feeding. He ate two mice the frost week I had him. Ate several more times after. He abruptly stopped feeding the middle of November. Ever since then, I continue to offer food everytime my other snakes eat. Like I mentioned, he is very skittish and the last thing I want to do is stress him out. He really does not like my going in there with tongs or any of that. I had an issue with another BP not feeding and everyone gave me very good advice with her that worked. That BP eats everytime now. I tried those tips with this guy, but ever so carefully since he is by far the most sensitive out of all of our snakes. I talked to a couple breeders. Some have mixed feelings. Most say they think he could be on a hunger strike because he is coming of age. I had one guy tell me he is too young for that. I wanted to add that my vet doesn't seem too concerned with it. But I also read that some snakes will starve themselves (I was hoping that wasn't true).
Couple of things come to mind, he turned a year in October. Do you think it may be a hunger strike due to the time of year? Second, he was born in FL. Lived there til October til he was almost a year. I live in Illinois which gets much colder, even though his enclosure is heated and all, they do feel bare metric pressure in the air. Can this have an effect on feeding? I even tried a rat, (he was raised on mice), and I figured maybe he smelled the rats being thawed for the other ball pythons that maybe he wanted to try one. But he still refused. I weigh once a month. On February 4th he weighed 414. I weighed him today and he weighs 405. I mean he still looks nice and chunky but I worry alot. He was in good spirits today only striking at me once 🤣.
I would like to hear everyone's opinions. Should I continue offering every week. Do you think I should try to offer a smaller meal? I heard that works somewhere. He was eating adult mice for me in the beginning.
Thank You everyone in advance. I hope I remembered everything I wanted to say.

[JJpeep]

Sorry for the typos everyone. I did want to correct he turned a year in December not October.

[JJpeep]

This is a photo of him from Dynasty wear I bought him from. He really honestly doesn't look much thinner than this photo. But after weighing him he is gradually losing. He still has some body to him though.

[plateOfFlan]

Whoa we're having similar winters - my year-and-a-half boy weighs about 430g and went off food for ten weeks this year with zero ill effects - he actually seems somewhat refreshed after his fast. He was off from Dec 15th - March 1st. Like yours he's a nervous boy and I do think the temperature drop set him off food, but I definitely don't think you need to worry at all yet - a few grams lost is probably just drinking and urinating. Probably just offer less frequently and let him be, my boy started drop-feeding again (on a smaller feeder) after I left him for 3 weeks without offering. Good luck!

[JJpeep]

Whoa we're having similar winters - my year-and-a-half boy weighs about 430g and went off food for ten weeks this year with zero ill effects - he actually seems somewhat refreshed after his fast. He was off from Dec 15th - March 1st. Like yours he's a nervous boy and I do think the temperature drop set him off food, but I definitely don't think you need to worry at all yet - a few grams lost is probably just drinking and urinating. Probably just offer less frequently and let him be, my boy started drop-feeding again (on a smaller feeder) after I left him for 3 weeks without offering. Good luck!

That was actually a question I left out of my first post. If I should leave him for a week or so without offering. Funny thing is. Yesterday after I cleaned and weighed him was the first time he didn't race into his hide box like a crazy man after we put him back in his enclosure. I called my Dad over because we don't really get to admire him too often as he is so scared. So we just kinda watched him for awhile. He was out for hours as well cruising around his house. He never stays out that long. I think I went to bed before he did. So hopefully this means he is sensing the big warm up we are supposed to be getting and he starts to get a feeding response. Thank you for your comment. I was curious to see what everyone else had to say. I have always gotten sound advice from the people here.

[bcr229]

Weigh him every week or so and watch his body condition. If he's not dropping weight I wouldn't worry about it, he's just being a male more interested in finding a girl than in eating. Some males go six months without eating during mating season.

Also now that he's a year old and up to his adult size you don't have to feed every week, a small rat every two or three weeks is plenty.

[JJpeep]

Weigh him every week or so and watch his body condition. If he's not dropping weight I wouldn't worry about it, he's just being a male more interested in finding a girl than in eating. Some males go six months without eating during mating season.

Also now that he's a year old and up to his adult size you don't have to feed every week, a small rat every two or three weeks is plenty.

That's actually good to know. He was raised on small mice and hasn't taken a rat from me yet. I think I may offer a small mouse meal next time to see if he gets going on eating again. If he starts to feed, I will offer him a rat again and see if he takes it. Like I said, he is skittish and easily stressed out. So the less I change I think is the better for him. But I am comforted by the fact that you said it may be a normal thing for him during mating season. We do have female BPs in the house. One is still young but one is just two months older than him and has been feeding and very active. Maybe he knows she has been cruising around.

[Bogertophis]

That's actually good to know. He was raised on small mice and hasn't taken a rat from me yet. I think I may offer a small mouse meal next time to see if he gets going on eating again. If he starts to feed, I will offer him a rat again and see if he takes it. Like I said, he is skittish and easily stressed out. So the less I change I think is the better for him. But I am comforted by the fact that you said it may be a normal thing for him during mating season. We do have female BPs in the house. One is still young but one is just two months older than him and has been feeding and very active. Maybe he knows she has been cruising around.

Do the female BPs live nearby? (in the same room?) I wouldn't try to change from feeding mice for quite a while now. Wait until he's feeding very regularly first.

[JJpeep]

Do the female BPs live nearby? (in the same room?) I wouldn't try to change from feeding mice for quite a while now. Wait until he's feeding very regularly first.

We have a designated snake room. So yes the girls are in the same room.

[Zincubus]

Well it will come as no surprise to learn that I will suggest using the tried and trusted hairdryer feeding method ... mine all feed 100% ... unless they’re in shed or just not in the mood to eat

Royals go off their food for no apparent reason and I have a Corn who stops eating for a month or so each year.

I also bought an adult Royal Python a great years ago who was supposedly a great eater but it went 15 MONTHS without eating a morsel but was perfectly healthy and active and only lost a tiny amount of weight


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