Still not eating. what am i NOT doing?

[muydesso]

My 144g bp hasnt eaten in 5 weeks. I dont handle her more than twice a week. She isnt in a high traffic area. The temps range from 94-77 from the hot side to the cold side. I measure it using an infra red temp gun. The humidity is 50-70% measured with and accurite gauge. She was eating live mice and rat pups. Ive tried the following; live mouse, live rat, dead mouse, dead rat, light colored rodent, dark colored, rodent, leaving rat in cage overnight, scenting the rat with soiled gerbil bedding and my bp hasnt eaten. Is it normal for a bp so young to go off food for so long? Is there anything im missing?

[satomi325]

Is she losing weight? If she isn't, I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep offering normally. Balls can go off feed not matter what the age.
What sort of enclosure is she in?
Does she have hides? She could be stressed.

You may want to raise your cool side up a little more and lower your hot side. My babies tend to thrive between 88-91. I've had a few stop eating once it got hotter than that. But I guess it just really depends between different individuals, environments, and keepers.

[KatStoverReptiles]

I recommend to stop handling her (except for cleaning) until she starts eating regularly.

Try to get your warm side to be around 90 and your cool side to be around 80 (so like satomi325 said, lower warm side and raise cool side).

Ensure she has 2 IDENTICAL hides, one on the warm side and the other on the cool side.

If she's in a tank, try blacking out 3 sides of the tank to make her feel more secure.

[muydesso]

thanks ill lower the temps on the hot side and try feeding in a few days

[aalomon]

Id recommend that you stop offering so often. Im counting 8 different ways of trying to feed in 5 weeks (assuming you didnt try any of those twice). Offering too much can actually do more harm than good. Keep trying different things if you like, but do not offer more than once a week.

Get a scale and weight her once a week. If shes not losing weight, dont worry. Ive had balls of all ages stop eating (for much longer than 5 weeks) and then just start up again on their own, especially this time of year.

[VEXER19]

Stop handling for a while and stop offering for a while. Give your bp time to just relax and get comfortale and destress from all the attention. Wait like 3-4 days at least and that is days of your ball hiding and not roaming. Then try and offer. If it takes it takes if it doesn't it doesn't. Wait a few days again and monitor your husbandry and your snakes actions an if it is hiding 90% of the time then just try again at tht time. If you weigh then I would weigh after it doesn't eat to reduce handling. Good luck.

[Mike41793]

I recommend to stop handling her (except for cleaning) until she starts eating regularly.

Try to get your warm side to be around 90 and your cool side to be around 80 (so like satomi325 said, lower warm side and raise cool side).

Ensure she has 2 IDENTICAL hides, one on the warm side and the other on the cool side.

If she's in a tank, try blacking out 3 sides of the tank to make her feel more secure.

Why are identical hides so important?

[rivunel]

i Finally got my female to eat by waiting until midnight cutting a dead rats skull open and putting it in her cage. i let the rat thaw on her cage and also allowed the rat to warm up under one of her heat lamps she ate it within an hour... after almost three months of trying other things..

[KatStoverReptiles]

Why are identical hides so important?

So the snake doesn't have to choose between the style of hide that makes it feel most secure and the one that provides the temperature they're looking for.

[Mike41793]

So the snake doesn't have to choose between the style of hide that makes it feel most secure and the one that provides the temperature they're looking for.

Ahhh, i see your point.