What’s the longest your ball python has gone without eating?

[aes1004]

I’ve been really worried about my adult male, I’ve had him for 3 years now and he’s always been a problematic eater. He went off of food for 5 months the year before last, then he finally ate every time I fed. He never really lost any weight, he stopped eating again in November 2017 I know it sounds bad 7 months or so not eating. I have tried literally everything I can think of and tried things other people have tried but nothing works. He is still active, acts just like my others but he is just not interested in food and I don’t know what to do anymore.


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

A year

[Sonny1318]

My two eldest go anywhere from 4 to 6 months, and my other three (all males) are getting into the act also. They fast from around Christmas to early June. I believe around 600 to 700 grams they become interested in other things, (I find a lot of Sperm plugs in their water dishes). Right now only three are eating, and all just recently shed. It’s usaully a sign they’re ready to start eating again. You can double check your husbandry, but it’s not uncommon for ball pythons to be a tad problematic feeders. Lol. Hope this helps.

[aes1004]

My two eldest go anywhere from 4 to 6 months, and my other three (all males) are getting into the act also. They fast from around Christmas to early June. I believe around 600 to 700 grams they become interested in other things, (I find a lot of Sperm plugs in their water dishes). Right now only three are eating, and all just recently shed. It’s usaully a sign they’re ready to start eating again. You can double check your husbandry, but it’s not uncommon for ball pythons to be a tad problematic feeders. Lol. Hope this helps.

Thank you for your reply it definitely helps, husbandry is definitely on point with him, I make sure to keep an extra eye on him and his care.


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[bcr229]

Eight months for mine. As long as yours is maintaining his weight he's fine.

We forget that snakes have adapted to survive on very little food, and once they reach adulthood they don't need to eat often at all.

[Lord Sorril]

12 months on a female
8 months on a male

[Alter-Echo]

6 months for my female... took live prey to get her to eat again and now that is all she will eat.

[Zincubus]

9 months for my female Albino Royal ...she suddenly started to look a little wrinkly so I gave her a short soak , she immediately plumped up and she ate the very next day !!!


The record for not eating ( and surviving) is apparently held by a Royal python who went just over TWO YEARS and then started eating normally again .. no ill effects .

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[MasonC2K]

10 months. Worried the heck outta me but the folks here reassured me that as long as they were not losing weight they'd be fine.

[Craiga 01453]

Since we're talking BPs specifically, Tyson just ate the other day for the first time since March 19.

I never kept accurate records in the past when I first kept snakes, but I don't recall any lengthy fasts from my BP back then. There were plenty of refusals, but no real lengthy fasts.

So, sorry it's a small sample size, but that's my longest recorded fast so far.