This is getting frustrating!

[chromeitout]

Sorry, I posted this first in advanced husbandry before i noticed there was hardly any traffic there.

I have 14 ball pythons along with many other reptiles. I just don't understand why the bp's are so bad of feeders. Out of the 14, 6 ate tonight. This happens all the time. It's not always the same ones, either. I do have a large male cinny and a 700g normal female that eats every time, but the rest just eat when they want to, and what they want to.

12 of them are in the same 41qt rack (cinny is one of them). Hot side is 90-93, cold is 78-82 (I do have a temp gun). I went several months a few months back that they all ate like clockwork except for the pastel male. Now he eats almost every time. Most of the big females started skipping meals at the same time before Christmas. I have a normal 1.1 that hasn't eaten since then. I've tried live f/k, rats, mice,... Most of them have even bred for me over the last few weeks.

I am about to my wits end with these things. I have NO problems with any of my other snakes/lizards. Maybe you guys know something I don't. Please help before i go crazy!

[justinsane82]

Have you tried mice vs rats vs asf's?

[chromeitout]

I have tried live and p/k rats and mice. I have a few asf's, but they are not readily available here, so I don't even want to try that until I have a sustained population.

[rabernet]

Are these all mature adults? It IS breeding season, and love is in the air.

I have ~50 ball pythons and about six of them are fasting right now. You can try offering food every 2 weeks rather than every week right now, to allow them to get a little hungry.

[chromeitout]

Well its winter so that causes many BP's to go off feed. When females beging their breeding cycle that will make them go off feed. I have found that ambient temps under 82 degrees can cause many to fo off feed. I would chaulk it up to the time of year. I definately am having more refusals that other times of the year. Then again I have many that are approaching ovulation so I wouldnt expect them to eat much. Some are going every other week. As long as they are healthy I wouldnt worry too much.

I pulled this reply from the other thread. It was posted before I deleted the content.

Anyway, if any of this is true then I guess it may be normal? I am used to colubrids that eat always, no matter what. Everyone seems healthy but are loosing some weight. Do most of you have feeding problems around this time of year?

[chromeitout]

Are these all mature adults? It IS breeding season, and love is in the air.

I have ~50 ball pythons and about six of them are fasting right now. You can try offering food every 2 weeks rather than every week right now, to allow them to get a little hungry.

Yes, all of them except for the 700g girl are adults between 1200-2500g.

Do you just keep introducing pairs even if hey are refusing food?

[rabernet]

Yes, all of them except for the 700g girl are adults between 1200-2500g.

Do you just keep introducing pairs even if hey are refusing food?

If you're breeding them, yes. But you still want to give them breaks, and keep an eye on their weights. Usually once females start to breed, they'll eat as they are building.

Is this your first season breeding?

[chromeitout]

Yes, this is my first season with ball pythons. This is also my first with leopard geckos. However, this will be my third season for corn snakes and 2 species of uromastyx.

[singingtothewheat]

Do you have them someplace where they can have the normal light and dark cycles? If you do, try getting them in a darker spot. In the wild a Ball would be curled up in a moist dark termite tunnel and would come out in the night.
If you have them in a darker spot, try something a little lighter.

If you have feeders in the same room with them, get them out of the room and far away. Present the room prior to feeding.

I'm sure you mentioned it, you have your humidity up to 60%?

[CoolioTiffany]

You should try to get the ambient & cool side above 80F if you can, maybe doing this will get them to start eating.

I've heard that giving a Ball python a warm soak before feeding them increases their appetite. I haven't personally tried it but I hear it works.