BP hasn't eaten in 8 months. Could use some advice.

[mark896]

I have a full-grown male BP (approx 4 ft long) who hasn't eaten since September 3rd of last year. I bought him January of last year, I think a breeder had him and maybe he quit breeding? Who knows. But he used to eat a medium to large rat every 2 weeks throughout the summer, then he started tapering off.

He's in a 40 gallon long tank, has a sufficient hiding spot, plenty of fresh water, it stays approx. 90 degrees F on the warm side, with about 55% humidity. He still defecates about once a week, which to me, is amazing. Not much these days but maybe like 2 pebbles worth?

Is this normal?? I don't want him to die, he's been a great pet.

[hongkongluna]

My adult BP, same length, stopped eating in Nov of 2010. He actually has shed twice since and is in shed right now. How he's shedding without eating is beyond me. His husbandry is spot on so it isnt temps or anything like that. I was speaking with a long time BP keeper and he told me to check his weight to make sure he's not losing much. (Only about 50 grams in all that time). He also told me not to assist feed but to wait and see what happens when ambient temps heat up. I'm in the northeast and it's still pretty cool here. He's an adult, he'll eat when he wants to. I'm going by that. Were you weighing your guy regularly? Has he lost a lot of weight? If not, I wouldnt worry about it.

[fishmommy]

try offering mice.
mine and some belonging to friends have been feeding on rats and suddenly decide theyre not food anymore.

[Kingofspades]

It's normal.
Offer weekly, if they don't eat...whatever. Eventually he will eat.

I had a 1500 gram male stop eating for 10 months. No harm came from it.

[punkflash54]

Mine only stopped eating for a couple months so far but i just kept offering food weekly and finely she ate for me. Just keep trying, he will eat when he is hungry

[Homegrownscales]

It's totally normal especially for winter/spring months. That's breeding season. Weigh regularly, and offer weekly/biweekly. I've seen in my experience raising/breeding/keeping balls is that if you feed less meals but bigger meals you are setting yourself up for a fast. If you feed frequent smaller meals they may still fast but you'll have less of a chance of that happening. I only had 3 out of 14 male go off feed this year. Most ate right through breeding. I feed weanling rats weekly. To all my balls. Just because they can handle a big meal doesn't mean they have to eat a huge meal. Winter they slow down to biweekly or every third week on their own. But that's 1000x better than a 10 month fast. With cooling season they automatically will want smaller or less meals. But if you feed smaller and more frequently they will be less likely to stop altogether.

[West Coast Jungle]

A large rat sounds like a big meal for a male? Smaller meals make for more consistent feeders.

What I usually recommend for bad feeders is

1) A smaller enclosure with tight hides, a 32 quart tub is cozy for a male BP.

2) Higher ambient temps (mid to low 80's) and warm basking spot (92)

3) Live smaller meals. Some get intimidated by larger prey. If he refuses live small rats then try mice. Give him a few days or a week in between feedings.


Most times males go off feed is because of cooler room temps. If it gets into the 70's many males will stop eating while others will stay the same. Many folks say but my other snakes are eating and they are in large enclosures and the same temps but what affects one doesn't necessarily affect other snakes the same.

I would bet $ that once the room cooled down in Sept he stopped feeding

[mark896]

Wow--all replies were great and actually spot on. Sorry I haven't replied sooner, I'm actually in Afghanistan and my girlfriend is the one taking care of him right now.

The room temps DID start to drop a little in Sept. so we installed a 150W bulb for his heat to keep the warm side at 90.

I'm going to start feeding him small rats, maybe even mice once every 2 weeks to boost his metabolism and try and ward off another fast. He was eating medium sized rats, once every 2 weeks so I figured nothing was wrong? He's so thick, I wonder if he could even wrap around a mice?

At any rate, a million thanks for the responses, and wouldn't you know it, he ate yesterday.

[ogdentrece]

Do most of your ball pythons still continue pooping even when they are fasting? Mine has only pooped once in a few months.. not to mention it was kinda mushy.

[Kingofspades]

I suggest ditching the overhead lighting and getting an under tank heating source.
Ball pythons are nocturnal and terrestrial...so a basking light is not really ideal for them.