At My Wits End

[MazAnth]

Welcome to the club It's what they do I have three of my big guys that have not had a meal in nine months As long as their weight is fine its fine. Again its what they do

I think they do it to drive us

[cinderbird]

If they're adults, There really is no reason to worry. My first snake ever, a female BP who is my baby, stops eating EVERY year from September to April. As long as the weight loss is minimal, really, there is nothing to worry about.

If you're dealing with ball pythons, they are going to stop eating for you at some point. The only thing you can really do is make sure your husbandry is spot on and offer food. I don't even bother offering food to her from October onwards until she tells me she wants to eat again, and its like that for any adults. They will tell you when they want to eat.

[nor_cal1980]

Welcome to the club It's what they do I have three of my big guys that have not had a meal in nine months As long as their weight is fine its fine. Again its what they do

I think they do it to drive us

you got that right....it freakin drives me nuts!!

[nor_cal1980]

If they're adults, There really is no reason to worry. My first snake ever, a female BP who is my baby, stops eating EVERY year from September to April. As long as the weight loss is minimal, really, there is nothing to worry about.

If you're dealing with ball pythons, they are going to stop eating for you at some point. The only thing you can really do is make sure your husbandry is spot on and offer food. I don't even bother offering food to her from October onwards until she tells me she wants to eat again, and its like that for any adults. They will tell you when they want to eat.

Thats the main thing that worries me is that they are not adults...they're all 2010's 350gr-500gr. If they were adults I wouldn't so much mind.

[nor_cal1980]

I feel for you. Also as stated, just keep an eye on their weights.
I have a female that is around 400g and she is the one that worries me the most.
She will only eat mice, and only every three to four weeks.
The good part is I can get her to eat two at a time.................................the BAD part is that she will only eat live, I have to put two mice in her tub at the same time AND (this is the part that always worries me) her tub has to go back in the rack with total darkness.
I feed all my snakes live but I dont like not being able to monitor her, if she has any type of disturbance during the time she decides to feed she will stop feeding and then its another weeks wait to try again.

I totally have to do the same thing with a couple of mine. Basically drop a live weaned rat into there tub, shut off the lights and leave the room....I know its not recommended but its the only way I can get some of them to eat.....that is when they will eat....uhg

[shakyhand]

Patient is part of the game... and we need plenty of it.. I can understand your frustration as I'm having one now but of a different reason... but still if you are into ball python, you need a lot of patient...

I started in 2008. Bought a pair of juvenile pastels. Mind you, in my country, bp is very very expensive. I had superpastel in my future plan. Bringing them up to breeding weight is so emotional draining exercise. And I thought that was the hardest part. Wait.. trying breeding them is another headache. Constant peeping at their tub only to find that they were not interested at all... I tried everything to get them going, read everything on the net. Asking almost everyone who has earlier experience breeding to no avail... Once they interested and locking up, doesn't mean that the female will give you eggs... wait, isn't that the case with dogs and cat?

Finally, I almost give up. Sent my female pastel to a friend to try breeding her to his spider and another friend send me his lone female pastel.. I lost hope. I just put them together and just thinking next year...

Suddenly, both females laid eggs and I got my superpastels and also a bumblebee (this is not in my plan, but I keep her anyway )..

So armed with "breeding experience", This year I bought a 700g male pin. I have 3 large females. 2 proven pastel breeders and 1 huge female. In october last year, the male got to nice 900g weight... so I started to breed him to the 3 females... again only to find the male had no idea what to do with the ladies

It took him 2 months to figure it out... and he becomes a porn star after that... since January this year, I've seen almost weekly lockup with the 3 females.... and what do I get now???? nothing... nada...

only a good thing that going well for me is that my 2010 female baby superpastels have touch 1000g in 10 months... and the 8 month old female bumblebee is already over 700g...

So you say you frustrated????