Ball Python refuses to eat.... What Now!?!?!?!?!?!

[dr del]

Hi,

I meant 5 degrees is more of a variation than I think there really should be.

We recommend a colld end of 80-82 and a warm end of 90-93f. If you could keep it at 80f and 93f then that would give the snake the most options for thermoregulation.

If your cool side is hitting 85f and the hot 95f on a fairly regular basis with a 5 degree swing it might be worth trying to control the heat sources more accurately to see if that helps.

As I asked before what are you using to control the temps at the moment - it may be we can suggest something that will work a little better.

Some one asked earlier if you had changed anything in the husbandry around the time she stopped eating and I too would like to be able to rule this out.

Could we also get a look at your enclosure?


dr del

[kitedemon]

85 is a little high. But not the point I am interested in. My understanding is this is a year old female, (are you sure it is a female have you probed her?) and that until two moths ago she was feeding fine? What is her weight?

I am assuming that you track her husbandry? Has anything changed the temps the enclosure are all basically the same? If so I'd not worry much often Royals will stop eating during the breeding season. It maybe simply that the 'female' (I question that as it is typically males that go off at 1 year and females later but there is no absolutes) has decided to stop. Barring weight loss lethargy and loss of muscle tone or acting oddly. There is quite possibly nothing wrong. I like ambient air temps in your range but I still make sure there is a cool spot in the 79-81º range as well, but in truth a feeding royal 'happy' and healthy that stops after insuring that healthy and no big changes in husbandry it is just likely coming of age fast and nothing to worry about.

Keep weight checks and husbandry checks and keep offering perhaps a bit smaller than normal less than 10% 5-7% maybe and she will eat when she is ready.

[EvesFriend]

Hi,

I meant 5 degrees is more of a variation than I think there really should be.

We recommend a colld end of 80-82 and a warm end of 90-93f. If you could keep it at 80f and 93f then that would give the snake the most options for thermoregulation.

If your cool side is hitting 85f and the hot 95f on a fairly regular basis with a 5 degree swing it might be worth trying to control the heat sources more accurately to see if that helps.

As I asked before what are you using to control the temps at the moment - it may be we can suggest something that will work a little better.

Some one asked earlier if you had changed anything in the husbandry around the time she stopped eating and I too would like to be able to rule this out.

Could we also get a look at your enclosure?


dr del

Thanks for the feedback.

Currently I have a UTH on the hot side as well as a 100W heat bulb/lamp. From experimentation I have realized this is what I need to keep the hot spot at a consistent 90-95 degrees.

On the cool side I have a 75W lamp as this is what I have noticed to keep that side at a consistent 80-85.

[EvesFriend]

85 is a little high. But not the point I am interested in. My understanding is this is a year old female, (are you sure it is a female have you probed her?) and that until two moths ago she was feeding fine? What is her weight?

I am assuming that you track her husbandry? Has anything changed the temps the enclosure are all basically the same? If so I'd not worry much often Royals will stop eating during the breeding season. It maybe simply that the 'female' (I question that as it is typically males that go off at 1 year and females later but there is no absolutes) has decided to stop. Barring weight loss lethargy and loss of muscle tone or acting oddly. There is quite possibly nothing wrong. I like ambient air temps in your range but I still make sure there is a cool spot in the 79-81º range as well, but in truth a feeding royal 'happy' and healthy that stops after insuring that healthy and no big changes in husbandry it is just likely coming of age fast and nothing to worry about.

Keep weight checks and husbandry checks and keep offering perhaps a bit smaller than normal less than 10% 5-7% maybe and she will eat when she is ready.

As much as I hate to admit it I am not 100% sure that she is female. I could be wrong but based on the size of her head, her spurs, and her lack of hemipenes it is fairly safe to assume it is female. Also, nothing has changed in the enclosure.


I do have a question regarding hemipenes someone in this thread may be able to answer. It is my understanding that male BP's have them and it is pretty clear what they look like when you see them after the first time. Do females have anything else when they are "popped," like a single red ball type thing that occasionally protrudes?