So, like so many other people posting to this thing, our snakes won't eat. We have a rack of 10 ball pythons and every week on average, half won't eat. I have no idea what's wrong. Let me tell you a little bit about the setup and a little bit about the snakes, and maybe someone can give me some advice.

We have a rack located in our bedroom, with 10 snakes. The juvs are in 15Q tubs and the larger ones, 400+ grams are in 32Q tubs. The temps are heat taped and thermostat controlled, ranging from 91-98 degrees on the hot spot and hovering around 82 for the cool. We've changed the probe location to try to get less high temps. The humidity hovers around 65-70% and we provide a warm and cool side hide. The snakes are handled once of twice a week for less than twenty minutes at a time. Health is very good and everyone is shedding well, except a new addition who we are treating for an RI. We offer food once a week, F/T white mice. We feed them in seperate boxes and introduce wiggling prey with tongs. Results have been well...mixed.

Now to the snakes and their weirdness.

The boys:
Kingston - very social, very active, not shy in the least. Weighing around 200 grams, he has only missed one meal for a shed. He hits the mice every time within seconds.

Jasper - aggressive and constantly tense. Won't hesitate to strike at us. Weighing around 200 grams, he has NEVER missed a meal. He may take a few strikes but always gets it.

Titus - the sweetest little boy ever without a mean bone in his body. He hovers around 170grams. He ate well for us for a couple of weeks, but the last two, he won't eat. He seems interested, strikes once and then never again. He loses interest and won't touch it.

Paris - a little shy and a constant hider, but this little 130gram boy bangs food, no problems.


The girls:

Havana - shy, but well mannered, she only refused food the first week after we got her. She hits every time within a few seconds. She's around 300grams.

Maya - a newbie. Not eating, but we'll give her some time.

Benga - a newbie. Not eating due to her RI. =(

Arachne - was fed live before she came to live with us, but we have had zero problems converting her. She accepts and eats every time and never misses a meal, even at 130grams.

Isabelle - was fed live before she came to live with us, and has been a real pain. She hides all day like a good Ball python, but is pretty shy around us. She's only 130grams or so, and has missed food the week before last and this week. She just has ZERO interest in the food. The only time we did get her to eat, we put a live hopper in with her which she ate in like 15 minutes. She then got confused and did take a F/T while attempting to get another live hopper. Cannot get her to take the mouse!

Corena - was supposedly eating a mix of live and dead food at her breeder's home. She is extremely active and social. She's 128grams, and afraid of her food. She's either not interested in the slightest or she shies away from it; the only time I've ever seen her be shy. It's been two weeks. Not sure what to do.


I knew going in that ball pythons were picky eaters and I thought it would be natural for maybe one a week to not eat, but not half of them! Can anyone give me any feedback or advice on this one.