Feeding it fuzzy whats??? Rats or mice??? Of course, either one is way too small for a 4 foot snake, and its a testiment to their amazing metabolism that he was able to grow that big on such a meager diet! Why on earth would someone bother owning snakes if they just want to throw food into a box and have nothing else to do with them? Sheeez, what a jerk!

Ok...now that that's out of my system...sorta :?

Can you describe the setup the snake is in now? What size/type of enclosure? What is your temperature gradient and what are you using to get it? What are the humidity levels like? What kinds of hides do you have? Is the cage in a high or low traffic area of your home? How often do you handle him?

It could be a combination of things for why he isn't eating. One - he is a sexually mature male and could be more interested in finding a female than in eating. Although for most royals, that season is coming to an end. Two - he could still be very stressed and frightened after years(?) of neglect, especially if you're handling him very much. He may never fully acclimate to being handled, but hopefully will come to tolerate it someday. Three - he may barely recognize fuzzies as food because they are so small, even if that is all he's been fed.

If I were in your shoes, I would first make sure the husbandry is spot-on. Then I would make sure the enclosure is as private for the snake as I can make it. And I would leave it completely alone except for providing fresh water as needed, for two to three weeks. And I would probably try a gerbil to get it to eat something more properly sized. A single gerbil would still be considered too small, but MUCH better than a fuzzy anything. Pre-killed, of course! Or if gerbils are not an option for you, I would choose the largest mouse I could find, or a small (but sexually mature) rat. I'd set the pre-killed prey in the enclosure and leave it overnight....right inside his favorite hide, if I could get away with it without freaking him out.

I wouldn't try to handle him again in any way until he's eaten at least three good sized meals, and then only minimally. A rescue like this will take a lot of time and a LOT of patience on your part.

That's my .02. Maybe Rusty or someone else with experience in rescues, will have some better advice. Good luck with him!!