Ball Python won't eat!

[jdx]

So I've had my male ball python for about 3 months now, he is around 5-6 months old. His first two months he ate every time I offered (weekly), and now in the past 5 or 6 weeks he has eaten once.

Everything in his enclosure is in check (temp, humidity, he has water, hides, it's clean) and I can't figure out what's going on. He has shed firing this period without any difficulty.

It's not like he's not interested in food, I hold the thawed rat over his enclosure and waft in the smell and his head pops out of his hide, I hold the warmed up rat with tongs exactly how I had been doing while he was eating, and he comes closer to it, checking it out. Then if it gets too close or moves he reacts as if he's scared of it and pops his head back inside.

If he wasn't interested at all I would think he just isn't hungry but he definitely smells it and is curious, just won't strike.

Also, at first I fed him mice, had rats in with the mice to get him used to the smell, and switched him over to rats fairly soon, so he's eating the same food from the same store and nothing has changed other than his eating habits.

Any advice or suggestions? I know they can go periods without eating, however it is my first snake and this just seems weird!

Any feedback is much appreciated!

[CORBIN911]

How big is he atm? 500-700g mark?


If answer is yes... hes likley on a feed strike.

If no.. Try to completely sterilize and clean his enclosure removing all smell's and scents. This could help there "instinctual fast during times they cant leave there current home" Will give him a feeling of new home being scent free.

[bcr229]

How much does he weigh? Males go off food once they get up to a certain size, and yes it's infuriating.

Have you tried just leaving the f/t rat in with him for a few hours? A few of mine can take a while to decide that it's time to eat.

[jdx]

500-700g? Yikes... Is that the target for a male of almost 6 months? He is quite a bit lower than that, only around 215g empty. Weighed him a few days ago.

I have tried leaving a F/T mouse in with him overnight, seems as soon as it cools down he's not interested in it. I warm it up it warm water and then dry it off so it's still warm when offering it to him.

I did the complete clean right before his last successful feeding, I'll try that again. Up until now I had been doing it once a month, hope it won't have to become a weekly thing. I have him in an aquarium setup with lots of hides and leafy foliage, aspen substrate. A bit more tedious to clean than the plastic bin setup since been reading about.

I've tried the braining technique, nothing. Also read about just trying to aggrivate him into striking to initiate the feeding response but I'm holding off on trying that out of concern it would turn him into an aggressive , striking snake. He's so docile and friendly and I'd really like to keep him that way

wpuld maybe switching back back to mice for one feeding kick start him back knot eating again? Or better not to go back after he has already been established on rats for several feedings?

just be patient and keep trying?

Thanks for the replies everyone!

[CORBIN911]

Patience is key, And yes you can go back to mice, but if he's been consistent for a while on rats, dont break just yet till weight loss... You could also try live rat pups? as they wont harm your snake. As for aggravating to force to eat isnt always the best way, itll just make then punch it with there face! Aswell as stressing them out even more. But it wont make him any less/more docile, which most of them usually are =)

[metalsmoker]

I had a similar problem with one of my BPs. He was eating fine and one day he acted like you described. He knew I was offering him the rat, smelled it but went back to his hide. I left him "cool down" for 5 days and tried warming the rat even more in the room so he gets the smell and waited till he comes completely out of his hide to look for it. Then I offered him the rat and again he did not take it. After this I left him for one week alone, no touching, feeding... I tried the same procedure with the rat again and this time he took it no problem.

I guess we sometimes do not know what is going on in their heads/stomachs and even though we try to be as attentive as possible, maybe it is just ok to let them decide whether they want to eat or not.

If your set up is all right, I think you have nothing to worry about. Offer him the rat on a weekly schedule like before and he'll decide when to take it.

Good luck ;-)

[CORBIN911]

^ I'd suggest offering every 2 weeks and do it sporadically, so he "wont think every X day i get food (though they may not work like this) I found sometimes offering w days in a row, but skipping 1-2 weeks, or offering at day 14 then day 17, sometimes un-scheduled feedings helps break there fast aswell.

[Zach Cedor]

^ I'd suggest offering every 2 weeks and do it sporadically, so he "wont think every X day i get food (though they may not work like this) I found sometimes offering w days in a row, but skipping 1-2 weeks, or offering at day 14 then day 17, sometimes un-scheduled feedings helps break there fast aswell.

This^^^ sometimes by offering every single week when they are fasting instead of giving them a week and a half to two weeks without interaction (other than cleaning and checking husbandry) can stress them out also maybe try a change of bedding this could simulate a new environment for them aka a new chance to feed in there mind

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