Feeding Problems - help pls

[Debra]

We have had our ball python for just over a year, William is about 15 months old. He is approx. 3 feet long, in a 36x18" terrarium, temps are approx 85F during the day, 75F at night. Has an under heating pad on the one side, two hide outs, humidity level is around 45%, when he is going to shed we get it elevated to approx 70%.
When we first got him we were feeding him FT rat pups, we moved onto FT small rats with no problems. He seemed hungry about 4 days after a feed, casing the tank a lot more than usual. I tied a string around the thickest part of his body and the circumference measured bigger than a medium size rat. We have tried giving him the medium size 2 weeks in a row and he is not interested. He almost seems scared of it. We feed him in his enclosure at night, we do not handle him the day of his feed.

Should we just move back to smalls?
Should we wait another week before trying again. It has been two weeks since he's eaten.

Any advice, suggestions would be great!
Thanks
Debra

[Zincubus]

A few things .... something may help ..
My Royal suddenly went off her food a while ago after I moved her out of her 18" viv into a 3' viv and only started eating again when I put her back into her small viv .....she's about 3' long also.

I actually have a warm hide side at 90- 92 F and I have to give my f/t rodents a 10 second blast with a hair dryer before wiggling the thing around in front of snakies face

She also went 8 months without eating so I wouldn't worry at all "when" yours misses a feed .

I read that a Royal holds the record fir fasting ..... 21 months without a feed !!!!

[Debra]

Thanks for the reply
Williams been in his new enclosure for a couple of months with no problem.
We also blast the FT rat w a blow dryer before offering

[200xth]

he is not interested. He almost seems scared of it.

You know your snake better than anyone. If you think he seems scared of it or uncomfortable for some reason with the size move back down to a smaller size. Males can live their whole adult life on nothing bigger than small rats, anyways.

[AlexisFitzy]

You know your snake better than anyone. If you think he seems scared of it or uncomfortable for some reason with the size move back down to a smaller size. Males can live their whole adult life on nothing bigger than small rats, anyways.

I 100% agree with this. Most people feed small rats to their collection for the entirety of their life's, but some of the larger females may need to get moved up to medium rats if they are especially voracious eaters. But I'd switch back to smalls, I bet he'll begin to eat again keep us updated on him.


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