Winter Fasts?

[Megz]

Hey so my little girl Roxy is 2 she weighs 1688g and is 5ft. So recently she switched over to only eating live rats and that was working out for awhile. She last ate on October 15th, but since she has continued to refuse. I offer her at night and she doesn't want it and then again the following night and still nothing. So I was just wondering if there are any suggestions to get her to eat OR if this is a normal thing due to the oncoming winter; I just don't want her starving. I typically feed her bi-weekly by the way and I feed her in her tank ... I tried a separate container but she wouldn't eat in it, just in her tank. Interestingly enough when i put the rat in she just roams around the empty tank looking for her hide (i assume) but what's crazy is she will go right up to the rat, basically touch it and then back away. Also, if the rat turns and looks at her or sniffs her she gets scared and pulls away quickly. I have tried different colour rats by the way so I doubt it's that. So i'm not sure if she's afraid of the live, or maybe its just the winter. I am open to suggestions for ways to feed live successfully as well any thoughts on the matter Thanks everyone

[thejennabird]

Yes, it is common for BPs to go off of food this time of year. I would continue to offer food just once a week, or once every two weeks even, until she decides to eat again. Keep an eye on her weight and watch for signs of malnourishment/lethargy. Otherwise don't worry about her starving. If you want, you could try a frozen/thawed rat instead of a live one to see if she's interested.

Hunger strikes are a good chance to make sure your husbandry is 100% spot-on (90ish hot side, 80ish cool/ambient, 60% humidity).

Here are two good articles about BPs and hunger strikes for you to read while you patiently wait out her fast.
Enigmatic Ball Python Appetite
The Psychology of Problem Feeders

[albinos_rule]

My adult male is doing the same thing..perfectly normal, just wait it out

[Wizard]

My two pieds went on a 9 month fast and while it's frustrating and sometimes worrying they will eventually start eating.

[Megz]

Thanks everyone, Temps and humidity are exactly as suggested above What signs should i look for with malnourishment (i.e. how would i know)?

[200xth]

What signs should i look for with malnourishment (i.e. how would i know)?

Do you weigh her regularly?

If not, you might want to consider it. Tracking her weight is an easy way to notice issues.

A ~1700g girl can go an extremely long time without food before having issues, though.

[Megz]

Do you weigh her regularly?

If not, you might want to consider it. Tracking her weight is an easy way to notice issues.

A ~1700g girl can go an extremely long time without food before having issues, though.

I weigh her semi-regularly ... how often should I be weighing her would you say? Last time i weighed her was October 28th

[200xth]

I weigh her semi-regularly ... how often should I be weighing her would you say? Last time i weighed her was October 28th

I, pesonally, would say start with every 2 weeks or every month, but everyone will have their own ideas about this. You just want it often enough to be able to see if there's an issue. If she goes on a 6 month fast you'll feel better being able to look back and see that after 6 months of no food she's only lost a trivial amount of weight.

[Running Elk]

little girl Roxy is 2 she weighs 1688g and is 5ft

Little? Lol.

[Megz]

Little? Lol.

Haha yeah not so little anymore, but it comforts the parents to think that is little considering how big she will be full grown