Anyone ever change enclosures and have snakes go off feed?

[JMBall's]

I recently switched all my snakes from glass terrarium's to Rubbermaid and sterelite tubs. All my snakes but one have their same behaviors; total pigs but my calico female has only eaten 2 x since I put her in. Temps and humidity are fine. 79-80 ambient cool side temps and 80-83 on the warm side with uth and my probe is between the tub and heat source and set at 93 (it's 89-90 with my substrate) Any ideas? Maybe I'll wait another week and if she doesn't eat I'll set her back up in her glass tank.

[Eric Alan]

It's been known to happen. I certainly wouldn't be switching back after just a missed meal or two (especially if she has actually eaten in there and it's easier to control husbandry than in the glass tank).

See the 3rd link down in my signature - it's discussed pretty thoroughly.

[JMBall's]

She's been in there over a month and up until then ate every 3 days aggressively. So she's missed 8 or 9 feedings. I never had issues with husbandry in the glass. I find it harder to control temps/humidity in the tubs actually.

[Eric Alan]

How big is she? Every three days is a fairly aggressive feeding schedule. Very aggressive for those 500 grams or bigger...

[JMBall's]

She's big enough to take a small rat but won't touch them. So that's why I was feeding her every 3-4 days. I don't have a good enough scale but she's not up to 500 grams yet.

[bcr229]

Offering food too often can stress them out. So can feeders that are too large. Give her a week in her new enclosure with minimal handling (just enough to clean her up and change her water if needed) and then offer a weanling rat.

[Eric Alan]

In my collection, big enough to eat a small rat = once/week feedings. Appropriate prey + appropriate feeding schedule + comfortable in enclosure = good feeder (most of the time )

[JMBall's]

Offering food too often can stress them out. So can feeders that are too large. Give her a week in her new enclosure with minimal handling (just enough to clean her up and change her water if needed) and then offer a weanling rat.

Btw she's a 2013 but not sure of actual DOB and she's my 7th ball python. I've also owned a rosy boa, 2 corn snakes, a garter, GTP and ATB so I know how to handle my snakes. I had to sell my last collection to pay for a broken heel and a 10k ambulance ride. I've always had them in glass enclosures too. Ive just never had a trouble feeder till now so this is pretty new territory for me. Ive had her for over 6 months and she absolutely will not touch a rat of any size, shape or color. F/t or live, doesn't matter. She has also never been offered a prey item too large. She was eating 2 f/t mice every 4-5 days but since temps dropped she stopped eating 2 and was just taking one. That's why I moved to every three days until I moved her into her tub. She's been in her new tub for over a month now so shes comfortable. My 2014 spring banana male is about to pass her up in size. Now she won't touch a mouse. She never really took live from the beginning either but I've tried live, fresh killed, and f/t. She'll tongue flick them and just stare. I think she just doesn't like being in a tub.

[JMBall's]

I think maybe it was the 2 week winter we had in cali. Ambient temps went down a few degrees and I had to get a space heater to evenly distribute the temps. Must have gone on hunger strike. She took her usual 2 mice without hesitation last night.