Sweetie, at her size, going a year without eating isn't going to hurt her any. Trust me, I had an import fast for 18 months and only loose about 300 grams. If you are sincerely worried about her lazy feeding response, then you can do one of two things. Do not feed her for about 4 or 5 weeks. Long enough to make her darn good and hungry, and then see if she behaves the same way again. If she does, or if you just don't want to take a chance on live again, then move on to choice number 2. Don't feed her anything for a solid 8 to 12 weeks. I mean it. You think you are being cruel, but trust me she'll be just fine. After that time, offer her an f/t or p/k rat, no more than about 150-200 grams. If she doesn't take it, and even after all that time there is a chance she won't, then let her go another 4 - 6 weeks and try again. When she gets hungry enough, she'll get down off her high horse and eat whatever you offer. I've done it repeatedly with adult snakes, and I've only ever had one that held out on me until my nerve broke and I gave her live again.

There is a persistent myth that adult ball pythons must eat weekly or something terrible will happen. But in reality an adult ball python, by which I mean over about 2 years old an 1200-1500 grams, can easily go for weeks and months without food and they do it on a regular basis. It is MUCH harder on us as keeper's than it is on them, and I speak from personal experience. Most people like at least their females to eat weekly because this puts them at breeding weight faster, but it isn't necessary. My adult females in fact eat better and more consistently if I offer only every 10 - 14 days.

I know this is easy for me to say, but believe me I know how much harder it is to put into practice. Watching your snake go week after week and then month after month and not eat is enough to put you in a room with padded walls, but as long as she isn't loosing a lot of weight, nothing terrible will happen to her. You on the other hand may need the nice young men in the clean white coats before it's over. I know I came close a few times with my import. By the way, the secret to getting her to feed I discovered through much trial and error is she wants small food. And by that I mean no more than about 50 grams, even though she weighs 3400 grams and could eat much larger prey. So as difficult as it will be for you, do consider what I've suggested. A hungry ball is much less likely to be a picky ball.

Gale