Off feed, extremely active. Need suggestions please.

[kiiarah]

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I posted because everything has been smooth sailing for the last few months but I have encountered a new strange issue. My male ball python, Shesha, has always been a great feeder. He has never refused a meal until two weeks ago and we are now at two refusals in a row. The only thing that has changed in his tank is that I gave him some larger hides, as he seemed to have outgrown his old ones. I can't imagine that this is the reason for the refusal because the first week that he had the new hides he ate just fine. Either way I have put the darker, more snug hides back in the tank just now, in case he was feeling vulnerable with the larger ones. The first week after he refused I waited five days and tried again, he showed no interest at all. In fact, all he wanted to do was climb up my arm. I couldn't even wiggle the rat for him because he was going straight to the top of my hand to come out. This is the other problem, he will not stay on the floor of the tank long enough to dance the rat around or attempt to get him to notice that there is food. As soon as he realizes his lid is off he is up the wall and over the top to come out. I did try just setting the rat in the tank and leaving it there in hopes he would eat it but every time I checked on him he was just climbing his plants, his branches, anything he could use to get up to the lid and poke his nose around the vents. After about 4 hours of the room being dark and quiet and the rat still not being eaten I gave up and took it out and tossed it.

I think I have ruled out problems in the tank. It is clean, the ambient temps are 80 degrees on average, the hot hide is at 90 degrees on the glass and the heat mat is regulated via thermostat. His humidity is maintained at 50% though it does sometimes drop to 45% or rise to 60% after misting. He has two identical hides and plants for cover. This set up has been fine for him and he doesn't spend all his time wandering the tank. He seems perfectly content to sit curled in his hide until he sees me come into the room, or worse yet if I do anything in the tank, like remove the water bowl to clean it. If he so much as notices anything going on he is out and slithering around the tank for the next hour. I can't seem to figure out what is behind the behavior change since he never used to explore the tank nearly this much and it really does seem to be part of the reason he isn't interested in food. He is just too busy trying to get out as soon as I open the lid and pays no attention to the rat. By the time he settles down the rat has cooled. If I open the lid again to take the rat out and warm it up again we start the whole wandering process over. I know it isn't uncommon for ball pythons to go on feeding strikes, but I would really like to understand what is behind it. His last weight after his meal two weeks ago was 469 grams, he now weighs 445 grams. He shows no signs of RI, I feel no lumps around his vent, and he is not preparing to shed. He is 7.5 months old. Any suggestions would sure help me sleep easier. Thank you guys!!

[Lady mkrj58]

My First Ball Mr Python went off feeding for 3 Months I was freaked out and so worried, I offered him food every week. Then he started feeding again, my lesson after reading many Books and the forum . I was ready to head to the Vet and he ate I was dancing with joy.

Sent from my SGH-T999

[kiiarah]

I am hoping it is just the typically feeding inconsitency that ball pythons have. I have read tons on fasting so I am not alarmed by that alone, but it is frustrating that is seems like the preoccupation with getting out is what is distracting him from food, because that doesn't make sense. You would think a snake would hide when you reach in the tank, not wake up and immediately try to climb your arm. Don't get me wrong, I love how tame he is, but it seems like unusual enough behavior that I want to be sure it isn't a sign of a problem. Does the weight loss seem like cause for concern? He is perky and seems healthy enough, just too much of a busy body to eat, I just can't seem to wrap my head around what he is doing.

[kitedemon]

He is a boy. It is a little light for him to be 'feeling his oats' but not far off either. I would not 'do' anything perhaps reduce the offerings some it is frustrating when they stop feeding more frustrating tossing rats out while they are not.

[kiiarah]

Interesting, hormones had occurred to me but I thought this was the wrong time of year for that. It seems like he could be almost the right age, but everything I have read keeps saying breeding season is fall/winter, so this would be the wrong season for him to be getting uppity wouldn't it?

[Albert Clark]

Interesting, hormones had occurred to me but I thought this was the wrong time of year for that. It seems like he could be almost the right age, but everything I have read keeps saying breeding season is fall/winter, so this would be the wrong season for him to be getting uppity wouldn't it?

No, I don't think bp's in captivity recognize the seasonal changes as they would in the wild unless you are doing night temperature drops and cycling them. Some certainly may but most wont. Invariably they will get the urge to breed throughout the year especially if they smell receptive females. Your husbandry seems to be correct and you pretty much have ruled out illness. I would ask how are his bowel and urinary habits? Then I think it would be a good idea to increase the feeding intervals and see what happens. Maybe he just isn't hungry? Maybe he wants a different food item?

[Azz047]

Paitents is the key some of mine go off food my bumblebee boys off food at the mo and has been for over a month now

[STjepkes]

My boys always go off feed at some point in the year. It always seems to be breeding-related for them.

[kiiarah]

That is interesting that captive bred pythons do not follow the same breeding patterns as wild ones. It makes perfect sense but never would have occurred to me. We had a bit of a cold front for a few days there right before this all started, could the temp drop have triggered him to think it was time to find a mate?

[Monty's_Mom]

I'm bringing up a somewhat old topic but I wonder how much barometric pressure affects snakes? A cold front usually means lowering barometric pressure and in Africa, will that mean increased rain?