Suddenly refuse rats on my female ball python

[mihwaron]

So I’ve owned the beautiful female albino ball python for 7 months from last year. She was around 200g when I brought her in my home and now she seems over 900g.
My question is very simple, she just refused rats from 2 weeks ago which seems very strange for me because she is always eager to have more food and shows great food response.
During that fast period, once I’ve tried to feed her middle size mouse and she took it.
I briefly plotted some records on her which definitely I can deliver my question efficiently as shown below. (I love record the trace for my pythons.)

Before create this question, I've also searched many similar questions from this forum then I might understand there are tons of factors to stop eating; something is seasonal reason, improper environment, food size, feeding terms and etc.
My other balls are good as usual while this girl showed different behavior and just try to keep eyes on her and check some weight as other’s recommendation.
But still I’m little nervous due to my first experience on this so please share your opinion and experience so that I can reflect something for her.
Thank you!


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[Lizardlicks]

It's turning toward spring with longer daylight hours, so I doubt it's seasonal. This is when most snakes who were doing a winter fast start to break out of it (unless you're on the other side of the equator, in which case you're heading into fall and that could be possible). If it's a female at around 1000 grams, and there has been no other change in her environment or feed that you can account for, you may be looking at the Thousand Gram Wall. This is the time when female ball pythons are, for lack of a better way to phrase it, developing into beautiful, mature young ladies. Nothing to do but wait until she's done with her girl time.

[cchardwick]

Trying to get into the mind of a ball python will drive you crazy LOL. I have found that it's best not to even think about it, just offer food every so often on a regular schedule and if they don't eat move on to the next snake. My ball pythons will go from aggressive eaters to finicky eaters overnight and can fast for weeks or even months with seemingly no reason at all. Sometimes a lot of them will stop eating all at the same time, I'm thinking it may be a seasonal thing, may be temperature related or light related. Or maybe they all release some kind of hormone that tells each other it's time to breed... The hardest part for me is planning my food supply since I raise my own rodents. When they all stop eating I get over run with rats and mice LOLOLOL.

[kxr]

I really like that chart, I think I might just have to start doing something similar


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[Kaorte]

Seconding the 1000 gram wall. This has happened to me a time or two. Also, I wouldn't consider 2 weeks a fast. Sometimes they just don't feel like it. Offer again in a week and see how it goes.


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[mihwaron]

It's turning toward spring with longer daylight hours, so I doubt it's seasonal. This is when most snakes who were doing a winter fast start to break out of it (unless you're on the other side of the equator, in which case you're heading into fall and that could be possible). If it's a female at around 1000 grams, and there has been no other change in her environment or feed that you can account for, you may be looking at the Thousand Gram Wall. This is the time when female ball pythons are, for lack of a better way to phrase it, developing into beautiful, mature young ladies. Nothing to do but wait until she's done with her girl time.

Thank you for the advice. Yes hope that she could need some time to get matured now also please it can be done soon.


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[mihwaron]

Trying to get into the mind of a ball python will drive you crazy LOL. I have found that it's best not to even think about it, just offer food every so often on a regular schedule and if they don't eat move on to the next snake. My ball pythons will go from aggressive eaters to finicky eaters overnight and can fast for weeks or even months with seemingly no reason at all. Sometimes a lot of them will stop eating all at the same time, I'm thinking it may be a seasonal thing, may be temperature related or light related. Or maybe they all release some kind of hormone that tells each other it's time to breed... The hardest part for me is planning my food supply since I raise my own rodents. When they all stop eating I get over run with rats and mice LOLOLOL.

Yes it does really. Kind of nervous…since she always shows great feeding response. Thank you for the comment.


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[mihwaron]

I really like that chart, I think I might just have to start doing something similar


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Thank you. I'm a just novice so what I can do is just record something regardless of its importance.


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[mihwaron]

Seconding the 1000 gram wall. This has happened to me a time or two. Also, I wouldn't consider 2 weeks a fast. Sometimes they just don't feel like it. Offer again in a week and see how it goes.


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Thank you for the comment. Yes l'm gonna try and see upon weekly feeding plan as usual.


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

Often BP hut "the wall" at around 800/1000 grams and go off feed some for a few weeks some for a few months.

Considering that BP are overfed in captivity and that their metabolism really start to slow down as they mature it's not abmormal.

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