BP looses weight, not eating

[zina10]

posted this in another thread, but it applies here, too

Ball Pythons in the wild usually only eat for a few month out of the year. Their system is perfectly set up for this kind of diet/lifestyle (forgot the scientific name for this)

During the few month when food is plentiful, they will eat whatever and whenever they can, overeat if given the chance. All in preparation for the long time (dry season) when food becomes very scarce.

"Owners are always happy when their Ball Pythons will eat ravenously like clock work, every week. Even though that is actually far more food then they need, being such a sedentary species by nature. Eventually though, their body tells them to STOP. They have more then enough, its time to slow down or stop. They take breaks, just like in nature, even though food is presented. Owners freak out.

Some Ball Pythons will continue to eat well, usually it is because they aren't being over fed regularly. Or they are females who's bodies are building follicles and preparing for procreation.

All in all Ball Pythons usually need far less food then they are being offered (rapidly growing hatchlings/young snakes are different of course) and they reach a point where they start to regulate the food intake.

There seems to be some that have "turned off" their internal control, those are the ones you see that are just grossly obese, and that is just sad.

If your snake is an adult that normally eats just fine, the husbandry is SPOT ON, and there are no obvious health issues, just relax and only offer every 2 weeks or so. And if she/he takes a several month long break, that is perfectly normal. Just try every so often, make sure the snake looks good, slow down on handling, monitor weight every month or so."