Ball Python went from eating to not eating for over a month!!

[ssecrest77]

So, I have a male banana ball who is over a year old and has NEVER missed a meal until about a month ago. I usually help peel his shed off and then feed him, but a little over a month ago, he decided to stop eating. Everything is perfect, temps, humidity, everything. I even bought him a T8 at a show and he still was eating. I feed live and have considered buying him a gerbil if he doesn’t eat soon. He’s currently at 1032g. He lost 20g in a week. Any information or advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[Knowell]

I wouldn't fret friend it's common for pythons to go off feed for months at a time. I've see husbandry, breeding and even trust cause this. Have you changed something. Like a cleaning product. What are you currently feeding? Do you have other snakes? Also you mentioned humidity and temps being correct but mentioned having to assist with shedding? Is it flaking and dry?

Edit: Isnt a T8 like 4f by 2 ft? That might be to big for him.

[bcr229]

Wait him out and just keep offering every week or so.

When my males are adults I don't offer another rat for three weeks after they eat, and then I offer weekly until they eat again, and then wait three weeks before offering again. Once these guys are grown up they don't need a lot of food to maintain a healthy weight.

[Craiga 01453]

So, I have a male banana ball who is over a year old and has NEVER missed a meal until about a month ago. I usually help peel his shed off and then feed him, but a little over a month ago, he decided to stop eating. Everything is perfect, temps, humidity, everything. I even bought him a T8 at a show and he still was eating. I feed live and have considered buying him a gerbil if he doesn’t eat soon. He’s currently at 1032g. He lost 20g in a week. Any information or advice is appreciated. Thanks!

First off, a BP going a month without eating is nothing. It's quite common actually. It often happens with males somewhere around 800-1000 grams, they hit a "wall". Nothing to worry about. No need to feed a gerbil, stick to his regular prey. Which at that size should be small rats (and since you feed live be very careful and make sure feedings are suprvised).

20 grams is nothing to worry about either, they pee/poop more than that.

Second, you help peel his shed??? Why? If husbandry is on point the snake shouldn't need any assistance. Even in the case that they do you shouldn't be peeling it off.

So, that leads me to wonder what your idea of everything being "perfect" is.

- What are your temps? Humidity?
- How are you heating the enclosure? Are your heat sources regulated by a thermostat???
- How and where are you measuring temps?

[ssecrest77]

Nothing has changed since he went from a 20 gallon long to the T8 and that’s been over 8 months. I feed small to medium live rats. The temperatures are 73-76 on the cool side, 97-99 on the hot and the humidity between 60% and 70%. And lastly, I use reptichip as substrate and he seems to like it. On the assist in shedding, when I see the skin start pulling off or away from his body I usually end up peeling it all off just to get it off quicker, but that shouldn’t have anything with him not eating???

I think that’s it. He lives the life of a king, but yet isn’t eating. Hopefully he will eventually.

[Sonny1318]

Nothing has changed since he went from a 20 gallon long to the T8 and that’s been over 8 months. I feed small to medium live rats. The temperatures are 73-76 on the cool side, 97-99 on the hot and the humidity between 60% and 70%. And lastly, I use reptichip as substrate and he seems to like it. On the assist in shedding, when I see the skin start pulling off or away from his body I usually end up peeling it all off just to get it off quicker, but that shouldn’t have anything with him not eating???

I think that’s it. He lives the life of a king, but yet isn’t eating. Hopefully he will eventually.

If your hot side is really 97/99 degrees you are kinda cooking him alive. I’d try dropping that immediately down to 88 degrees. Yes that’s way to hot, at that temp he’ll be the king of pain. And he really doesn’t need any help shedding, there’s another giant red flag, your husbandry sounds a little wack my friend.

[Cheesenugget]

Nothing has changed since he went from a 20 gallon long to the T8 and that’s been over 8 months. I feed small to medium live rats. The temperatures are 73-76 on the cool side, 97-99 on the hot and the humidity between 60% and 70%. And lastly, I use reptichip as substrate and he seems to like it. On the assist in shedding, when I see the skin start pulling off or away from his body I usually end up peeling it all off just to get it off quicker, but that shouldn’t have anything with him not eating???

I think that’s it. He lives the life of a king, but yet isn’t eating. Hopefully he will eventually.

I hear peeling of the skin that is not ready to come out completely can damage the scales, thus hurting the snake. If your humidity is on point, you should not need to assist with the shedding. If not all comes off at first shed, the second shed will take them off. It is not urgent to get them all out in 1 go unless they are not coming off after several sheds, especially the eye caps. Sometimes a warm water soak would do the trick. But it is best NOT to assist, including soaking, until 24 hours have passed and the old shed is still not coming off. Do you have things in there that your snake can use to rub against?

[Craiga 01453]

He's hardly living the life of a king. He's lucky to be alive. Hot side temps are at least 8 degrees too hot and cool side shouldn't drop below 75.

Don't even get me started on you peeling his skin, nobody helps them in the wild, they know how to shed.

[ssecrest77]

Ok, so I turned the VE-100 down to 90 just because even though that may still be high the Reptichip seems to block some of the heat. Hopefully he’ll end up happier.

[Craiga 01453]

Might do you (but mostly your snake) some good to study the husbandry 101 stickies in the forum section. It seems you've gota bit to learn still.


And please, don't "help" your snake shed by peeling his skin off moving forward. All you need to do to help him is provide proper husbandry, he'll do the rest on his own.