Another 'Ball Python Won't Eat' Question - Any Help Appreciated :)

[kthoms104]

Hi there!
Normally, I try not to overly stress about this sort of thing, but I've been to many sources and nothing is seeming to help with this persisting issue. I'm beginning to worry a lot, and any advice or tips are greatly appreciated!

Problem: My male Lesser BP (pictured in my profile pic) hasn't taken food since around January. He's about two and a half years old, and I've had him for only a bit less than that. He's always been a picky eater, but has never gone on a strike this long, though nothing in his immediate surroundings have changed much. He doesn't seem weak or anything like that, but he does sometimes seem intimidated by the mice I offer him, or simply uninterested, despite the fact that they're no bigger than the ones he was taking in January.

Details:
-His thermometer is set to around 92 degrees
-The tank's humidity is kept around 55% - 80%




I'm worried for him, but am looking to avoid feeding live if possible. However, whatever would be best for him is my priority.
Thank you all for reading!

[Bogertophis]

Just off the top of my head, his home looks way too "open". BPs are very shy snakes that hide much of the time, & nothing about his home suggests he'd feel very safe
& secure in there, enough to focus on eating. Snakes are preyed up when out in the open, remember that. Those tree-bark tunnels are fine just as extra cage furnishings
but are too wide-open (at each end!) to be considered either as the warm or cool side hide. Hides should be not too much bigger than your curled up snake...if they are,
you can stuff some paper inside to make it cozier while your snake grows; and the single doorway should be just big enough to allow your snake to come & go, with or
without a "meal-on board".

Other details needed:
92* is a bit high...maybe 90* would be better, but what is the cool side temp reading?
How much handling are you doing? Snakes aren't really 'social' creatures & handling can put a BP off eating, depending on how much empathy you have when doing so.
("Handling" means different things to different people.)
What's his weight? & what size (wt.) mice are you feeding him?
Any other pets in room or house? Is he located in a quiet area, or busy?

[ReptileRant]

Your tank does look a little bit to open. I would also recommend changing the bedding to repti chips. The bedding is probably not the problem though. What size tank do you have him in? The tank and cave appear to be small. If he can comfortably fit in those, he’s probably not 2 1/2 yrs old. I imagine that he should be bigger. I would recommend getting a kitchen gram scale. That way you can track his weight. What have you been trying to feed him?

[kthoms104]

Thank you so much for the response!
I've been thinking that as well, we recently had to take out a couple of the items in his tank because they were beginning to smell. I'll look into another hide for his warm side, and will try to make a temporary one until stores reopen in my area.

I'll bring the temperature down and see if that helps. On the cool side, his temps are normally around 74 degrees.
Normally I don't do very much handling - I live here every other week and come to check on him/my plants every other day when I'm not here. However, I don't handle him very much during that time, and when I do I'll mostly put him over my shoulders or let him roam around my room (where his tank is located).
As of this morning, he's 426.44 grams. He's very small (has been below average weight since I bought him :c) but has never appeared malnourished. He's such a picky eater and although he has grown significantly since I've had him, he's definitely below the weight I'd like him to be.
Mostly I've been feeding him "adult" size mice (I haven't thought to weigh them, but will next time I offer him food). However, they are about the width of his body.

There was a dog in the house as of the last few months, but he never seemed bothered by it. As of now, he's the only pet (other than fish) in the house.
My room is mostly quiet, there's sometimes music but it's not very loud - it's not a very busy area of the house.

[kthoms104]

I've actually been wanting to switch his substrate as well, mostly because I feel the paper towel is an eye sore, but if you think it may also improve his stress levels I'd be happy to change that soon!
His tank size is a 40 Gallon Breeder.

His below-average size has always worried me. He was small for his age when I got him, and although he's gained a lot of weight since, he's only 426.44 grams. He doesn't appear to have lost any weight since he went on his feeding strike, and has never appeared malnourished, but for the most part has always been a small, very picky eater
I have been considering downsizing my tank - if you think that would improve the situation significantly I'd be willing to do so. However, if filling it up with more items would work as well, that would be an easier option.

I've been feeding him "adult" size mice, which are about the width of his body. They're frozen-thawed, but he did originally eat live mice from the breeder.

[ReptileRant]

Yes, he is pretty small. I have a male that weighs a bit more than him and is only a yr old. However, I actually had the same issue with my first ball pythons weight. He was 2 and only 400g. If possible try switching your ball python to weaned rats, they have a much higher protein content and his weight will jump right up. I’m not sure how much a bedding switch will help with stress levels, I’ve just always thought it seemed nicer for them. I’m not really sure. Haha. Did he originally take frozen thawed from you?

[kthoms104]

Yes, he took frozen thawed just fine for about a year and a half.
I'd like to switch him to rats, but do you think it would be a good idea to wait until he's eating mice regularly and then offer some rats?

Once I get him back on the right track, I think I'll make a thread tracking his progress - I'd really like to make this a bigger priority.

[vivi]

-His thermometer is set to around 92 degrees

Do you have a thermostat to regulate temperatures?

Cool side temps should be 80*, and 90* on the hot side. 80% humidity is a bit too high- you should aim for 70% when going into or during shed.

To clutter the enclosure:

Get some coco fiber or reptichip, get two identical hides (not too roomy and not too tight) and make pre-made burrows for him to hide in. Dig up the substrate and place a hide over it. Try getting fake plants that offer lots of coverage, the fake plants you chose are small but we're aiming for ones with lots of leaves. Fill it with wood accents (cork tubes are great) and clutter the enclosure so that he can't be seen creeping from one end to another. And make sure to put the water bowl in the middle so he doesn't have to leave a comfortable spot to get a drink of water. Of course there are lots of other ways to clutter but those are just a few ideas.

[kthoms104]

Yes - sorry, I've confused the words "thermostat" and "thermometer" since I was little, lol

Thank you! I've been dealing with some misinformation since I got him ("experts" at my local pet store who've told me that as long as humidity is above 55%, it can be up to 90% and be fine).

I'll look for some substrate, as well as a new hide. I'll also try to find some new fake plants (they're so unreasonably expensive!), and will move the water bowl for sure. Thank you so much! I'm going to try to post some updates to a new thread once I get on top of this more.

[vivi]

Yes - sorry, I've confused the words "thermostat" and "thermometer" since I was little, lol

Thank you! I've been dealing with some misinformation since I got him ("experts" at my local pet store who've told me that as long as humidity is above 55%, it can be up to 90% and be fine).

I'll look for some substrate, as well as a new hide. I'll also try to find some new fake plants (they're so unreasonably expensive!), and will move the water bowl for sure. Thank you so much! I'm going to try to post some updates to a new thread once I get on top of this more.

Took me a while to understand the difference between thermostat and thermometer, it's alright. Unfortunately I wouldn't trust information from a local pet store, they usually have no idea what they're talking about. (I saw a ball python at PetCo and the humidity was far too low, and the hide was WAY too big. I told an employee about it and she insisted it was fine.) Fake plants are crazy expensive and you can keep the ones you have just as long as you get some that offer a lot of coverage. Do keep us updated.

Edit: Make sure the fake plants you choose aren't tangled, don't have any "loops" and don't have any wires sticking out! I've heard of lots of stories where a snake gets stuck or hurt due to a fake plant. Just some precautions to take.