Another Non Eating BP

[shawnster]

Junior is about a little over a year old and he's a great eater. I've never had a problem with him eating. He's eaten every week for the past year. He's been on F/T medium rats. He's about 3 and a half feet long. I don't know how much he weighs but is really fat. He hasn't eatin in the last month. The first week he wouldn't eat, he struck and "killed it" then after coiling for a minute like usual, he let it go and that was all. I waited till the feeding day the next week and tried again. This time I done the rat dance in front of him, he looked at it and put his nose up to it and nothing else. I laid the rat down in there with him for a while and later noticed Junior had his head laying on top of the rat. Looked like he was just chillin. The next two weeks I got the same result. He's very active. Every morning when I get up for work he's out roaming around his cage and it don't appear that he's lost any weight. He's still fat as he was before. So I haven't freaked out too much. Now during this time, I haven't handled him at all. I don't go in there unless I'm cleaning up after him or I'm changing his water. His temps and humidity has been the same as it always has. Anybody got any ideas on what's going on. I've just been assuming that he's just not hungry, and he'll start eating again when he gets ready. Also, should I keep on trying every week like normal or should I go every other week?? Thanks in advance.

Shawn

[BallPythonBabe448]

I think it's fine but medium rats once a week seem a bit much to me. I feed mine every 10-14 days when they get to small/medium rats or bigger prey. Thats just my opinion though.

I would think you should wait every two weeks.. i guess? I'm not really sure, mine went off feed for only two-three weeks so I haven't really had this problem.

How long has it been? If it hasn't been to long I wouldn't worry, especially if he doesnt seem to have lost any weight.

[mr~python]

i think its because you were feeding him too much b4. hes fine he'll start right back up again when he wants too

[Lady Python]

BPs do go on fasts - some as long as not eating for 9 months. Nobody really seems to know why they do it, but my own theory is that it's their way of keeping their weight down to stop themselves becoming too fat - sort of a snake diet.

BPs in captivity have a tendency to become obese.

It would seem that so long as your snake doesn't lose too much weight, they'l start eating again when they are ready and want to.

Probably more worrying for us (I'd be concerned if my BPs stopped eating too) than it is for the snake.

A check up with the vet will put your mind at rest.

Oh, and BPs can be incredibly fussy. One of mine will eat one small weaner rat, turn his nose up at a second weaner, but happily eat a medium sized mouse. Might be worth your while trying him with a mouse for a change.

My other BP won't look at rats at all. You can almost see him curling his nose up at it but he loves eating mice.

[kavmon]

double check your temps, if temps are low they can fast. and try smaller rodents to see if that works. has he been around any females?, sometimes males can get into the breeding mode and not eat also. keep your routine steady and temps good and i'm sure he'll come around.


vaughn

[Adam_Wysocki]

BPs in captivity have a tendency to become obese.

They do?

-adam

[mr~python]

They do?

-adam

actually ive heard that too, if they dont fast they become obese. ive never seen it though

[Adam_Wysocki]

actually ive heard that too, if they dont fast they become obese. ive never seen it though

I'd really like to see a ball python that had been diagnosed by a vet as "obese". I'm sure people have seen animals that in their OPINION are "obese", but many times the opinion of an inexperienced eye are a far cry from reality.

-adam

[mr~python]

i dont think its likely either but i read it in the Ball Python Manual by david and tracy barker and Phillip de vosjoliz, i think that hi last name

[Adam_Wysocki]

i dont think its likely either but i read it in the Ball Python Manual by david and tracy barker and Phillip de vosjoliz, i think that hi last name

That blurb is a general catch all that can be applied to most snakes and my guess is that it probably reads almost exactly the same in a burmese python book or boa book written by de Vosjoli. (FWIW, I'm pretty sure that Dave and Tracy did not work on that section). Authors that write multiple different books on similar subjects (generalists) often cut and paste to save time. I don't think that there's anything wrong with that, but I do feel that if de Vosjoli had as much experience working with ball pythons as he does with other species, that section might read a little different or not be there at all.

If you give a ball python too much food, in my experience, they will correct that all on their own by fasting way before they get the chance to become "obese" in the clinical sense of the word.

-adam