For the past two weeks Caspie (2 year old BP, about 3.5 feet long) has refused her weekly rat for no apparent reason. I can't figure this out - most of the day she is out, sitting on her water bowl, head up and seemingly waiting for food. Then, when I drop in the food, she merely sniffs at it and ignores it. I haven't changed prey items - I offer a small-to-medium rat every week, and prior to this she has always been a perfect eater, almost never refusing any prey item. Her temperatures, etc. have also not been changed, although it is getting cooler outside here - but the house temperature has also not changed much.

I have been speculating that it has something to do with my smaller male, Luke, who has finally started eating appropriately sized prey regularly (previously he'd only eat mice that were too small for him... he's PICKY). I'm wondering, maybe Luke is releasing pheromones or something that Caspie is picking up on, and she's quit eating cause she wants to find a mate? That's just an idea though, I have never bred ball pythons before.

Any suggestions?