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  1. #1
    Registered User SaltLife422's Avatar
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    Is Behavior Change Normal?

    So about 2 months ago my BP shed and refused food until last Friday the 7th. Since that feed she has been in her hide except once to use the bathroom in the other hide.

    She is usually out at night exploring. I've checked on her and she doesn't do anything out of the ordinary so I put her back in her cage and she just goes right back into her hide.

    Should I be concerned with this new behavior or is this normal?

    Thanks!


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  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran MmmBanana's Avatar
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    As long as your husbandry is correct, that sounds like normal BP behavior.

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  4. #3
    Registered User SaltLife422's Avatar
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    Re: Is Behavior Change Normal?

    What about feedings? I skipped this last Friday because she wasn't active and figured she wasn't hungry. Should I try to feed anyway?


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    BPnet Senior Member cchardwick's Avatar
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    What time of day do you try to feed? I try to feed late at night, as late as I can. If I fed in the mornings they would never eat LOL. Going off of food is totally normal for a ball python, I have some that go weeks without feeding, sometimes even months. Usually once they hit the 1000 gram mark they will stop for a couple months or so. Then it picks up until they are about 1500 grams and then they seem to go into the breeding cycle no matter if you pair them up or not and they stop again. The good thing about having multiple snakes is that I can start feeding my picky feeders or non-eaters first. If they don't eat I move on to the aggressive eaters. Works great and I almost never end up with an uneaten rat. I also have a couple reticulated pythons, they were eating all the left over rats but now they are too big and they only eat the large adult rats that are too big for my ball pythons LOL. Seems like ball pythons will go through a growth spurt and eat a lot, then just stop eating. Seems to me like they are letting their head size catch up with their body growth LOL.
    Last edited by cchardwick; 07-17-2017 at 07:01 AM.


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  7. #5
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    Sounds like a BP to me. I wouldn't stress it if your husbandry is on point. BPs hide, that's what they do best.

    Not sure why you skipped a feeding day after she ate again, but I would feed as scheduled moving forward.
    I don't know how you figured she wasn't hungry. Just because she isn't pacing the enclosure looking for food doesn't mean she won't eat.

    After she skipped meals the last thing I would do is skip offerings after she ate again.

  8. #6
    BPnet Royalty Zincubus's Avatar
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    Re: Is Behavior Change Normal?

    Quote Originally Posted by SaltLife422 View Post
    So about 2 months ago my BP shed and refused food until last Friday the 7th. Since that feed she has been in her hide except once to use the bathroom in the other hide.

    She is usually out at night exploring. I've checked on her and she doesn't do anything out of the ordinary so I put her back in her cage and she just goes right back into her hide.

    Should I be concerned with this new behavior or is this normal?

    Thanks!


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    As already mentioned

    They will hide away for a few says after a meal but if you put some branches in there plus some fake foliage ( from PoundLand shops) it will encourage it to climb in the evenings .

    As to feeding -

    This method WORKS if done properly ...
    I wait until evening as they're nocturnal of course . I let the rodent thaw out in the reptile room so they get the smell ..
    Then I warm up the mouse / rat with a hairdryer and offer with tongs IMMEDIATELY whilst still warm . If refused simply repeat the heating and offering as many times as needed. .
    A couple of mine will only strike feed from within their hides so I dangle the warm rodent in front of the hide's entrance - usually works but if it fails simply reheat the rodent with a hairdryer and immediately offer again whilst it's still warm :cens0r:continue until it's grabbed ...
    I always wait until evenings to feed as they're nocturnal of course .

    Incidentally , if it shows no interest at all not even a tongue flicker maybe it's best to leave for a week or so.




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  10. #7
    Registered User SaltLife422's Avatar
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    Is Behavior Change Normal?

    Quote Originally Posted by cchardwick View Post
    What time of day do you try to feed? I try to feed late at night, as late as I can. If I fed in the mornings they would never eat LOL. Going off of food is totally normal for a ball python, I have some that go weeks without feeding, sometimes even months. Usually once they hit the 1000 gram mark they will stop for a couple months or so. Then it picks up until they are about 1500 grams and then they seem to go into the breeding cycle no matter if you pair them up or not and they stop again. The good thing about having multiple snakes is that I can start feeding my picky feeders or non-eaters first. If they don't eat I move on to the aggressive eaters. Works great and I almost never end up with an uneaten rat. I also have a couple reticulated pythons, they were eating all the left over rats but now they are too big and they only eat the large adult rats that are too big for my ball pythons LOL. Seems like ball pythons will go through a growth spurt and eat a lot, then just stop eating. Seems to me like they are letting their head size catch up with their body growth LOL.
    I feed once she comes out all by herself. I start thawing the rat out a little before because I know her schedule lol

    Last weight after she had pooped was 324g so I have a long way to go lol


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    Last edited by SaltLife422; 07-18-2017 at 02:29 AM.

  11. #8
    Registered User SaltLife422's Avatar
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    Re: Is Behavior Change Normal?

    Quote Originally Posted by craigafrechette View Post
    Sounds like a BP to me. I wouldn't stress it if your husbandry is on point. BPs hide, that's what they do best.

    Not sure why you skipped a feeding day after she ate again, but I would feed as scheduled moving forward.
    I don't know how you figured she wasn't hungry. Just because she isn't pacing the enclosure looking for food doesn't mean she won't eat.

    After she skipped meals the last thing I would do is skip offerings after she ate again.
    I only skipped because I kind of "knew" something was off. Turned out today she went into blue again. So I'm a little confused because she's only eaten once since the last shed.

    I also personally don't feed during sheds.

    But I also do understand that it could just be a normal change in behavior now.


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    Re: Is Behavior Change Normal?

    Quote Originally Posted by SaltLife422 View Post
    I only skipped because I kind of "knew" something was off. Turned out today she went into blue again. So I'm a little confused because she's only eaten once since the last shed.

    I also personally don't feed during sheds.

    But I also do understand that it could just be a normal change in behavior now.


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    I definitely wouldn't skip meals once a snake is back to eating after a food strike. I'd be excited to get any meal I can in a snake that hadn't been eating. You say you "knew" something was off? So you "knew" your snake wasn't hungry? I bet dollars to donuts your snake would have eaten Fri.
    But...your snake, your call.

  13. #10
    Registered User SaltLife422's Avatar
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    Re: Is Behavior Change Normal?

    Quote Originally Posted by craigafrechette View Post
    I definitely wouldn't skip meals once a snake is back to eating after a food strike. I'd be excited to get any meal I can in a snake that hadn't been eating. You say you "knew" something was off? So you "knew" your snake wasn't hungry? I bet dollars to donuts your snake would have eaten Fri.
    But...your snake, your call.
    Lol I used quotes for "knew something was off" and lo and behold she's in shed. I also stated I don't feed in shed.

    So maybe I got lucky with "knowing my snake" but I'm sure you know tendencies of yours as well.

    Thanks for the input though!


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