Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My ball has not eaten in about 3 months now. Any techniques? Should I be worried if she is flickering her tounge and can hold her self up on sticks fine. She can lift her head very high in the air too. But she never comes out of her hiding spot and has NO and I mean NO interest in any of the food I have tried.

HI MATE AS WE ALL KNOW ROYALS CAN BE VERY FUSSY EATERS. I HAVE 1 MYSELF ASWELL AS A BOA. THE BOA FEEDS FINE AND IS ALWAYS READY TO TAKE MORE. THE ROYAL ON THE OTHER HAND DOESNT AND JUST RECENTLY IT HAD STOPPED FEEDING ALLTOGETHER WHEN I WAS PLACING FOOD IN ITS TANK. I FOUND THOUGH IT WILL STILL EAT READILY IFF I REMOVE IT FROM THE TANK AND PLACE A MOUSE IN FRONT OF IT. IT THEN SIMPLY LATCHES ONTO THE MOUSE WITHOUT EVEN STRIKING AND CONSUMES IT NO PROBLEMS

Hi.
Yes I just tried that today. I tried feeding in the tank and then left the room and came back about 20 min later but she had already gone back into her hiding spot. Then I tried in a box. Then on the floor. Nothing seems to get her interested.

Have you tried warming the prey item, using a hair dryer is a good trick.
Try leaving the rat/mouse at the entrance of its hide box overnight.
Other tricks that work has been chicken soup on the prey item nose and i have had success with steak blood.
If you get desperate you could buy a frozen gerbil and rub it on the rat/mouse, or if you have a friend that keeps rodents then get some used sawdust and rub the prey item over it, don't feed gerbil to it though, they are not as nutritional as rats and mice and royals can be a pain refusing anything but gerbil once they have had a taste for it and is quite expensive.

You could also try "braining" it - like slit its head open with a knife a bit so blood etc comes out and make sure it's warm (like someone else said). Balls go a lot for heat signature and smell rather than sight. I know BPs can and will go awhile on a fast and can go several months. I haven't had that thankfully I know I'd be as worried as heck though (I'm good at worrying )

are you feeding live or dead food to your ball