Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought this 4ft CB Male Ball Python at a reptile show near me in late October. I have tried everything to get him to eat. He's stubborn! The snake has not lost a bunch of wait and is still strong & active, and drinks water too. Looks great & everything. I just want him to eat. I keep his temps at about an average of 85 degrees, probably a little warmer on the hot side of a 40gallon tank. Moisture is usually at around 50% average. 2 hide boxes in the tank, one on each side(Hot & Cold) and a huge water bowl in the center. Heat pad under the tank on one side and a light over the same side. I've tried F/T and live, both mice and rats, even dipped one in Chicken Broth!!!

Any other ideas? Getting frustrated!!!
Thank you!!!

October is about the time they shut down for the breeding season. As long as he's not loosing any weight leave him be. He should start up eating again in the next month or two. Just try to feed every couple weeks till he starts up again.

Quig
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Don't interupt me when I'm talkin' to myself

It may be wild caught so you can try gerbils. As long as it is not losing weight, just keep an eye on it and don't stress too much. I had a snake stop eating for 4 months for no reason. I wasn't cooling her and didn't change anything. After the 4 months, she picked right back up.

Good luck

>>I bought this 4ft CB Male Ball Python at a reptile show near me in late October. I have tried everything to get him to eat. He's stubborn! The snake has not lost a bunch of wait and is still strong & active, and drinks water too. Looks great & everything. I just want him to eat. I keep his temps at about an average of 85 degrees, probably a little warmer on the hot side of a 40gallon tank. Moisture is usually at around 50% average. 2 hide boxes in the tank, one on each side(Hot & Cold) and a huge water bowl in the center. Heat pad under the tank on one side and a light over the same side. I've tried F/T and live, both mice and rats, even dipped one in Chicken Broth!!!
>>
>>Any other ideas? Getting frustrated!!!
>>Thank you!!!

Try putting him into a smaller tank. If you got him from a show the breeder probably had him in a rack system and that may be what he's used to.
Don't start to really panic though until he starts to lose weight. Balls are notorious for these hunger strikes
Stupid question, I know, but have you tried feeding in the tank? What works for me when my girl is being stubborn about taking a rat is I put a nice warm F/T rat in there with its head sticking in the hide. Last time I did that she hit it so hard I swear the whole tank rocked.

Then again, your snake just could be wondering where all the ladies are at and refusing to eat until he's absolutely sure breeding season is over. Try making sure your hot spot is about 90 and the cool is 80, with as little drop in temperatures at night as possible. (you said your tank was at 85 if I remember correctly)

~jenny
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1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons (Yoni and Linga)
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
1.1 mice (Cute Girl Mousy and FuzzBucket)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
3.0 horses (Buddy, Sam, and Scout)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
1.25 chickens (Ugly the rooster and his harem)

Thank Jenny,

Yeah, I've tried a smaller enclosure as well. I tried a rubbermaid container, I've tried feeding in the tank as well as out. Tried feeding live & F/T rats & mice both small and large. I tried opennig his mouth a little to give him a taste & that just pissed him off a little. I have a thermometr in the middle of the tank & it usually reads about 87degrees, like now. The hot side, I'd say is about 5 degrees higher. The himidity, I try to keep @ around 50% by misting every morning, seems to help stay regular that way. I know he's CB and I have offered everything except for a Gerbil so far. I'm afraid if I start him on $13.00 gerbils, he wont go back to rats.

I sincerely hope that 87 is on the hot side? If not then the problem might be that it's too warm in there. What wattage bulb are you using in your heat lamp?

~jenny
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1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons (Yoni and Linga)
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
1.1 mice (Cute Girl Mousy and FuzzBucket)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
3.0 horses (Buddy, Sam, and Scout)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
1.25 chickens (Ugly the rooster and his harem)

yeah, 88 degrees is on the hot side, It's preobably about 82 on the cool side down low by the hide box. I'm using a soft whiet 75watt bulb.

Try switching to a red light bulb so that the snake isn't stressed out by the light. White light bulbs put out heat as a by-product of light, good red bulbs put out light as a by-product of heat. You'll probably only need a 50 watt red bulb.

Other than that I really can't think of anything to try except waiting.

~jenny
-----
1.2 normal ball pythons (Cindy, Darwin, and Periscope)
0.2 rescue chinese water dragons (Yoni and Linga)
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
1.0 gerbil (Yerbul)
1.1 mice (Cute Girl Mousy and FuzzBucket)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
1.1 betta fishes (Vicious and Killer)
2.2 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
3.0 horses (Buddy, Sam, and Scout)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
1.25 chickens (Ugly the rooster and his harem)

Wait till march and breeding season is over and he will eat.
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Nita Hamilton
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Ball Pythons
ballpythonworld.com

I'm going to agree with Nita - he's likely fasting and will probably start eating again around March or April - offer him a food item every couple of weeks if he eats great if he doesn't don't sweat it.
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Tosha

Thanks Tosh, I kinda figured he's just being a stubborn horny male. I bought him in October & haven't seen him eat yet. Getting tired of waiting, thats all! i know I shouldn't sweat it.

thanks again,

Joe P.

how often are you trying to feed him?

i have a female that did that went off feed, i tried every week for 2 months, live rats, mice, f/t rats mice, prekilled, nothing....

i posted several times here...

the best advice i was given was by tosha "dont try to much as you can stress the snake out give her some time"

i waited 2 weeks, dropped a mouse in and BAM! she ate it, dropped another in BAM!! she ate that one to, dropped a third mouse in and BAM!! she ate it to..... went to drop a fourth mouse in and the snake looked at me like "dont push your luck" so i stopped at three, she ate mice for a whole year, then i tried some more of toshas advice to get her on rats, i dropped a mouse in she took the mouse, then dropped a baby rat about the same size of the mouse, she ate that to, now she completely on rats.

also i would like to point out, the snake went off feed dec7 05 took the 3 mice feb 6 of 06, havent had a problem with her not eating yet, but also i do give mine a few days of "empty time"