Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I know it's not uncommon for ball pythons to go long periods without eating, so I'm not too concerned with the behavior of mine; he (we named "him" Pandora before we figured out she was actually a he) has not eaten since early Feb., but has maintained a healthy body mass, and appears as healthy as before. He is approx. 3.5 years old, and this is the first time he's gone a long time like this without being hungry. My question is why do they do this? Do they do this natually in their native environment, or something to do with captive conditions? Is it time of year? Being only 3.5 years old, I assume he has just became sexually mature, so does this have anything to do with this behavior? Just curious as to the reason for this, because everyone else in my collection eat pretty hearty!
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-David

1.0 ball python (Pandora - don't ask)
1.0 argentine boa (Prometheus)
0.1 hogg island boa (Andromeda)
0.0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (Inara)
1.0 kenyan sand boa (Diablo)
1.0 normal corn snake(Cypress)
0.1 amery. corn snake (Morgan LaFay)
0.0.1 banded cali. kingsnake (Cain)
1.0 tangerine honduran milksnake (Narcissus)
0.0.1 snow corn snake (Valkyrie)
1.0 amazon tree boa (Pegasus)
0.0.1 colombian boa (Athena)
0.0.1 sandfish skink (Slick)
0.0.1 fire skink (Phoenix)
1.0 dog (Luke)

the wife's pets:
1.0 bearded dragon (Leonidas)
1.1 ferrets (Ares, Enyo)
0.0.1 betta fish (Captain Morgan)
1.2 cats (Galahad, Ripley and Sassy)

It is not uncommon at all. I know in the past people have posted their snakes not eating for a year or more. Mine all go off feed around breeding season and go back in the spring. This summer has been funny where I am (pa) it goes from 90's to 70's when it is in the 70's they stop eating. I am sure in nature they do it also. Just keep trying He will eat when he is ready.

There could be a dozen different reasons why he is not feeding - including he just isn't feeling like eating right now - as long as your husbandry is good, and he is in good health and not noticeably thin, sick or injured you should just enjoy the break - keep fresh water in his cage and he'll start feeding again when he is ready.

Good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

(CJBianco explaining the origins of the BP market.)
"In the beginning Bob created the Ball Python market. And the market was without morph, and wild traits were upon the industry. And Bob said, Let there be morph, and there was morph. And Bob saw the morph, that it was good; and Bob divided the morph from the wild trait. And Bob called the morph Albino, and the wild trait Normal. And the Albino and the Heterozygous Albino were the first investment.
-- Christopher 1:1-1:5"