Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everybody!

I'm hoping someone here can help put my mind at ease. My ball python hasn't eaten since March 15, 2009. I keep trying every 2 weeks but she just doesn't seem interested. This started happening after her original feedbox broke and I bought a new one. I feed her in one of those large plastic sweater boxes you can buy at Target. Her old feedbox was also a sweater box but it was smaller than the new one I had purchased. She was eating fine with very few refusals. I feed her 1 medium rat every 2 weeks. I'm not exactly sure how old she is because we adopted her but we've had her a few years now and I believe she's about 4 feet long. Even though she isn't eating, she's still very active. Do I need to be concerned about her hunger strike quite yet?

Thanks again for any help/advice anybody can give.

A had a young male mojave that didn't eat for the first 10 months I had him!

Try feeding at night, try feeding larger/smaller rats, try purchasing a smaller sweater box like the one she had. You could also try feeding her in her normal cage or on a similar substrate.

I've had the best luck just setting a mouse on top of the cage and watching for a feeding response from the snake while the little guy runs around. Even if I am going to feed f/t this usually helps to "get them in the mood".

Try offering her a rat more often than once every two weeks. Sometimes you just have to catch them at the right time.
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1.1 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

Mar 2009????? you are worrying about nothing.........

as long as your husbandry is good...........

they will eat when they want to.......not when you want them to.

Pitoon

Ya, no worries yet. A bunch of my adults go off feed for the whole winter. Most of them have already started eating again but my Yellowbelly male still hasn't. As long as they look healthy and your temps and everything are right you got nothing to worry about.
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Coolluigi

1.0 Pastel
1.0 Yellowbelly
0.2 Normal
0.1 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic (Babies are getting bigger!!)
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

Thanks to everybody who responded. I figured I was freaking out prematurely. You all helped put my mind at ease. Update, my old girl ate yesterday!! Thanks again everybody!