Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have my first African Rock Python here and he's being stubborn as hell. I'm 95% sure it's a male, I haven't probed him, but he's 8 or 9 feet and has a huge set of spurs.That,and he mated with an albino Burm that I have that I know for a fact is a female.They were locked up for a about an hour.Anyway, he's been here for several months and has yet to eat.He moves around well,he soaks in his tub and he's even had one good shed since he's been here.He doesn't SEEM to be losing weight.The only thing I have noticed is that he strikes a LOT, but has yet to connect.When I'm cleaning his cage he strikes at me and sometimes actually hits me,but never actually get teeth in,it's almost like he's headbutting me.Does that make sense to anyone?He does the same thing when he strikes at rats, he strikes a few times and always misses.So I put him in a tub with a pre-killed rat and he sat with it for about an hour just looking at it.So, I turned out the lights and left him with it for a couple more hours and he still didn't take it.I gave him a larger rat to maybe give him a bigger target,and I also tried a smaller rat thinking the maybe the big ones were intimidating him,I got nothing.I tried some store bought chicken thighs,because that's what some of my other smaller guys get, he didn't want that either.The guy who had him before me said he was eating medium rats for him,but never specified PK or live,and I lost his contact info so.....I have a snake that just won't eat.I open to ANY suggestions,I DO NOT want this guy starving on my watch.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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0.1.0 Burmese Python 12'- "Baby"
1.0.0 Albino Granite Burmese Python 6.5'-"Capone"
0.1.0 Albino Burmese Python 11'-"Lacy Underall"
1.0.0 Reticulated Python 8.5'-"McLovin"
1.0.0 African Rock Python 9'-"Pauly Walnuts"
1.0.0 BCI 7.5'-"Mr.Pink"
0.2.0 BCI 6'-"Scarlett O'Hara & Sloane Peterson"
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons-"Radar O'Reilly & Carol Anne"

I am going to assume that you know what you are doing and all your temps and humidity are correct. If he has been mating recently this alone could explain his anorexia. I have however had several pythons that just preferred certain food items over another. Since he is pretty good size I would try a small rabbit and see if that makes him want to feed. The problem with some people is they may have lied to make a sale if the snake is eating or not. But since he is comfortable enough to breed I would think he would feed as well under your captive conditions.

It could be a seasonal hormonal thing or you are offering a food item he does not want to eat. I had a rock imprinted on rabbits for a couple years, now he will eat anything.

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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

some may say he is stressed and maybe that why he isn't feeding, but if he was breeding well I would doubt that's it.

If the breeding was recent like I said before he probably will start feeding soon. I would try different food items to see what he prefers. They tend to like avian prey as well, most pythons can't resist a chicken of appropriate size. I would try a rabbit first if he continues to refuse rats.
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

It would be helpful to give him a large enough hidebox to ambush his prey as well.
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

He still thinks it's breeding season and isn't interested in food.

>>He still thinks it's breeding season and isn't interested in food.
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

"It could be a seasonal hormonal thing"

Sorry, I just didn't think that was clear enough

"It could be a seasonal hormonal thing"

and

"If the breeding was recent like I said before he probably will start feeding soon"

...better to word it your way
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

No problem. The poster seemed a bit on the naive side so it seemed like diferent interpretations would help.

>>No problem. The poster seemed a bit on the naive side so it seemed like diferent interpretations would help.

Well yes an admited novice now that I look a little closer I should have elaborated more.
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

Yeah,I will try the hide box trick and see what we come up with.I've been keeping Burms for a little over 12 years and to be honest, I've never had one not eat, so this is new territory for me.I have never had one refuse food or stop feeding during certain times of the year.When I first discovered this guy was refusing,that's when I tried live/dead/rats/chicken/day feeding/night feeding/feeding in the enclosure/out of the enclosure etc.After none of that worked,that's when I asked for new ideas.You would be right to assume that my temps/humidity/light cycles are as right as they should be according to my research,They are very similar to that of my Burms.I will try the suggestions that you guys have mentioned here and let you know what I come up with.
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0.1.0 Burmese Python 12'- "Baby"
1.0.0 Albino Granite Burmese Python 6.5'-"Capone"
0.1.0 Albino Burmese Python 11'-"Lacy Underall"
1.0.0 Reticulated Python 8.5'-"McLovin"
1.0.0 African Rock Python 9'-"Pauly Walnuts"
1.0.0 BCI 7.5'-"Mr.Pink"
0.2.0 BCI 6'-"Scarlett O'Hara & Sloane Peterson"
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons-"Radar O'Reilly & Carol Anne"