Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, about two years ago I got into BP (after many years of keeping various other snakes) and I am now 5 months into my first fast. I am not worried about the snakes and I know this is what they do but my question is this: Do they typically just start eating when they are ready or is some sort of trickery required?

The reason I ask is that I kept Kenyan Sand Boas for years and they, males in particular, are also known for fasting. What I figured out over time, however, is that it did not matter what type of trickery I resorted to; if they did not want to eat they would not eat. When they were ready to eat, they would eat.

My approach with the sand boas was that once a fast started I would offer food about every 4 - 6 weeks until the fast ended and then feed them up while they were eating in preparation for the next inevitable fast. This is the approach I am planning on taking with my BP but wanted to get some other opinions as well.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Rob

P.S. - Here is a pic of one of the fasters just for fun.

In general, they will eat when they are good and ready. If they are on F/T, sometimes it helps to jump start them by using a small live rodent, though once in a great while a ball will switch to live if you use this method. For the most part, if the snake isn't losing weight and seems otherwise healthy, just wait it out and they'll feed when they want to.

Most of my adult, breeding males fast for about 6-7 months (December-June, give or take). My females start fasting once they reach 1000 grams, which is a bummer as they're getting so close to breeding size. They resume when they're ready. Balls require a lot of patience, but are well worth the wait.