Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Doesn't the fasting in ball pythons drive you insane!

Man I can't wait for this to end. All of my snakes about 50 are fasting. Some have been fasting since early Sept 2003. They all had fantastic weights but now are really looking skinny and deflated.

Colors look drab etc etc.. I had some really nice pumped up 2002 girls around the 800-1000 gram marker, nice and fat and chunky, and now? There skinny and deflated.

I haven't cleaned a snake poop in months, mice are dying from OLD age, and I had to seperate all the male rats from the females because NONE of the rats are being used.

I swear I think sometimes they may never come back on feed.

I wonder why they do this, I wish there was a way to know, why a healthy happy fat snake, decides that one day it is going to stop eating for up to 6+ months!

I still think it so important to feed baby BP's almost as much as they will take, because the day will come when the fast will start. And even if there fat and overweight as yearlings, they will lose a lot of weight during the fast.

One question not about BP's. Do BLOOD PYTHONS FAST? for any long amount of time?

Getting hard to get my butt down in the basement constantly cleaning rats/mice when it seems the entire snake collection is at a total stand still.

I used to offer food once a week, I'm now up to once every 3-weeks, and still I have no one eating. You can tell RIGHT away that there not going to eat when you plop the mouse in the cage.

You can just tell by the way the snake acts and moves. And when there off feed, they pay 0 attention to the mouse, it's as if the mouse is not even in the cage. Something in there brain says FEED MODE OFF, there is no in between.

Tonight I will be offering food, It's been 3 1/2 weeks since I have.

Should I switch to a once a month routine as to not stress the snakes? I switched to a once a week water/changing schedule, used to be once every 4-days.

Thanks for the moral support.. My hat off to all you big breeders with all those high end ball pythons. Must really stink when your pied or super-pastel decides that it's going to stop eating FOR MONTHS on end. My HET albinos and normals are OFF feed and I'm having a hard time dealing with it.

I'd better forget the real expsensive morphs! If I owned some, they went off feed, I might have a nervous breakdown! LOL LOL

i know what you mean the last two weeks at the end of march is always the worst, your prize 02 are now the same weight as your 03's. but with the end of march the temps and the lights go back to normal, and they all start to feed again - except some gravid ones, then you buld them up for next year - its a pain but youve got to love it
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Guy
www.dbreptiles.com

Yeah, winter can be a stressful time of year for us BP owners! Mine hasn't eaten for over 2 months and I've already talked at length about the struggle to keep the temps. and humidity up which probably helps cause the fasting when you can't get it's husbandry the way you can the rest of the year when it's warmer and not as dry! I only have one to deal with so I can imagine what you go through with several or more. I still love the little guy though! Still the best pet I've ever owned by far. Fortunately mine hasn't dropped any weight at all since it's only been a couple of months. Anyway, hang in there and I'm sure they'll start eating again real soon for us!

hey there i know what you mean i have only had my ball for 3 weeks but she has been known to go 6 months between feeds at the petstore acc to her chart.now i am in no means a expert at this i just tried this and it worked for mine i took a small box maybe the size of say a tv dinner box but shaped like this l_l and put a frozen thawed mouse into it so that the mouse was in her tank but she was safe from getting any substate in her mouth and a hour later the snake was in the box and the mouse was gone ! i was so happy as i was told that she prob wouldnt eat for months due to her new home adjustment any way try it maybe it will work for you? good luck!
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Erica
my zoo includes:
1 ball python "chloe"
1 sucata tort "tinkerbell"
1 C.A king "slinky"
1 x mas corn"penny"
2 cats "olivia and v"
4 monster kids Matt,Amber,Zach,Jake
1 on way

Wooo Hoo.

I just fed last night and 4 came out, now 10 more to go...
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0.1 Pastel Col Red Tail - Phoebe
0.1 Normal Ball Python - Barbie
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Ken
0.1 Brz Rainbow Boa - Bonnie
1.0 Brz Rainbow Boa - Clyde
0.1 Green Anaconda -
0.1 Yellow Anaconda -
0.1 Yellow Head Retic - Pandora
0.1 Granite Burm Python - Bella
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Jack
1.0 Normal Ball Python - Jake
0.1 Normal Ball Python - Chrissy
0.1 African Rock Python -Sissy
1.0 100% Het Black Black Red Axanthic Ball Python - Raven
0.1 Red Axanthic Ball Python - Bourbon
1.0 Yellow Ghost Hypo - Sunny
0.1 Normal Ball Python HUGE over 8lbs - Scarlet
1.0 100% Het Albino Ball Python - Adam
0.1 100% Het Albino Ball Python - Eve
1.0 66% Het Albino Ball Python -
2.0 66 % Het Axanthic Ball Pythons - "Twins" Ding, Dong
1.0 Albino Ball Python -
0.1 100% Het Albino Ball Python -
0.4 High Yellow Ball Pythons -
0.4 Normal w.c. Ball Pythons - Mistakes
0.1 Jungle Ball Python -
0.8 Normal Ball Pythons -

0.1 Rottweiler - Shadow
1.0 Rottweiler - Reese

I know what you mean. My 02 girl was doing so well, and suddenly at 1200 grams she stopped dead in her tracks!! I have an 03 female catching up to her every 5-7 days. I only have 2.2 ball pythons right now, but out of those, one is a ghost and one is a pastel. The girls are normal. Guess who stops eating?? Of course, the biggest ones. My 03s stuff themselves as my 02s sit and wait. Hopefully they are building up for next season?

I am quite less experienced than you, by at least a year- ha ha! but I've followed your posts for a while now and I do hope you keep posting what's going on with your snakes. You're about a year or two ahead of me, and reading about what your snakes are doing really, really, REALLY helps me out. Good luck with all of your beautiful snakes! This season and the next! I am sure you'll be successful, and believe me, I'm cheering for you.