Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello I'm new to this forum... but here's my situation...

I have a ball python, he's about 3 years old or so. I bought him when he was fairly young, he was less than 10" when I got him. Ever since I bought him, he's had no problems of any kind. But I think I now have a feeding problem on my hands & something else.

My snake HAS NOT eaten in 2 weeks. I know this doesn't seem like a big deal because I've read on many sites that a "fasting" period isn't uncommon. But I guess I'm just worried because my snake has been quite a REGULAR feeder for the past 3 years. So, to all of a sudden NOT eat for 2 weeks has me a little worried. Should I be worried though???

Also, I don't know if there could be any other factors involved. I changed his substrate last month to something new. I used to have astro-turf in there, but changed it to some kind of wood substrate. I don't know what kind it is, but this is what it looks like... it kind of looks like rabbit or gerbil food pellets, light brown, small, but long pieces, & when my snake deficates the wood "pellets" turn into like sawdust matter. Is this a bad or wrong substrate???

Also, I recently looked under his belly & I've NEVER seen this within the 3 years I've had him. But his belly looks really dry. The scales are really dry, more so at the edges. But I mean, in general the scales just look like if I touch the edges of them they'll "chip away." Also, they seem almost "loose" the scales on his belly just don't seem as "tight" as the rest of his scales or how I've seen them before. What is this???

As far as environment goes, his temperature seems to be fine & at a constant 85-90. And the humidity seems to be at a constant 70-80.

Can anyone help me? Does anyone have any suggestions or answers to these questions? Should I worry? Am I being worried about nothing? Any offering of suggestions or comments are welcome.

Thanks =)

It sounds to me as though he's shedding, but I'm sure you've seen that before...
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0.1.0 Ball Python - Shaman
1.0.0 Green Iguana - Ike
2.2.0 Cats - Pumpkin, Furball, Pixie, Stitch
1.0.0 Cockatiel - Ozzy
0.1.0 Budgie - Tweetie
1.0.0 Dwarf Rabbit - Rascal

Yes, I've seen him shed before... & actually he shed a couple of weeks ago already.

But to tell you the truth, even in the past when he is shedding, he still has an appetite...

And after shedding his scales look nice & clean, but there's never that dry scale thing like I'm seeing on his belly right now...

It would really help if you can post a picture. It may just be some left over shedding on him. Hard to tell from your description. Try changing his substrate, it may be irratating him or it may not be handling the humidity very well, it could end up giving him scale rot. Again, without a picture, it's hard to tell. If it gets worse, you may want to take him in and have a vet look at him.
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Tosha

2.5.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.1.0 Siberian Husky (Kita)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
5.4.2 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

Lower your humidity as well, it really isn't neccessary to have it that high, between 50-60% is good for ball pythons. What could be happening is the new substrate is holding moisture which in turn is giving you snake belly rot. This is obviously a guess, if you can pls post pictures.

Since nobody has answered your question regarding the eating issue..... It sounds fairly normal that your male BP went off feed this time of the year. At 3 years of age, he is definitely sexually mature and this is breeding season for BPs. During breeding season many of them go off feed; this can go on for weeks to many months. There is also a chance that your switching of his substrate triggered his fast, but don't sweat it. The point is... he will eat again once he's ready. In the mean time, just keep an eye on his weight. If he's not loosing much weight, don't worry.

Regarding the substrate, make sure it is NOT CEDAR or PINE. These contain oils that are hazardous to reptiles. Aspen is okay... many breeders & hobbiests use it.

Eric