Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my BP for about a year now. I fed him live mice for about 7 months. I then switched to frozen/prekilled and he ate regularly for about 2=-3 months. Then he stopped eating and now doesnt even seem interested in the food. I have frozen mice that I thaw out on top of his cage. then place them in the cage, (over night if necessary) the past month or two, he hasnt eaten them. I have tried dangling them in front of his face and even putting him with the mousein his feeding container and then covering it. Nothing seems to work. I know they can go on long fasts, is this that case? Should I try live again? Please help.

Jeff

Yes, they can go on long fasts. Mine went from December till March one year. Next time you thaw a mouse try placing it in hot water to get the body temp up. My guy has to have his mouse warm befor he eats it. Room temp isn't warm enough for him.

I put the heat lamp on it, and most of the time the mice start bleeding internally from all the heat, guess the heat lamp is too close. I will try the water idea. How did you know your BP was ready to eat again? or did you just keep offering until he finally ate. how did you feed him? (place it inthe cage or dangle it?) also, my bp just shed for the first time since he hasnt eaten...is all this part of the fast/breeding season? or just low humidity? thanks for all the responses!

I am no expert by any means but can tell you what has worked for me. I have had my male ball for about 3yrs now and got a female a year after him. I have never had any problems with my female eating. They are both in the same inclosure and I always feed her first then him. At the time he went on his 3 month fast he was the only snake we had. I offered him food once a week. I would refreeze the mouse he didn't eat and defrost it again a week later. If he didn't eat it then it just went down the toilet. I always dangled the mouse by the tail. Now if he refuses a mouse I warm it up a little longer in hot water and offer it again. Like I said he likes his mice warm. I also defrost it in a leak proff baggie as he doesn't like the mice wet.

As far as the shedding goes I will leave that up to others that know more about it than I do. I know my guy still shed even when he was fasting but then he was still growing. Didn't you say yours was a year old? Probably just growing too.