Reptile & Amphibian Forums

any theories? is it because people have a hard time maintaining a proper temp during the winter months... or something else?

I have a few theories. One of them regards the temperature of their prey. We all know that the mouse or rat has to be warm in order for the BP to perceive it. I think that sometimes with frozen/thawed pery, the person feeding the snake does not heat the rodent enough and the snake thus show no interest in it.
Also, in relation to wild BP feeding standards, our captives are grossly overfed. Maybe it finally catches up with them and they then decide not to eat?
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4.1 Ball pythons
1.0 Boa Constrictor Imperator
0.1 albino Cranwell's horned frog
1.1 breeding Clawed frogs
1.0 black kittycat
3.1 Oscar cichlids
Also have fancy goldfish, african cichlids, and rats. And 1 Paint horse mare

interesting, thanks for your response!

I wonder about the first theory, as the problem doesn't seem quite as prevalent with other pythons (or other snakes with the heat pits for that matter). Perhaps BP pits aren't as sensitive as others?

Your second theory sounds good to me. Seeing that most pet BPs are wild caught, their native habits are perhaps not being kept.

It's a natural part of their behavior. That's like asking why do they eat rodents. They develop certain behaviors based their environment. We can't expect to change thousands of years of evolution by putting them in a ten gallon tank in our bedrooms.
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-Dennis

Maybe it's just me but my shyest hiding ones go off feed and my really bold friendly will sit out in the open ones eat consistently. But that could just be a fluke.
I always wondered if they stopped eating because they got scared of the prey either the smell or movement and had to get over it.

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Tosha

"Stupid is forever, ignorance can be fixed." Don Wood

"Of course, that's only my opinion...and I believe I am God." =) Chris Bianco

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul)
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 Pool skimmer rescues for this season

Mals obviously go of feed in all species during the breeding season. I was told once that during a certain time of year it does not rain very much in the area they come from...so lack of rain leads to a hibernation of a sort so they do not feed during that time...I have notcied when a large water bowl is put in with a non feeder they sometimes begin to eat...not a theory just what i was told.
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Michael Enriquez