Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my ball python who hasnt eaten in over a month shed for the first time today. i havent yet tried to feed her, but im hoping maybe she will eat tomorrow since she has shed.
my question does shedding cause stress?
i know this one did because she didnt shed the skin on her head, i had to take a wet soft cloth and remove it.

A good normal shed shouldn't be stressful to the animal. If you have to take measures to "help" the animal shed, it can increase the stress on the snake and therefore affect its feeding for a time.

Some ball pythons stop eating sometime in fall / winter as the temperature falls and the light cycle changes. This is a normal part of their behavior.

But there are lots of reasons for why your snake may not be feeding. If it has good body weight, there usually isn't much cause for concern. Make sure it has security by providing a hide box and continue to offer it food every so often.

If it was feeding well before, it will start up again, unless it experienced some kind of major trauma. It doesn't sound like it.

Regards,

Dana Larsen

Raintree Herpetoculture

thank you so much for the reply, from what i can tell her body weight is the same, she seems a bit fat to me actually.... after i got her i did notice she had a few bite scars, she was also striking at the people, which she has yet to do to me , as far as me sticking my hands in the viv changing water and such.