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HI, I DONT HAVE MUCH TIME TO GO INTO A LOT OF DETAIL, BUT IM A PRETTY FAST TYPER SO ESCUSE THE TYPE-O'S, I HOPE THIS MAY HELP? SO HERES A FEW THINGS TO HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF MYSELF AND MY SNAKES?

MY FIANCEE AND I HAVE BEEN INTO SNAKES FOR YEARS BUT JUST RECENTLY STARTED COLLECTING LARGE AMOUNTS TO BEGIN BREEDING NEXT SEASON, AND A FEW AS PERSONAL PETS, OR IN MY CASE LIKE MY CHILDREN SINCE I CANT HAVE KIDS OF MY OWN ... WE HAVE A YELLOW BELLY BALL PYTHON NAMED LOKI, WE GOT HIM A FEW MONTHS AGO FROM A LOCAL BREEDERS WHO ALSO OWNS A PET STORE, IVE KNOWN THESE PEOPLE FOR SOME TIME AND HAVE GONE TO THEM OVER THE YEARS FOR NUMEROUS THINGS, BUT A FEW MONTHS AGO I BOUGHT LOKI, HE WAS ALREADY GROWN AND THE GUY WHOM OWNS THE STORE AND BREEDS THEM THAT I SPOKE OF ABOVE SOLD HIM TO ME FOR A CHEAP PRICE, SAID HE WAS CLEARING OUT OLD PROJECTS, HE TOLD ME HE WAS 4-5 YEARS OLD, MY FIANCEE INSISTS HE HEARD 3, BUT I KNOW HE SAID 5 BECAUSE HE SHOWED US 3 LRG PYTHONS AND I REMEMBER LOKI BY HIS COLOR AND AGE, BUT WE'VE HAD HIM FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW IN THE START HE WOULDNT TAKE FROZEN SO WE WERE FORCED TO GIVE HIM LIVE, HE WAS GOOD THOSE FIRST FEW TIMES BUT JUST ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO HE STARTED GIVING US PROBLEMS WITH THE LIVE, HES TO BIG TO TRY AND SWITCH TO LRG MICE SO WE LET HIM GO FOR A WEEK AND TRIED AGAIN, AND THEN HE TOOK IT. BUT THEN JUST 4 WEEKS AGO TODAY HE WOULDNT TAKE ANYTHING, AND THE WEEK AFTER THAT HE WOULDNT EITHER, UP UNTIL THIS FOLLOWING DAY HE REFUSED EVERYTHING WE TRIED, AND WEVE TRIED EVERYTHING WE KNOW OF. AND TODAY WHILE I WAS AT WORK MY FIANCE TRIED AND HE KNOCKED THE RAT OUT AND LOKI JUST OPENED HIS MOUTH, HE DIDNT EVEN ATTEMPT TO STRIKE JUST OPENED HIS MOUTH TO GO AND TAKE IT AND THE RAT SOMEWHAT AWOKE AND KICKED HIM AND IT SCARED HIM JUST LIEK ALL THE PREVIOUS TIMES, THE RATS WOULD GO UP TO HIS FACE AND SCARE HIM, AND THEN HES REFUSE THEM NCE AGAIN, SO NOW TODAY ON THE 4TH WEEK, LIEK I SAID MY FIANCE TRIED AND FAILED, SO WHEN I CAME HOME WE TRIED AGAIN AND ONCE AGAIN FAIL, SAME THING, RAT SCARED HIM BUT THIS TIME HE STRUCK IT BUT LOST IT, AND HE IS USUALLY VERY AGGRESSIVE AND NEVER LOSES HIS GRIPS, EVER. I REMEMBER TIMES WE'D OPEN THE LID TO HIS FEEDING TUB AND HE WOULDNT EVEN WAIT FOR IT TO BE FULLY OPEN AND HE'D SEE THAT RAT AND STRIKE IT IN A SPLIT SECOND, SO ITS NOT A NORMAL THING FOR HIM TO LOSE THE MEAL, SO WE TOOK THE RAT OUT ONLY AFTER HE MISSED A SECOND TIME AND GAVE HIM A FEW HOURS TO RELAX, AND WE TRIED ONE LAST TIME JUST MINUTES BEFORE I BEGAN TYPING THIS, HE STRUCK THE RAT AGAIN AND MISSED, AND DID THIS THREE MORE TIMES BEFORE WE GAVE UP ONLY AFTER I WAS IN TEARS BECAUSE I LOVE THIS SNAKE WITH MY WHOLE HEART HES LIKE MY CHILD, I ALWAYS FEAR THE WORST, IM A PESSIMIST. I MAY SOUND LIKE A MORON TO SOME OF YOU BREEDERS BUT IM NOT, I JUST LOVE MY SNAKES MORE THAN I LOVE SOME OF MY OWN FAMILY BECAUSE THEY ARE HONESTLY BETTER THAN SOME MEMBERS ... ANNYWAYY THATS WHY IM HERE NOW ASKING FOR SOMEONES HELP. I'M NOT SOME NEWBIE WHO JUST BOUGHT A BALL FOR A STARTER, IVE HAD SNAKES MY ENTIRE LIFE, THE ONLY AREA IM NOT FAMILAR WITH IS MEDICAL. SO I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE KNEW OF ANYTHING THAT COULD BE TRIGGERING HIS BEHAVIOR. I WAS TOLD HE WAS 5 BUT ALL ALONG NEVER REALLY BELIEVED THAT, I BELIEVE HES A BIT OLDER THAN THAT, AND IF THAT IS TRUE, THAT IS BEYOND F&*KED UP BECAUSE WHEN I SELL SOMEONE AN ANIMAL, I DONT LIE ABOUT ITS AGE JUST TO GET RID OF IT, NO MATTER HOW OLD. I WOULDNT DO THAT. ITS BAD BUSINESS, SKILLS & CARE. SO PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ANY INSIGHT AT ALL PLEASE HELP. IM DIEING INSIDE NOT KNOWING IF ITS MY FEARS GETTING THE BEST OF ME, OR IF IM GOING TO LOSE THE 2ND CLOSET THING TO LOVE IVE EVER FELT. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE. VERY, VERY MUCH.

I cannot say for sure because I cannot examine the animal, but provided the snake started out in good condition, I don't see the recent fast in your care immediately life threatening.

Second, please take off the cap's lock. Incredibly hard to read your post.
Did I miss anything in your post; the only concern is a lack of feeding, correct? No other symptoms or indication of illness?

For the time being, assuming the only problem is that your snake hasn't eaten, I'm under the impression that the snake is stressed out. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the strikes at the prey you are seeing are defensive and not food related.

I'm off to bed right now so I will part with this advice so you can be assured you are okay for the time being.
1)Decide if your animal is in critical condition. Is it alert and responsive? Can it hold itself up when held or is it droopy in your hands? A vet may be immediately necessary if you are replying with negative answers to these questions.
2)Re-evaluate your husbandry. I'm certain you probably already have the temp's and maybe even the humidity correct. What about stress related aspects? Enough hides, low traffic area, proper day/night cycle, etc.
3)Be patient. If your snake is still in good body condition it can go a lot longer without food. You have the time to trouble shoot the behavioral problems. In the mean time, leave the snake alone for 7-10 days while you reassess your stratagy, and the snake has time to chill out and get comfortable. Do weigh your snake so you can monitor progress.

I and others will be following this thread over the next few days to help you with further questions and how you can further troubleshoot.

Have a good night

Ian

yes his temps and humidity are fine, everything in his husbandty are fine, i would see no reason for him to be stressed, i keep a close eye on everything surrounding them to make sure of that & i know they can long amounts of time without food, but i wanted to make sure everything was okay as far as health wise before i let him go with out eating for as long as he needs if it wasnt gonig to be nessecary, ya know? but like i said im a freak when it comes to them and may jump the gun sometimes just to be sure they are o.k. but his lack of whatever the word be, during feeding had me concerned since like i said he is ALWAYS food aggressive and ready to go, my main concern is he is a lot older than the guy told me which royally pisses me off, when you've spent enought time around them you can tel la 5 yr. old python from a 9 year old python ... but again thank you for your advice i will see to it i re-check everything with his temps and surroundings asap. thank you so much, have a good night!

Have you gone to the ball python forum with this as well? This problem doesn't seem unique; I'm sure you'll get lots of behavioral and feeding advice from people that keep them by the tonne. While I've discussed the species a zillion times, I have not ever kept them personally.

Definately get back if you have any more questions

Ian

Balls can live 40-50 yrs. I am thinking a couple years here or there is not gonna influence his life that much.

Stop stressing him out trying to feed him live so often. He is likely missing because he is defensive, not hungry.
Give him a week to chill and then leave a prekilled (really dead, not stunned) in with him overnight. Go smaller prey vs large as he can take.
You are heading into fall and he may be getting a jump on winter fasting.
Relax. Take a breath.
I had a male that ate 6 or 8 meals in the mid summer and didn't eat 8 months of the year. He grew, he bred and he thrived.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

I had trouble reading the caps with these old eyes. But, the first thing that I suspect, if he is alert and not limp, is that he is coming into shed.