# ball python not eating



## FormulatedFire (Jan 3, 2005)

i have a ball python that just doesnt seem interested in food anymore......he ate a huge rat that the guy at the petstore said was good for his size...he hasnt eaten since then....he still continues to sh*t and p*ss everwhere.....still active and drinks still do u guys think this is a problem or is he just living off his body fat from the rat????

ps: he even escaped from his tank last week.....found him behind my 50g eyeing up my jd and gt


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

FormulatedFire said:


> i have a ball python that just doesnt seem interested in food anymore......he ate a huge rat that the guy at the petstore said was good for his size...he hasnt eaten since then....he still continues to sh*t and p*ss everwhere.....still active and drinks still do u guys think this is a problem or is he just living off his body fat from the rat????
> 
> ps: he even escaped from his tank last week.....found him behind my 50g eyeing up my jd and gt


It would be helpfull to list some info about his setup, ie: temp, humidity etc.. How long have you had him, how long has it been since he last ate? You could try feeding mice instead of rats.
A well fed healthy snake can live for many months without eating and sometimes ball pythons go into a fasting period where they dont want to eat. Several years ago mine stopped eating for 6 months and then all of a sudden started eating again. Post the answers to the questions asked for better advice.


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## Atlanta Braves Baby! (Mar 12, 2003)

rbp75 said:


> i have a ball python that just doesnt seem interested in food anymore......he ate a huge rat that the guy at the petstore said was good for his size...he hasnt eaten since then....he still continues to sh*t and p*ss everwhere.....still active and drinks still do u guys think this is a problem or is he just living off his body fat from the rat????
> 
> ps: he even escaped from his tank last week.....found him behind my 50g eyeing up my jd and gt


It would be helpfull to list some info about his setup, ie: temp, humidity etc.. How long have you had him, how long has it been since he last ate? You could try feeding mice instead of rats.
A well fed healthy snake can live for many months without eating and sometimes ball pythons go into a fasting period where they dont want to eat. Several years ago mine stopped eating for 6 months and then all of a sudden started eating again. Post the answers to the questions asked for better advice.
[/quote]
All of this info will better help us try and answer your question. If your snake is still deficating and whatnot, then he must have eaten recently I would think...


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

I just went through the same thing with my ball.

He ate a pretty good sized rat, then didnt eat for a month.

He was acting the same as he always didnt and wasnt losing 
any weight so I didnt worry to much about it.

I still tried to feed him every week just incase it decided to eat.
Finally last night he ate again.


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## Feeder_Phish (Apr 15, 2005)

BP's do that alot they fast for a loooooooooooooooong time give him time eventually hell eat


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

Completely normal... if everything seems fine, nothing is wrong.

BP's are notorious for being picky and tough eaters, they like to go off feeding schedule all the time.

Oh and if he starts to lose weight then you should be concerned and look into force feeding.


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## Feeder_Phish (Apr 15, 2005)

force feeing only as a last resort and dont use your hands buy a pinkie press


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## FormulatedFire (Jan 3, 2005)

he's in a 50g tank
-87-83 degrees usually
-60-65% humidity
-repti bark/cypress mulch bedding
i've had him prolly for 6 months and he stopped eaten maybe 2 months ago

he ate fine when i first got him 3 mice a week then the guy at the lps told me to bump him up to a rat so i did.....i thought the rat was to big but he ate it.....and hasnt eaten since.....still acts the same...stills poops......and still drinks water


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## psychofish (Jun 5, 2004)

FormulatedFire said:


> he's in a 50g tank
> -87-83 degrees usually
> -60-65% humidity
> -repti bark/cypress mulch bedding
> ...


Thats a pretty big tank for a bp, he might be kinda stressed.
87 might be a little to warm, you want to keep your high temp around 84-85
Your humidity is the same as mine, I only have repti bark as my bedding.

also was your snake captive bred or wild caught?


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## Feeder_Phish (Apr 15, 2005)

FormulatedFire said:


> he's in a 50g tank
> -87-83 degrees usually
> -60-65% humidity
> -repti bark/cypress mulch bedding
> ...


does he have any hides???????because that could be the cause he doesnt feel "secure" enough thats why people with snake racks rarely have this problem.


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## FormulatedFire (Jan 3, 2005)

Thats a pretty big tank for a bp, he might be kinda stressed.
87 might be a little to warm, you want to keep your high temp around 84-85
Your humidity is the same as mine, I only have repti bark as my bedding.
also was your snake captive bred or wild caught?
[/quote]

the snake was captive bred

does he have any hides???????because that could be the cause he doesnt feel "secure" enough thats why people with snake racks rarely have this problem.
[/quote]

yea he's got a half log in the middle of the tank that he chills in most of the time


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## huntx7 (Nov 13, 2004)

Well, 50g is pretty big for him atm. But what I'd recommend doing is keeping that hide in the middle and placing one on both sides. If he doesn't eat after that it's completely normal.


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## rbp75 (May 2, 2004)

psychofish said:


> he's in a 50g tank
> -87-83 degrees usually
> -60-65% humidity
> -repti bark/cypress mulch bedding
> ...


Thats a pretty big tank for a bp, he might be kinda stressed.
87 might be a little to warm, you want to keep your high temp around 84-85
Your humidity is the same as mine, I only have repti bark as my bedding.

also was your snake captive bred or wild caught?
[/quote]

As long as you give enough hiding caves in different areas of the cage there can not be a cage that is too big, the bigger an enclosure the better.

I would put atleast one if not two more caves, one on each end and one in the middle so he can choose the temp he wants to "chill" in. Beyond that I wouldnt worry unless it has been atleast another 6 months.


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## Nethius (Feb 23, 2003)

if he's still pooping, then he's probably still digesting, give him time. How big is he?


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## Jack Herer (Sep 28, 2005)

in the wild the will fast during the winter season..so basically now...mine would all sop eating around november and restart again in feb...its normal for them..as long as they dont lose weight he will be fine...the longest any snake has lasted withought food was 22 months..so i dont ure alright for now.


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