BP won't eat

Wolfus_305 · 11-15-08, 03:55 PM

Hi there,
I recently purchased a 6 year old BP. He ate about a week before I got him and he hasn't eaten since . That was September 17th-ish. It took until mid October for him to start moving around. He shed before I got him. He is still in his original habitat. He has a UV light along the back of his tank and a red heat light on the right side of his habitat. I didnt' handle him until two weeks ago after I talked to his previous owner and asked if it would be alright since he hasn't eaten. I watched him for a while in the dark after I placed the rat how his previous owner told me to. He would go up to it then shy away, go up to it, open his mouth...shy away. So I thought ok maybe I got the wrong size rat even though I'm sure his previous owner said "large". I went and got medium rats. He did the same thing. He has been drinking and I don't think that he's losing any weight. He has a plastic container that has moist peat moss in it and he goes in there occasionally. He's on the substrate that his previous owner gave me when I bought him. He also has a couple of fake plants in his habitat. His eyes have been cloudy off and on. They were cloudy about a week and a half ago for a couple days then they looked clear and now they look cloudy again.
If anybody has any advice on how to get him to eat or any other care instructions please let me know.
Thanks
Kenny

**Aaron_S** · 11-16-08, 07:00 AM

That's quite a predictament.

First, a lot of ball pythons will stop eating around this time of year. It's natural for them to do so. Don't worry about it too much.

Secondly, can you get us the temperatures on the hot side and the cool side of the enclosure and your humidity level? If the snake is going through cloudy periods and you don't see the snake shedding, means it could be trying to and it's having a difficult time. The shed needs to come off.

Pancho Madera · 11-16-08, 12:37 PM

I've just posted a similar question about my Hog Island Boa, so I'd also be interested to hear if HIBs take a feeding break around now.

I''d also like to thank Aaron S for responding so well to various questions on this site. Thanks Aaron, I'll have to try and catch up with you in TO sometime.

Saludos de Pancho

peterm15 · 11-16-08, 08:29 PM

more info is needed. temps humidity ect
do you have 2 caves one cold one hot.
what size tank.
as much info as possible.

aron is right balls stop eating this time of year. and 1 month is nothing. one of my females only eats once a month. if she eats once a week shell eat for 2 months and then go on a year long strike. is he on live pk of ft

the most common problem people have with balls is humidity. make sure its correct.

recent studies have noted barametric pressure being related to balls eating or not. some of my good friends have been taking there balls for a ride in a car. just in a bag in the passanger seat. the change in pressure may jump start their feeding

Wolfus_305 · 11-17-08, 06:53 AM

Thanks everybody for your helpful information. When I get home from school I'll get you the other information that you need. I just wanted to let you know that he has bits of all his shed skin all over his tank which is 4' x 2' x 2'. He has hot and cold hides, water dish, fake plants, shelves along the sides of his tank which his previous owner made into fake rocks. He also has a box of moist peat moss and a branch.
Kenny

**Aaron_S** · 11-17-08, 11:06 AM

Be sure to change the peat moss for fresh, new moss every two to three weeks.

Check all bits of the shed skin for his head piece and ensure that the eye caps came off. You should spray the enclosure daily, as it's fairly large and if he's having shed problems then the humidity isn't high enough.

citysnakes · 11-20-08, 09:37 AM

hey Wolfus, you said that the snake is still in his original habitat but what if the conditions of his original habitat are incorrect?

obviously because of his recent bad shed the humidity is too low. you havent told us the temperatures and if they are incorrect this may be a reason why the snake is is not eating. i dont know how often you handle him but i would suggest not to handle him until he starts consitently eating for you.

get a digital thermometer and try to get his warm side around 88-92 and his cool side around 80-82. make sure he has two identical hides, one on the warm end and one on the cool end of his enclosure. try to get that humidity up by covering up 2/3 of your screen lid with plastic wrap(if youre using a tank), keep the substrate a little damp but not wet and mist once every few days if needed. this worked for me when i used tanks. you may have to teak things a little but it could be a good start.

also check out a few caresheets and if you have any more questions ask away. i have a caresheet for BPs on my website if youre interested.

anyways hope this helps and that your BP starts eating for you.

Wolfus_305 · 11-23-08, 08:04 PM

Sorry for the slow reply my computer hates me.
His tank doesn't have any screen. His previous owner hand built it. it's made of wood and has a removable wood top and sliding glass "doors" in the front. His UV light is along the back wall of the tank and his red heat lamp is on the right in a little metal cage so he can't rub up against it. If i can this week i'll try to post a picture or two of the enclosure. The temps of his hot and cool sides are consistent with what you said to try to keep them as. Along the inside 3 walls of his tank is fake rock. he has some fake rock shelves and a fake rock hide on either end of his tank. I didn't re-arrange anything when I bought him. I've put in a bigger water dish to try to help with humidty and most of the substrate is a tiny bit damp. He finished his shed just this weekend. No eye caps and it doesn't look like there are any other complications. He's active and he's been drinking his water still. I watched him eat before I bought him. Lately I haven't been handeling him for a few reasons: the cloudy periods he was going through... then the shedding and now because he hasn't eaten. I'll probably try to feed him again next on Saturday because he likes to eat around 11:30 - midnight according to his prevous owner. (that is when she fed him when I was there).
thank you for all your help.
Kenny

Wolfus_305 · 11-24-08, 06:32 PM

I have added a picture of his habitat to my gallery. Comments are welcome.
Thanks
Kenny