Off feed, extremely active. Need suggestions please.

[kiiarah]

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I posted because everything has been smooth sailing for the last few months but I have encountered a new strange issue. My male ball python, Shesha, has always been a great feeder. He has never refused a meal until two weeks ago and we are now at two refusals in a row. The only thing that has changed in his tank is that I gave him some larger hides, as he seemed to have outgrown his old ones. I can't imagine that this is the reason for the refusal because the first week that he had the new hides he ate just fine. Either way I have put the darker, more snug hides back in the tank just now, in case he was feeling vulnerable with the larger ones. The first week after he refused I waited five days and tried again, he showed no interest at all. In fact, all he wanted to do was climb up my arm. I couldn't even wiggle the rat for him because he was going straight to the top of my hand to come out. This is the other problem, he will not stay on the floor of the tank long enough to dance the rat around or attempt to get him to notice that there is food. As soon as he realizes his lid is off he is up the wall and over the top to come out. I did try just setting the rat in the tank and leaving it there in hopes he would eat it but every time I checked on him he was just climbing his plants, his branches, anything he could use to get up to the lid and poke his nose around the vents. After about 4 hours of the room being dark and quiet and the rat still not being eaten I gave up and took it out and tossed it.

I think I have ruled out problems in the tank. It is clean, the ambient temps are 80 degrees on average, the hot hide is at 90 degrees on the glass and the heat mat is regulated via thermostat. His humidity is maintained at 50% though it does sometimes drop to 45% or rise to 60% after misting. He has two identical hides and plants for cover. This set up has been fine for him and he doesn't spend all his time wandering the tank. He seems perfectly content to sit curled in his hide until he sees me come into the room, or worse yet if I do anything in the tank, like remove the water bowl to clean it. If he so much as notices anything going on he is out and slithering around the tank for the next hour. I can't seem to figure out what is behind the behavior change since he never used to explore the tank nearly this much and it really does seem to be part of the reason he isn't interested in food. He is just too busy trying to get out as soon as I open the lid and pays no attention to the rat. By the time he settles down the rat has cooled. If I open the lid again to take the rat out and warm it up again we start the whole wandering process over. I know it isn't uncommon for ball pythons to go on feeding strikes, but I would really like to understand what is behind it. His last weight after his meal two weeks ago was 469 grams, he now weighs 445 grams. He shows no signs of RI, I feel no lumps around his vent, and he is not preparing to shed. He is 7.5 months old. Any suggestions would sure help me sleep easier. Thank you guys!!