How long does shedding put off feeding?

SkYyaMe1623 · 09-08-11, 10:22 AM

How long will the shedding process typically put a snake off feed? I ask becuase my ball python hasnt eaten for over two weeks now and he seems to spend most of the night wandering and I think he is overdue for a shed.

It's pretty frustrating because I've never had any snake refuse a meal before this ball python and I wanted to see if this behavior was normal.

Thanks!

SnakeyJay · 09-08-11, 10:35 AM

Depends on the individual snake. Some will eat all through shedding, some wont. Usually straight after a shed theyre ravenous

... You sure its a shed and not a different issue? Goodluck

SkYyaMe1623 · 09-08-11, 11:09 AM

I understand that some snakes don't eat while in shed but the question is weather or not it's typical for a shedding process to throw a snake off feed for weeks!?

SnakeyJay · 09-08-11, 11:30 AM

For weeks!! sorry didnt realise what u were getting at. I havnt experienced what your saying personally, but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen or isnt normal. Hopefully someone else can help.

Gungirl · 09-08-11, 11:34 AM

My Bp will refuse to eat while in shed and then for 2 weeks after. Idk why but thats what he has done the last few times. After that 2 week period of time he goes back to wanting his food.

infernalis · 09-08-11, 11:37 AM

Ball pythons can and will commonly turn down food, sometimes for more than just a couple weeks..

TalonNC · 09-08-11, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakey-Jay-BRB

Depends on the individual snake. Some will eat all through shedding, some wont. Usually straight after a shed theyre ravenous

... You sure its a shed and not a different issue? Goodluck

I just experienced the ravenous after shed for the first time...i put my hand in to change Goldie's water and he looked like he wanted to chew my arm off....good thing i had an extra mouse on stand by....

SkYyaMe1623 · 09-08-11, 06:47 PM

Thanks for the help hopefully he wil shed soon and eat.

TeaNinja · 09-08-11, 06:53 PM

many snakes don't eat during the shedding process. my BP and female dumerils are both amazing eaters, but they both refuse food during a shed.

SkYyaMe1623 · 09-08-11, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeaNinja

many snakes don't eat during the shedding process. my BP and female dumerils are both amazing eaters, but they both refuse food during a shed.

How long are they off feed for from a shed!?!?!

TeaNinja · 09-08-11, 07:08 PM

depends on a lot of things i'd say. how old/big is the snake? the bigger/older the snake, the slower the overall metabolism and shed process. my almost 6' male dum sheds in roughly twice the time my younger 3'ish dumerils does. also it depends when they had their last meal. if they ate then went into shed the NEXT day, they probably won't need a meal for a week or two. my female dumerils is seemingly ALWAYS hungry, so as soon as she shed the other day she was looking at me like dinner again so i knew it was time to feed her.

TeaNinja · 09-08-11, 08:56 PM

lol, speaking of my female dumerils being hungry

i got some f/t today because i knew they were hungry and i just looked in her tank and she was totally in her hide with just her tail sticking out. i lifted the top off the cage and turned to look back about 1 second later and she was COMPLETELY stretching out of the hide looking at me like dinner lol. i waved the f/t in her face and she snatched it up like a pig.

my male dums 4x2x2 viv has a light fixture on the roof of the inside so it keeps a little patch of wood on the top of the viv nice and warm, so i've started thawing my f/t on that. works nicely. my bp came out of his hide within like 30 seconds to strike his f/t also lol. i always just leave the food for my male dum and my BP in their vivs but the female dum is always hungry so she will snatch prey out of my hands when i hold it by the tail.