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stevo-d · 10-12-16, 04:28 PM

That him probably not going to eat now until may/June. Hopefully not.

SWDK · 10-12-16, 05:43 PM

7-8 months off food. That's quite a long time. Is that normal for this snake or do you purposely withhold feeding?

stevo-d · 10-12-16, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWDK

7-8 months off food. That's quite a long time. Is that normal for this snake or do you purposely withhold feeding?

I don't with hold food from him. He never ate for 7 months from Oct 15 till may 16. The year before it was Oct 14 until mar 15. I still offer him every week or 2 but always refuses. He is 6 years old and has does it every year. He eats when he's out of mating season. He doesn't drop much weight, well not to much to worry about. It's very common for royal pythons to do this and can give a lot of there owners heart attacks.

JellyBean · 10-12-16, 07:40 PM

How interesting! I've heard others talk about their snakes fasting. I don't know which types or for how long, but...

He's a pretty boy. Do you breed him?

Albert Clark · 10-12-16, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo-d

I don't with hold food from him. He never ate for 7 months from Oct 15 till may 16. The year before it was Oct 14 until mar 15. I still offer him every week or 2 but always refuses. He is 6 years old and has does it every year. He eats when he's out of mating season. He doesn't drop much weight, well not to much to worry about. It's very common for royal pythons to do this and can give a lot of there owners heart attacks.

It's actually not the norm for them. It happens with some and there are extremes in a few cases. What type of enclosure do you keep him in and what are the temps, ambient and hot side, humidity percentage, substrate? How are you heating the enclosure? A lot of problems with non feeding ball pythons can be traced back to inconsistencies in husbandry.

SWDK · 10-12-16, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo-d

I don't with hold food from him. He never ate for 7 months from Oct 15 till may 16. The year before it was Oct 14 until mar 15. I still offer him every week or 2 but always refuses. He is 6 years old and has does it every year. He eats when he's out of mating season. He doesn't drop much weight, well not to much to worry about. It's very common for royal pythons to do this and can give a lot of there owners heart attacks.

That's interesting that he consistently fasts for that length of time. Hope you didn't take offense to my previous post. It wasn't meant to come off as criticism.

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWDK

That's interesting that he consistently fasts for that length of time. Hope you didn't take offense to my previous post. It wasn't meant to come off as criticism.

I'm not offended buddy. It's what he does every year. It freaked me out the first year and the second year but got used to it after some research and patience.

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JellyBean

How interesting! I've heard others talk about their snakes fasting. I don't know which types or for how long, but...

He's a pretty boy. Do you breed him?

Don't breed him but I think that's what he needs. To empty his sack.

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

It's actually not the norm for them. It happens with some and there are extremes in a few cases. What type of enclosure do you keep him in and what are the temps, ambient and hot side, humidity percentage, substrate? How are you heating the enclosure? A lot of problems with non feeding ball pythons can be traced back to inconsistencies in husbandry.

He's in a 48x18x24. Coco brick and bark for substrate. Ceramic bulb and day bulb on a 12 hour cycle.warm side with a heat mat on a habitat set to 90f. Warm side 77 to 83f. Humidity goes from 60 to 80%. I've tried rats , mice multimamates, gerbils in the winter not interested at all. I keep husbandry the same all year round.

jay's reptiles · 10-13-16, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo-d

Don't breed him but I think that's what he needs. To empty his sack.

Sometimes us men just need to let it go!

XD

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo-d

He's in a 48x18x24. Coco brick and bark for substrate. Ceramic bulb and day bulb on a 12 hour cycle.warm side with a heat mat on a habitat set to 90f. Warm side 77 to 83f. Humidity goes from 60 to 80%. I've tried rats , mice multimamates, gerbils in the winter not interested at all. I keep husbandry the same all year round.

Cool side 77 to 83f not the warm side. I'll be a little more pacific. I always feed him at night as I work night shift so were both nocturnal. I tried different coloured rats ,mice, sizes nope didn't work. Tried braining the rat , tried paper bag with him and rat in it nope didn't work. Tried chicken broth, the tuna brine nope not interested. Tried day feeding, tried hiding the rat in his hide. Never ate it. Only thing I didn't try was force feeding or live prey. He has two large clay hides on both sides. Big water bowl aswell. He's always active at night ,not limp never any signs of an RI. He does it every year and loses about 200 to 300g. I handle him about twice every ten days no loud roads or foot traffic to stress him out. He's a happy python just doesn't eat in mating season. It's more norm than you think and is probably the most asked questions about royal/ball pythons.

Albert Clark · 10-13-16, 08:02 AM

Sounds quite on point. The fact that this animal is a adult and pretty set in his ways it may take longer to get him to accept food on a more routine basis. Did you say the thermostat was set to 92f? Are you offering any hides inside the enclosure? Has the animal ever been bred? The other thing I would suggest is for you to consider switching or at least adding a 100% cypress mulch product to the enclosure. Take the time to read this article by Colin Weaver of East Coast Reptile Breeders. " The enigmatic ball python appetite." The day bulb is really not necessary for a ball python. They dry out the air and reduce humidity although your humidity percentages are great.

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay's reptiles

Sometimes us men just need to let it go!

XD

Trust me I ken how he feels

stevo-d · 10-13-16, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Sounds quite on point. The fact that this animal is a adult and pretty set in his ways it may take longer to get him to accept food on a more routine basis. Did you say the thermostat was set to 92f? Are you offering any hides inside the enclosure? Has the animal ever been bred? The other thing I would suggest is for you to consider switching or at least adding a 100% cypress mulch product to the enclosure. Take the time to read this article by Colin Weaver of East Coast Reptile Breeders. " The enigmatic ball python appetite." The day bulb is really not necessary for a ball python. They dry out the air and reduce humidity although your humidity percentages are great.

The heat pad is set on a habistat at 90f. I have 2 exo terra large clay hides one on the warm and the other on the cool side. I use coco bricks and moist bark for his substrate. After about 2 weeks the coco brick starts to dry up I'll spray the tankle 2 times a day morning and night. And after 4 to 5 weeks when the coco bricks like dry dirt I'll change and clean his viv. He gets a bath twice a month as well . Loves them. I'll give that colin a wee watch. Always interesting to learn more. I use the day bulb just to bump up heat as if I don't the cool side drops to about 69 to 73f.