Thank GOD! Somewhere I can ask questions and maybe help someone else one day!
My ball python hasn't eaten in two weeks. I've had him for a year and he's eaten one large mouse each week. This is the first time he's gone two weeks now with no interest.
He shed 3½ weeks ago, so that's not the issue. He even eats when he's shedding.
He eats live mice, not dead ones.
Last night I put a mouse in his tank, making sure the mouse didn't bite him, and left him. For sure the mouse wasn't a biter. I feel asleep. I awoke this morning and no sign of mouse or snake. I gently lifted his 'rock' and low and behold, they were sleeping together! What the heck??? Now they camp together??
I'm worried, but not too, too worried since my snake 'seems' ok and not lathargic or sunkin' in. He's still got his healthy plumpness and color.
Has anyone else dealt with this?

I waited until I was 45 then FINALLY I got the animal I wanted and the tattoo I've been putting off for 25 years. If anything happened to Simon (my snake) I would be so heartbroken. I love him so much.

Any help would be much appreciated!!!

Kim

It is typical for ball pythons after the first year or two, ( depending on when winter falls in your area,) to stop eating even till spring in some cases. As long as it still holds it's relative body weight and doesn't have any other major health problems, I.E. mites, etc. it will resume eating soon.
A word of advice though, a common misconseption is that you can feed meat eating reptiles in their cages that they live in, DO NOT DO THIS!! As I'm sure you know, reptiles "hunt" by body heat and if you feed them in their living quarters, they will get used to seing body heat when it's time to eat... your hand gives off heat! You should feed them in a separate container to let them know that everytime you reach in the cage it's not just time to eat, it's time to get out of the cage.
If you have anymore questions or anything at all, let me know!!

Try giving it another mouse. This seems odd but I hve herd of snakes that wont eat one mouse, they will live with it, sleep with it, and be buddy buddy with it. as soon as a new one is put in they eat that one but keep the other guy around.

Just noticed this is 8 months old. Im a bit shocked it went that long with out any kind of answer.

How is the snake? what happend with him and the mouse?

HEY I feel for ya. One of my BP's went four months with out eating and I was being told they can go off feed for over a year. Mine finally started eating and like a hog. But after that I decided Bp's were to nerve racking for me. At the time I had 7 other domestic snakes and they all ate great so the bp really bewildered me. Since then I've stayed mainly towards my Rats, there awesome lil critters for pets.

First off, never leave a live rodent in the cage with your snake over night! This can be very dangerous. I too use live food, but never leave the rodent in the enclosure for more than an hour. If it's not eaten, remove it. There are several reasons your snake may not be eating. First off, you are doing the right thing by feeding rodents. Ball pythons can not properly digest birds or other reptiles, only mammals. You may want to consider feeding at night. They are nocturnal by nature and eat better at night. This may mean an hour loss of sleep for you, but better health and digestion for your snake. Another thing to consider is nutritional deficiency. What are you feeding the mice? I suggest breeding your own mice, not using the ones from pet stores. These are sickly, undernourished rodents. A simple 20 gallon tank with screen lid will do the trick. Feed a very high quality food and use supplements for mice. I recomend adding a reptile calcium and vitamin supplement into their water. That way, when eaten, they will be packed full of nutrition! How often do you feed your snake? Some people will tell you to feed adult snakes only every 2-3 weeks. NO! NO! NO! Feed once a week. Yes, your snake will most likely grow to be it's maximum size, which is only about 5 feet for a ball python, but he/she will also be healthier. If your snake does not eat its weekly meal, remove the mouse and try again in three days. If the snake still refuses to eat, try again in two days and this time gutload the mouse with reptile vitamin. This can be done by mixing powdered reptile vitamins with water and feeding the mouse with an eye dropper. Use a 50/50 mix of vitamins and water. Most rodents will bite down on something if it is being constantly stuck in their face. Once the mouse bites down, give a good squeeze on the eye dropper. Not too hard, but enough to get at least a few drops in. About one eye dropper full should do it. If the snake still isn't eating, try again the following day. This time gutload the mouse with a mixture of reptile vitamins, calcium, and probiotics. After all this, if your snake still isn't eating, see a reptile vet because something is probably wrong. Another thing you may want to consider is that the cage may be too small. The bigger the better! Make sure there is adequate humidity, around 60%, and keep a basking spot of 85-90 degrees. Good luck!

Also wanted to add that you do not need to feed the snake in a seperate enclosure. This is a myth. Pythons and boas use smell more than they use heat sensing. Plus, humans are way too big of prey for almost any snake! The only time a snake will ever attack a human being is if they are literally starving! A well fed snake is a great pet. My python is about 13 feet long and well over 100 pounds and has never once bit me! He does not see me as prey. Even though he is large enough to kill me. At 117 pounds I am too large to swallow. Captive bred snakes do not see humans as food sources anyway. Like I said, the only time a snake will attack a human is if they are starving. Although, some will bite and draw blood, but only if they feel threatened. I have a gorgeous Guyana Red Tail Boa, and he has never once bit a human, especially me! He is extremely friendly and will comes when called. Every time I go near his cage he will come up to see me. If given the chance snakes make amazing, affectionate pets. His name is Bo, and he is just like a big puppy! He'll snuggle up and watch television with me. I've fallen asleep with him drapped around my shoulders and curled around my neck. To be honest, I'm more afraid of bigfoot than I am of him constricting me! lol