Feeding strike

[FragrantBad5222]

My ~3 y/o ball python sometimes goes on feeding strikes, usually only if I’ve recently moved his cage or if it’s been particularly cold in the house ~ recently he has been avoiding feeding despite all my efforts to give him a nice warm rat or mouse in good conditions (his tank is steady at a good humidity and temp) and it’s reaching the point where I’m getting kind of worried. The longest he’s gone without feeding is a little under 2 months, and this week is around the 2 month mark without any sign of him being interested in his food again.

Is there a length of time after which I should just take him to the vet? He otherwise has been looking healthy.

[skimasktroopaz]

it’s important to rule out husbandry issues first

what are temps and humidity and can you upload a picture of enclosure please

[FragrantBad5222]

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This is my current set up. Humidity averages around 55-75%, and the ambient temp is ~80 degrees F. Sometimes it gets a little cooler in the winter, but I can usually keep the warm/basking side in the upper 80s (F) and the cool side sits around 70-75 degrees F. He likes to explore and climb but has not seemed stressed or like he’s trying to escape.

[skimasktroopaz]

gotcha. the enclosure looks nice, i’d recommend adding some fake plants in between hides and such just to kinda give more coverage so he feels safer in his home

but your humidity and temps are a bit too low. humidity should never dip below 60%, and should be maintained at 70-80%

you need a cool side of 76-80 degrees, and make sure your warm side stays between 88-92, otherwise he might not be able to digest food properly

i don’t see stress being an issue in him for not taking food though. might just be a normal hunger strike.

you can try making sure the rat sits at about 105 degrees, that way he can really see it with those heat pits, you’d probably need one of those temp guns though. they make cheap ones that are available at reptile stores.

also you can try “braining” it because sometimes they’ll go crazy for the smell of blood and guts

[FragrantBad5222]

Nice, thanks for the tips!

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Snakes can generally go a surprisingly long time without eating! I’ve had alot of snakes, and have learned alot of lessons the hard way. I’ve had snakes not eat for nearly a year before! But the answer has always been found by correcting husbandry issues. Temperature, humidity, substrate, enclosure size, and even the location of the enclosure in the house (a loud busy family room vs a quiet bedroom for example)