hex a holik
07-17-2008, 07:15 PM
hey guys.
i have a 3-4 yr old male ball python named Syanide. we adopted him a few years ago from some one who didnt want him anymore. when we got him he was a very good eater, but he will only eat lives.
since october of last year, he has started to refuse anything we give him, some times striking at US (which he has never done,) out of aggravation or anger. occasionally he will eat, but only one live mouse. we used to give him 3 or 4 at a time and he would kill them all at once and then eat them one after another.
now he has always stopped eating for a month or 2 during breeding season, tho we have never tried to breed him. so last yr when he stopped eating, it wasnt a concern, but now almost a yr later, he is very skinny. like i said he eats just enought to to keep a little meat on his bones. he used to be a big fatty. now i can see and feel his backbone and his skin is loose on him.
his temps are: hotspot 92 f cool spot 82-84 which is also room temp. the humidity is 55-65% in the room. he sheds reguarly, once about every 2 months, some times sooner sometimes longer, and always a full shed,
when food is not involved, he is still very friendly and doesnt strike at us.
we have had snakes before that have had periods of time where they didnt eat, and we dropped their temps for a week or 2 and then brought them back to normal and the snakes started to eat again, but w/ Syanide, nothing seems to work.
if anyone has any ideas of what is going on w/ him , or something we can do before we try to force feed him, which i HATE doing. its been almost 10 weeks since he ate last.
thanx
-kristin-
i have a 3-4 yr old male ball python named Syanide. we adopted him a few years ago from some one who didnt want him anymore. when we got him he was a very good eater, but he will only eat lives.
since october of last year, he has started to refuse anything we give him, some times striking at US (which he has never done,) out of aggravation or anger. occasionally he will eat, but only one live mouse. we used to give him 3 or 4 at a time and he would kill them all at once and then eat them one after another.
now he has always stopped eating for a month or 2 during breeding season, tho we have never tried to breed him. so last yr when he stopped eating, it wasnt a concern, but now almost a yr later, he is very skinny. like i said he eats just enought to to keep a little meat on his bones. he used to be a big fatty. now i can see and feel his backbone and his skin is loose on him.
his temps are: hotspot 92 f cool spot 82-84 which is also room temp. the humidity is 55-65% in the room. he sheds reguarly, once about every 2 months, some times sooner sometimes longer, and always a full shed,
when food is not involved, he is still very friendly and doesnt strike at us.
we have had snakes before that have had periods of time where they didnt eat, and we dropped their temps for a week or 2 and then brought them back to normal and the snakes started to eat again, but w/ Syanide, nothing seems to work.
if anyone has any ideas of what is going on w/ him , or something we can do before we try to force feed him, which i HATE doing. its been almost 10 weeks since he ate last.
thanx
-kristin-