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Q:
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Some eat, Some don't? 5/13 balls won't eat?
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Hello, My question is similar to another question about hunger strikes. I currently have 13 ball pythons, all are different sizes and ages, and 5 out of the 13 are refusing meals. They are all older, and have obviously eaten before, but I cannot get them to eat with me.
I am assuming this is because of breeding season, and the colder weather. Can this affect ball appetite? It is just confusing cause the other 8 balls eat great. So... I dunno!! I keep them around 90degrees, and 50-70 humidity. Should I separate boys from girls? No one is old enough to breed, but just incase maybe? I read through the other question about hunger striking, and some of it helped, I am just hoping I missed something and can get it fixed. Thanks! I am going to keep trying weekly until they eat!! Unless that is too often?
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Member Comment
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3/25/2010 10:49:31 PM
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shellboa
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I have 64 balls, they all have their own eating preferences. I just offer them and if they eat they eat if they don't they get another offer next week. Unless one starts to drastically lose weight I don't worry
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Author Comment
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3/25/2010 10:52:34 PM
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Behindblueyes21
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Thats what I keep hearing! I am going to just go with the flow... I am just worried about infections and such, which would be signaled by a big weight loss right?
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Member Comment
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3/25/2010 11:09:02 PM
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FyreFocks
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They fast for a couple different, but its hard to pin point what it might be if you house them together. My first suggestion would be to isolate each animal.
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Assisted Answer
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3/25/2010 11:26:44 PM
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Sonja K. Reptiles
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Snakes are solitary animals be nature - housing them together for a multitude of reasons is never a good idea. They could simply be not eating due to the stress of cohabitating.
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Member Comment
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3/25/2010 11:27:21 PM
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Accepted Answer
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3/26/2010 1:01:47 AM
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shellboa
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Missed the co-habitation part....all of mine are in racks singly. Co-habitating even for juviniles is stressful. Think of it like trying to eat in a restaurant booth with someone sitting on your lap. If room is an issue I recommend rack systems and building your own is not hard or you can try craigslist or local herp clubs to buy a finished one.
Drastic weight loss can be a sign of several things, disease, parasites, and infection most commonly. Stress can cause weight issues but it usually isn't a drastic loss just gradual from not eating.
Try seperating them for good and see if they eat better.
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Member Comment
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3/26/2010 4:08:27 AM
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abi21491
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Definitely separate them. After separation, wait a week and offer food. That might help.
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Assisted Answer
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3/26/2010 9:22:27 AM
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Cenobite
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Co-hab not a good idea. Mine are in racks and as soon as I moved them into it I saw a drastic change for the better almost immedietly. The only reason you see them grouped together in pet stores is because they do not have the room to house animals individually.
Like I said in the other post I've had one go 13 months without even striking at a meal. Shellboa is right. If they dont eat you just kinda have to get an attitude and be like "Oh yeah? To bad. You're not getting another one for 7 days". If they do it again repeat the process. Seperate, offer, repeat as neccesary. They will eat when they're hungry, they wont when they're not.
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Member Comment
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3/26/2010 10:10:12 PM
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OutkastBoa
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Have you tried braining the rat or mouse for them?
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Author Comment
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3/27/2010 1:26:32 AM
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Behindblueyes21
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I will separate them. I never feed them in the enclosure though, so I didn't think of them being stressed. I have had snakes that have lived together for years and they are good eaters, so I will try it, it just must be an individual snake personality thing.
I have not tried braining. I have heard about it many times, but have not tried it. I will have to give that a shot too. My younger snakes are almost always separated, but i was recently forced to downsize last minute, and I have not had the opportunity to re-separate the youngens.
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Member Comment
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3/28/2010 10:08:13 PM
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Mintsiez
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there probably just being picky balls mine is on a 70 day fast right now its annoying but they usaly eat eventually
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Member Comment
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4/1/2010 10:44:08 PM
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Nitram
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agree on seperation, didnt read all replies so i apologize if im repeating something already mentioned. even if you house male and females together there will be competition for hide box & heat source. maybe you have proper temps but one of the housemates isnt getting a piece of the heat action.
sometimes my bps wont eat
sometimes one does, the other doesnt. i had a boa that didnt like it when i switched her from mice to rats, she held back for 3 weeks but eventually took the pup. if its to the point they starve themselves and are looking emaciated from it then i'd be worried. if they just refuse to eat for a week or 2 thats perfectly fine.
think if you ate this morning, then come lunch time, ya dont feel like eating, its something like that (or at least how my weird mind interprets it =D)
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Member Comment
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4/2/2010 3:29:13 AM
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cheryl Todd
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Ball pythons can be difficult feeders if you don't pay attention to their warning signs. If you recently received them, knowing how their previous owner cared for them can save you and the snakes a lot of stress. First things first.... they all need their own home. There are far too many accidents waiting to happen if you are housing more than one ball per cage... They will not eat if they do not feel secure. They each need their own cage with nice tight hides to retreat to after eating. Some snakes do not do well being moved before or after a meal. There are other tricks you can use to teach your snake that your hand holds the food and is not the food. Try removing everything from the cage except their hide when offering food. Snakes are not stupid animals and can be taught to eat in their enclosures without becoming aggressive. I have 23 snakes and it takes time to learn your new friends personalities. Find out what their previous owner(s) fed them and try feeding them that. Snakes can go a long time without eating before they die (waiting until they are emaciated is not recommended, but if there is no noticeable weight loss you have time before getting too worried). If it has been a week, a month or even 3 months, it does not necessarily mean they are sick. However, if you recently purchased them, a vet visit is a good idea if you can take them to someone who works with reptiles. Good luck and keep me posted on your progress.
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Member Comment
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4/4/2010 6:37:54 PM
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MTDrew
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have you tried feeding at night, i have a spider ball, who will only eat a certain colour asf just after dusk, she also wont eat unless shes housed with a carboard hide, its taken me months to figure her out, all my other balls will eat a carrot if it twitches right.
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Member Comment
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4/7/2010 12:52:44 AM
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EbonayiasGirl
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Yeah, I've learned and heard that balls are picky and p.i.t.a. feeders/eatters. my boyfriend is having a battle with his oldest ball right now. He refuses to eat anything dead whether it's prekilled or frozen thawed. it was a b* n a half to get him on rats in the first place. took over 6 months. so I feel your frustration with feeding the balls. that's why my boyfriend feeds the balls and i feel the redtails ha ha. anyways, like stated before, if they aren't losing any body mass they are just fasting. my bf's older ball will eat 3 weeks in a row then go 3 months without eatting but poops normal and sheds a normal shed cycle. so don't stress :)
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Member Comment
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4/7/2010 3:19:23 PM
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Eligos
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I ran into this problem a few weeks ago after getting a new ball from a breeder. They fed all 25+ of their snakes in the same night so it smelt heavily of rat, hence the snakes got hungry. he didn't eat for over a month, but i ended up buying a live mouse and letting it live in an enclosure near by. At the beginning of the day i put the Mouse's cage right next to the ball's cage, and by the time i got home it took 3 seconds for the ball to get hungry and eat a frozen/thawed mouse i had prepared. Just a suggestion, as people stated above they can be super picky.. or they can be like my other one and want to eat as much as possbile.
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Member Comment
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1/20/2011 9:48:51 AM
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abi21491
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This question has had no activity for 14 days and will be closed by an administrator unless the original poster takes action. Recommended Action: Points awarded An administrator will select responses and assign points at their discretion. Original poster, please close this question out and assign points. If you have any further information in the resolution of your problem, please post it here so that others may learn from it.
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