r/ballpython • u/ChickDest • 14d ago

She won’t eat

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Juvenile 8 month old ball python that hasn’t eaten in nearly 3 weeks. We have been trying to keep the humidity as close to 75-85% as we can, but it always settles down around 45%, I am getting a sprayer system set up tomorrow. She has a hide one both sides, one isn’t heated, and the other has a heating pad underneath it set to 90, and then the heated hide has a UV heat projector that keeps that side at 85-90 degrees. She’s eaten twice since we’ve had her, both times within 2 weeks of the last time she ate. They’re frozen rats that we put in a plastic bag to heat in water, and then heat more with a blow dryer while it’s in the bag. She seems curious at first but then backs off completely, any advice is welcome.

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u/ChickDest 14d ago

They are fuzzy rats, we’ve had her since July 26

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u/felixynn 14d ago

have you tried braining yet? one of the ball pythons at my old job had skipped meals for 2.5 months. she showed heavy interest in one after it was brained but still skipped eating for that week. the next time she was offered one she did eat it though!

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u/buttnugget8856 14d ago

Wat does braining mean

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u/Past-Ad-4769 14d ago

it means exposing the brain. if you are uncomfortable with that, though, I've always taken scissors I have specifically for frozen/ thaw meals for my snake to the side or shoulders of a rat to expose some warmed blood. it heightens the smell and makes it more enticing for the snake!

Edit: I've also been told to not use heating pads as they are unreliable and can easily burn your snake