{"id":84130,"date":"2022-04-22T12:00:53","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/"},"modified":"2022-04-22T12:00:54","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:00:54","slug":"why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is my ball python not interested in food?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_ball_python_not_interested_in_food\" title=\"Why is my ball python not interested in food?\">Why is my ball python not interested in food?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_snake_not_striking_at_its_food\" title=\"Why is my snake not striking at its food?\">Why is my snake not striking at its food?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_do_I_get_my_stubborn_ball_python_to_eat\" title=\"How do I get my stubborn ball python to eat?\">How do I get my stubborn ball python to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#What_do_you_do_when_your_ball_python_wont_eat\" title=\"What do you do when your ball python won&#8217;t eat?\">What do you do when your ball python won&#8217;t eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_do_I_convince_my_ball_python_to_eat\" title=\"How do I convince my ball python to eat?\">How do I convince my ball python to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_ball_python_scared_of_its_food\" title=\"Why is my ball python scared of its food?\">Why is my ball python scared of its food?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_snake_not_interested_in_food\" title=\"Why is my snake not interested in food?\">Why is my snake not interested in food?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_snake_acting_hungry_but_wont_eat\" title=\"Why is my snake acting hungry but won&#8217;t eat?\">Why is my snake acting hungry but won&#8217;t eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_do_you_entice_a_snake_to_eat\" title=\"How do you entice a snake to eat?\">How do you entice a snake to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_do_you_feed_a_stubborn_ball_python\" title=\"How do you feed a stubborn ball python?\">How do you feed a stubborn ball python?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#Why_is_my_ball_python_not_eating\" title=\"Why is my ball python not eating?\">Why is my ball python not eating?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_Long_Can_ball_pythons_go_without_eating\" title=\"How Long Can ball pythons go without eating?\">How Long Can ball pythons go without eating?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#What_do_I_do_if_my_ball_python_wont_eat\" title=\"What do I do if my ball python won&#8217;t eat?\">What do I do if my ball python won&#8217;t eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_do_you_get_a_scared_snake_to_eat\" title=\"How do you get a scared snake to eat?\">How do you get a scared snake to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#How_can_I_encourage_my_snake_to_eat\" title=\"How can I encourage my snake to eat?\">How can I encourage my snake to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#What_do_you_do_if_your_snake_doesnt_want_to_eat\" title=\"What do you do if your snake doesn&#8217;t want to eat?\">What do you do if your snake doesn&#8217;t want to eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/why-is-my-ball-python-not-interested-in-food\/#When_should_I_worry_about_my_snake_not_eating\" title=\"When should I worry about my snake not eating?\">When should I worry about my snake not eating?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_ball_python_not_interested_in_food\"><\/span>Why is my ball python not interested in food?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Stress is probably the most common reason why a ball python won&#8217;t eat, since many situations can stress out your snake. Your pet may be feeling especially stressed if you just brought them home, changed their terrarium, or took them on a trip.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_snake_not_striking_at_its_food\"><\/span>Why is my snake not striking at its food?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They can be very picky eaters, and they are notably skittish, and it is fairly normal for them to fast for months at a time. However, when a snake strikes at food in a predatory fashion (as opposed to a defensive fashion), but then will not eat the food item, it <b>most likely is due to being too cold<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_get_my_stubborn_ball_python_to_eat\"><\/span>How do I get my stubborn ball python to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes snakes show a lot of interest in the food being presented, but don&#8217;t eat. This usually means <b>we aren&#8217;t giving them what they want. Wether it be mice or rats, frozen or thawed, or any number of other items that may fall in the spectrum of snake prey such as lizards or birds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_you_do_when_your_ball_python_wont_eat\"><\/span>What do you do when your ball python won&#8217;t eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your ball still doesn&#8217;t eat, try <b>cutting the pre-killed prey open to expose the blood and entice your snake with the scent. Using long tongs, hemostats, or feeding forceps to dangle and wiggle the food in front of your snake can also be helpful, especially if your ball prefers eating live prey.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_convince_my_ball_python_to_eat\"><\/span>How do I convince my ball python to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A snake will often not eat if it is in an inappropriate environment. This can be due to various factors, but is usually from <b>the cage being the wrong temperature or the wrong humidity level. Snakes also need to have a temperature gradient in their cage (different temperatures on either side of their enclosure).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_ball_python_scared_of_its_food\"><\/span>Why is my ball python scared of its food?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes snakes show a lot of interest in the food being presented, but don&#8217;t eat. This usually means <b>we aren&#8217;t giving them what they want. Wether it be mice or rats, frozen or thawed, or any number of other items that may fall in the spectrum of snake prey such as lizards or birds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_snake_not_interested_in_food\"><\/span>Why is my snake not interested in food?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Refusing to eat is a signal that your snake is stressed. It should come as no surprise that snakes are routine animals and don&#8217;t like change so very much. If your snake has just been brought to his new home and is not eating, there are very high chances that your snake is refusing food due to the stress of moving.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_snake_acting_hungry_but_wont_eat\"><\/span>Why is my snake acting hungry but won&#8217;t eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Stress is probably the most common reason why a ball python won&#8217;t eat, since many situations can stress out your snake. Your pet may be feeling especially stressed if you just brought them home, changed their terrarium, or took them on a trip.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_entice_a_snake_to_eat\"><\/span>How do you entice a snake to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes snakes show a lot of interest in the food being presented, but don&#8217;t eat. This usually means <b>we aren&#8217;t giving them what they want. Wether it be mice or rats, frozen or thawed, or any number of other items that may fall in the spectrum of snake prey such as lizards or birds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_feed_a_stubborn_ball_python\"><\/span>How do you feed a stubborn ball python?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Stress is probably the most common reason why a ball python won&#8217;t eat, since many situations can stress out your snake. Your pet may be feeling especially stressed if you just brought them home, changed their terrarium, or took them on a trip.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_my_ball_python_not_eating\"><\/span>Why is my ball python not eating?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Wiggle the prey near them until they become interested. Try feeding them during nighttime hours or with the lights off. Don&#8217;t take them out of their enclosure or even their hiding spot to feed them. Leave them overnight in a paper bag, in their enclosure, with the pre-killed prey item.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Long_Can_ball_pythons_go_without_eating\"><\/span>How Long Can ball pythons go without eating?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>6 months<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_I_do_if_my_ball_python_wont_eat\"><\/span>What do I do if my ball python won&#8217;t eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Wiggle the prey near them until they become interested. Try feeding them during nighttime hours or with the lights off. Don&#8217;t take them out of their enclosure or even their hiding spot to feed them. Leave them overnight in a paper bag, in their enclosure, with the pre-killed prey item.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_you_get_a_scared_snake_to_eat\"><\/span>How do you get a scared snake to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Stress is probably the most common reason why a ball python won&#8217;t eat, since many situations can stress out your snake. Your pet may be feeling especially stressed if you just brought them home, changed their terrarium, or took them on a trip.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_I_encourage_my_snake_to_eat\"><\/span>How can I encourage my snake to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes snakes show a lot of interest in the food being presented, but don&#8217;t eat. This usually means <b>we aren&#8217;t giving them what they want. Wether it be mice or rats, frozen or thawed, or any number of other items that may fall in the spectrum of snake prey such as lizards or birds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_do_you_do_if_your_snake_doesnt_want_to_eat\"><\/span>What do you do if your snake doesn&#8217;t want to eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They can easily go months without eating. What is this? This means you don&#8217;t need to worry right away if your ball python refuses a few meals. However, <b>if they continue to refuse meals for several months or if they are showing other signs of illness, you should definitely consult with your veterinarian<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_should_I_worry_about_my_snake_not_eating\"><\/span>When should I worry about my snake not eating?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If your ball still doesn&#8217;t eat, try <b>cutting the pre-killed prey open to expose the blood and entice your snake with the scent. Using long tongs, hemostats, or feeding forceps to dangle and wiggle the food in front of your snake can also be helpful, especially if your ball prefers eating live prey.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Why is my ball python not interested in food?Why is my snake not striking at its food?How do I get my stubborn ball python to eat?What do you do when your ball python won&#8217;t eat?How do I convince my ball python to eat?Why is my ball python scared of its food?Why is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-84130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84130"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84130"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84130\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}