Why Won't My Ball Python Eat?

Does your snake exhibit any other symptoms like diarrhea, discolored scales, wheezing or “clicking” sounds when breathing, or oral or nasal discharge?

Is the basking area reaching 88-92°F, and the rest of the enclosure is not dropping lower than 75°F?

Does your ball python have ashy skin and milky eyes?

Did you changed your python's prey item?

Is winter coming soon?

Diseases and parasites are the most pressing reasons why your snake may not be eating. Intestinal parasites can cause your snake not to feel well or not gain weight. An annual fecal examination is recommended to screen your snake for a heavy burden of pinworms, coccidia, or other intestinal parasites that may need to be treated with dewormers. If your snake is displaying symptoms like diarrhea, discolored scales, wheezing or “clicking” sounds when breathing, or oral or nasal discharge, take them to a veterinarian straight away.

Being too cold is a common problem for many pet ball pythons, especially in the winter months. All cold-blooded animals, including ball pythons, need adequately high temperatures to digest. If it is too cold, their body and metabolism will begin to slow down. The basking area should reach 88-92°F, and the cold end of the enclosure should never get any lower than 75°F.

If your ball python is about to shed, then it won't be eating until it is all done getting rid of the old skin. Signs your snake is about to shed include an ashy appearance to their skin and milky eyes. Provide your snake with the proper humidity level and possibly soak it, so that it can shed comfortably.

Differences in prey will also cause a picky snake to stop eating. The smell, the size, whether the prey is alive, freshly killed, or frozen and then thawed, the kind of prey, and even the color of the prey can all determine whether or not your snake is going to take in his meal.

Many ball pythons have a sort of internal clock that tells them to stop eating when winter is approaching. In the wild, and with many captive keepers, they will go through a period called brumation, which is similar to hibernation. They will become inactive and stop eating for a few months. After brumation, most snakes will take at least a few meals, but some may begin fasting again as the breeding season commences.

Stress is an often-overlooked reason why snakes won't eat. New enclosures, other snakes in the enclosure, or too much handling can cause your ball python to get stressed out and not want to eat.