My Ball Python Won't Eat, Hasn't Eaten in Months (2024)

© 2019, Brandon Cornett | All rights reserved

Key points from this article:

• Ball pythons sometimes refuse to eat, and for a variety of reasons.
• Illness, stress, and improper cage setup are the most common causes.
• Like many snakes, ball pythons can go a long time without food.
• If your snake hasn't eaten for months, it's time for some troubleshooting.
• Try feeding at night, when the snake is more active.

"Help! My ball python won't eat any food that I offer it, and it hasn't eaten in months. What should I do?"

Judging by the emails I receive, this is one of the most common concerns among ball python keepers. There are two reasons for this.

• The first reason is that ball pythons (when compared to other pet snakes like corns and kings) can be a bit more finicky when it comes to eating.
• The second reason is that there's a lot of conflicting information on the internet regarding this subject. You read one website, and it says to do one thing. But somebody in a ball pythong forum says to do something else.

For example, one snake keeper might have a bad experience with a ball python that won't eat — possibly because the snake wasn't kept under the right conditions — and then they'll make a general statement like: "Ball pythons are hard to care for because they don't eat in captivity." These kinds of general assumptions have a way of spreading like wildfire across the Internet.

Let me offer a different view. I have kept several ball pythons in the past, along with various colubrid species and boas. And while the ball pythons can be a little less predictable with their eating habits, they do eat on a more-or-less regular basis.

Here's what it all comes down to:

When kept under the right conditions, a healthy ball python that occasionally refuses a meal will eventually eat a subsequent meal at a later date. Notice the two key parts of that last statement. You must have a healthy snake to begin with, and you must keep it under the proper conditions. When you have these two things going for you, the snake will eat eventually. You might have to go through some trial and error first (see below), but a healthy snake will eventually eat for you.

When Your Ball Python Won't Eat

That's Gretchen in the picture below. She's one of my female ball pythons, and she is probably the most finicky eater of the bunch. But as you can tell from the photo, she is in perfect health. Sure, there are times when she won't eat no matter what I do. And in the past, she has gone several months without eating. But as long as she's healthy, I've learned not to sweat it anymore.

If a ball python won't eat (and hasn't eaten for months), there are several possible causes:

• The snake is going into a shed cycle, or it's already in shed.
• The snake is suffering from some kind of illness.
• The cage conditions are wrong (too cold, too hot, too small, etc.)
• The snake is going though a regular seasonal fasting period.

For starters, you want to make sure you're providing the right conditions for your snake. And this is where some keepers go off course. Ball pythons like warmth and dark. They like to hide during the day and come out at night for food. If you have a healthy specimen, and you can duplicate these ideal conditions, your ball python should eat on a fairly regular basis.

But what about those times when the snake simply won't eat — no matter what you do? When it refuses every meal that you offer?

First of all, stay calm. This is a common scenario, and in many cases it is no cause for alarm. Sometimes ball pythons just stop eating. It might be due to a seasonal change that triggers a breeding response or a brumation type of behavior. (Even if you control the cage temperature to have the same temps year-round, your ball python could still experience seasonal changes in behavior.)

Feeding behavior can also change when a snake reaches sexual maturity. In ball pythons, this can happen when the snake reaches two years of age -- or even sooner for males. (That's just a rough guide. It can vary.) It's common for ball pythons to start refusing their meals when they reach sexual maturity, even if the snake has been a "good eater" leading up to that point.

But what about those cases when a ball python hasn't eaten in months, and won't eat any of the meals you offer? Now it's time for some troubleshooting. And I've created a checklist to help you through it...

What to Do When a Ball Python Refuses Food

Different snake keepers have different opinions on what to do when a ball python won't eat. So the troubleshooting steps below are not the only way to handle it. These are just the steps I recommend, based on more than 20 years' experience working with these snakes.

Note: Before going through these troubleshooting steps, consider the fact that ball pythons will sometimes fast through the winter. Not all of them do this, but some do. I have one that typically refuses meals for about two months out of the year, while the others basically eat year-round. Something to keep in mind!

So there you have it, a 10-step troubleshooting guide for a ball python that won't eat and hasn't eaten in weeks or months. Good luck!