I just recently switched Dexter from just paper towels on the bottom of his tank to using a wood chip substrate in an effort to increase the humidity in his tank.

But I'm not sure if I can feed him on the substrate or am I going to have to start using a separate feed box?

Dex is approximately 3 years old, 4 feet in length. He eats frozen/thawed.

I've had him for a little over a year now. For MOST of that time, he was an excellent eater. Ate once a week to once every 10 days (once I moved him up to small/medium rats).

But he's been on a bit of a hunger strike since September (he's only eaten once in that time). I'm told this is normal for ball pythons because they go into mating mode? So while I've done my usual neurotic panicking, I haven't completely lost it.

But I've still been offering food ever other week. This weekend was when I should have offered food again, but I didn't because I'm not sure what to do about the whole substrate issue. Do I need to put him in a separate container to try and eat? OR can he eat on the substrate without a problem?

This, of course, is assuming he'll even attempt to eat.

I think this whole mating season thing is almost over, right? Once it IS over, should I offer extra food for awhile or just normal?

Feeding on a wood chip substrate poses a risk of the material being accidently swallowed and causing an impaction. It would be best if you remove the snake to a feeding tub or other safer location. You may still have a couple of months to go! My male usually starts back to feeding about March or April.
At that time I just resume the normal feeding scedule

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Seriously??? A couple MONTHS yet? OK, so if he started going on a hunger strike in September/October and may not eat again until....say...March....that means that for HALF the year, he doesn't eat!!???

Is there some secret to avoid this? What if I get him a girl next year? If he gets to mate, would he start eating again? I thought human teenage boys were bad......)

Now, I usually put the thawed/warmed rat in with him and leave it there overnight. Should I just remove the substrate and feed him in his normal enclosure or should I put him in a.....big tote box with holes in the lid? I hate the thought of him being stuck in that all night.

i would say if it were a larger animal like a burm or a larger boa you could keep feeding him in his enclosure, but since ball pythons get no where near that size i'd say you can feed him outside his enclosure in a seperate bin. it can be anything from an extra tank you have handy to a sweater box or rubbermaid bin. i don't have ball pythons but all three of my snakes get moved to seperate containers. it helps so they don't ingest their bedding or associate my hand going in with them getting food and striking.

also, my rosy boa goes off food for the winter as well. this year he went off around July and hasn't started eating again yet. usually he starts again around january or february. he has not eaten once since going off food so I know how you feel about a snake going that long.

i don't think it can be avoided. for the 3 years i've had my boa he has done the same thing each year. he has been with a female once before he came to me but the previous owner said he still went off food.

if you are going to be leaving your snake overnight in a container i'd find a way to heat it if you are able, and to make sure he has no way of getting out and loose. though you can also wait a couple weeks before trying again, he might be hungry then and just not now. a few more weeks will not hurt him, many snakes can go months without eating. you shouldn't be worried unless he is losing a considerable amount of weight or if he seems to be ill. good luck!

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yes i am a she ^_^

~My Babies~

1 Rosy Boa (male) Chaos
1 Snow Corn (male) Blizzard
1 Anertherystic Corn (male) Bullet
1 Senegal Parrot (male) Shadow
2 dogs (male) Spot and Bear

It's just one of the quirks in life with a ball python! My male goes off feed about November and back on about March or April and shows no sign of wear.
And He lives with a female who, up until this year, never missed a meal.
I have tried warmer temperatures and longer light periods and nothing mattered. He went back to feeding when he decided to.
Males seem to be more inclined to fast.
Look at it this way,...you save money on feeders.

As for feeding in the tote. Most snakes, if they don't take the food in 30 minutes are not going to take it at all.
That way the snake will not be left in the tote overnight

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

That makes sense, though. I mean balls are native to parts of africa. They go through severe seasonal changes where food is plentiful, then all but non-existant. They'd have to have some mechanism for storing up food. Once it has enough to sustain it for awhile, it would stop eating because it would not need anything more.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

Stated perfectly. Females and young animals (under 1 year) tend not to fast as often or for so long as males. I know right away if my snakes going to eat or not. It's hard to see past the total disinterested look of I'd rather be out of this box than, oh, food!

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