What is wrong with my ball python?

Question

I just got back from the vet and he says she looks fine but I need to heat her tank up more so she can eat because she is too skinny. Well it all started this morning when she wouldnt really move as much as she usually does and so I called a vet that I heard was the best around here and after I got her checked out and bought an under tank heater I put her in her tank and set her where the heater was placed to warm her up and just now I looked over at her and she was twisting her body kind of like she was killing prey and she just kind of stopped. I opened the tank and touched her to see if she was alive and she moved but it scared me. Does anyone know why she would do that?

I was told she was very healthy other than being skinny and I have never seen her act like that before.

She hasen't eaten in a month and I tried to feed her last night and she didn't eat (probably from not being heated up).

Any advice would be great.

Answer 1

Not only do you need an UTH mat but you need to be able to adjust the temperature of it.  Either get a thermostat or dimmer switch (like for lamps) to plug it into.  Humidity also affects appetite.  Did the vet check her for parasites?  Important to do so.  Here is a good guide to ball python troubles and care:

http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide...

Answer 2

There is an uncommon disease found only in pythons and boas called inclusion body disease. It causes the snake to wretch in an awkward way helplessly occasionally. It unfortunatly is a fatal disease and would most definatly cause the snake to go off feed. I hope this is not the case for your snake but it is worth looking into. check out this video for reference on the behaviorhttp://video.google.ca/videosearch?q=inc...

Answer 3

How humid is your snakes enclosure?  You can find out how humid your snakes enclosure is with a digital thermometer that can also tell you the humidity percentage. Is she paler then usual or has blurry caps on her eyes? She could be starting to shed and may not eat as well as trying to shake off her old skin.  Make sure you have a good size water bowl for her to drink as well as soak her whole body.

Answer 4

And she's not shedding? I know that seems obvious. I've never seen my ball python do that but my Cal King Snake wouldn't eat when he was shedding, sometimes it would go up to a month.

Answer 5

well i had a ball python before and we once had an issue with him not eating. But we found out that he would only eat white mice, not black ones they could not even have a spot of black in them. So maybe it is something like that and your snake is super picky. and he is probably angry because he is not use to the heat. well that is my educated guess. so i hope everything works out. good luck.

Answer 6

my brother has a snake. Anyways well if she has seen any other snake that is her opposite gender she may be pregnat snakes dont eat until the eggs or baby(depending on what type of snake it is)is out.