How Can I Tell How Old My Ball Python Is? He/she Isn't Eating, And I'm Wondering If It's Because It's Winter. But If It's Less Than A Year Old, That Wouldn't Happen, Right? He's About Three Feet Long..

I used to breed ball pythons and it can be frustrating but they do tend to quit eating for about 4-5 months in the cold season. Sometimes this persists longer than 5 months- the snake should be fine if it does not loose too much weight. If the sanke goes for too long and starts looking too thin, sometimes increasing the heat in the cage by a few degrees can help coax them into eating again.


Snakes ages are very hard to tell. 3 feet long is actually a pretty hefty size for a ball python under a year old. The more the snake eats in its first few years, the faster it will grow. (Be careful not to overfeed or the snake can become obese) So the size of your snake will depend on who had the snake before you and what and how often they fed it as well as its conditions etc.

Baby ball pythons will also slow down in the winter time but I personally tried to keep their cages at a warmer temperature so that they wouldnt quit eating and could get a good start and continue to eat and grow their first year. But thats just my opinion

Yes, it is because its winter my friend has 100 ball pythons and in the winter they slow down sometimes going as long as 5 months without eating.

In my school we have a program called kids and critters. I help to run this program. There is a ball python that is very skinny. His stomach is caving in. During the winter we try to turn up the heat in and around the room the snakes cages are in. I have found that if you mist the cages of the ball pythons with a little water they will eat more willingly. They come from africa so they are built for hot and a little humid. Also the water will help then shed. I don't believe you snake is under a year. Ball pythons hatch around 6-9 inches. Then grow a foot a year. I would think your snake is about 2 and a half or three years old. Also if you have a cage mate in this this snake, the other snake may be taking all the food. Try separating them at feeding times.