3 weeks without eating! Spotted between 3-5 months old, and since I got him has been eating irregularly, only every two weeks or more and not growing

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antaresia2021

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I posted his message in a reply on another thread but would really like a broad range of opinions, for everyone and anyone who is willing to help/give their opinions to do so, that's why I'm reposting it here because I'm stressed and in urgent need of assistance:

The snake is a juvenile spotted python. Very docile. Probably anywhere between 3-5 months old. Approximately 35cm.

Enclosure: the only thing I have recently changed has been adding wood-chips behind the cool hide, in the corner (taking up less than 1/10th of the space), as I thought it would perhaps be beneficial for shedding or otherwise? (Don't know if that assumption was far-fetched or ridiculous).

I'm told that 3 weeks without food for only a few-months-old spotted isn't something to get overly worried about; even with that said, what about shedding? He hasn't shed in the two months I have had him and I don't know the date of his last shed before that. I understand that shedding only occurs with growth and that if he hasn't been eating he's obviously not been growing, but I still don't know why he would go hungry for so long when I've been occasionally offering food in a variety of ways to see if he'd go for it.

- All I know is that, while he hasn't been eating, he still moves around daily - I also can't tell if he's getting thinner (but I know I should be wary of his spine becoming visible as that's indicative of a very low weight, unhealthy snake), and like I said, I'm not sure if my mind is playing tricks on me or if he's actually losing weight. While I take his movement as a good sign, there's also the fact that whenever I open the cage he tries to creep over the edge - here I'm not sure if it's because he's just curious or unhappy with his enclosure.
- However, he also moves between the cool and warm hide so I hope that means he's comfortable with the temperatures (around 32°C on one side and 23°C on the other).
- When he is moving, he's flicking his tongue in search for food (or so I think) and yet he only smells or even shows complete disinterest in the food I offer him.

To be completely honest, the 3 week gap of no food (and overall eating with 2 week intervals as a young snake) is really worrying me. It's gotten to the point that sometimes he would rest in an awkward position and I have a moment of freaking out because I think he has died.
- I often see him drinking but he has never submerged himself in the water (as far as I'm aware), and I change the water as often as every second day, or at the latest, once every 4 days.
- I also want to mention the fact that he's been rubbing his face on various surfaces including the floor (is this a shedding thing or a problem, because he's been doing this since I brought him but increasingly more now?).

Please help because I'm really worried that he's losing weight, becoming unhealthy, or worse, on the verge of death.
I HAVE ATTACHED SOME IMAGES OF HIM AND THE ENCLOSURE
 

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Yes, but less handling now because he's acting up.
He's never shown any discomfort when handling through, on few occasions he even actively climbed into my hands without any encouragement.
 
Don’t even touch it again till it eats. Handling may be the reason it’s not eating. Give it a 33deg warm spot n leave it alone. Won’t take long to start eating again
 

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