Spotted python hasn't eaten in a month, help!

[radioinvader]

My spotted python, who is ~4 years old now, has refused food for the last month. I've had him for over a year now, he's been on medium rats once a week and has eaten without fail, even if he's slow about it sometimes. This is my first snake. I'm feeling a little panicked even though I've heard they can go months without food, and I'm wondering if taking him to the vet now would be jumping the gun. He stopped eating around the time it started to grow colder, since it's winter. His ambient cage temp is between 20-30C, obviously quite low at night. I have a heating pad inside that I keep on as well as a heating lamp.

Usually when I feed him I just leave the rat in the enclosure and he'll come out on his own. On the third try of feeding him I nudged him with it using a pair of tongs hoping that he might become interested, but he just curls up tighter and ignores me. He doesn't even get aggressive, he just goes 'nah I don't want it' and stays in his hide. He's got water, a clean terrarium, and nothing has changed besides ambient temps. He's got a room to himself that no one goes in, and is locked away from the housecats so that he won't become stressed. I've avoided handling him in the last month because I don't like taking him out when he hasn't eaten.

I don't think he's too cold because about half the time I come check on him he's curled up in his hide on the cool side of the enclosure rather than on the heating pad, and he has been active as I popped in the other day and he was moving around.

I just want to know if I should panic at all, if taking him to the vet now is too soon or if I should keep trying for a few more weeks to see if he'll eat, and maybe if anything I've said could explain why he's been refusing food. I love this little guy and I'd be heartbroken if anything happened to him.

 

[pinefamily]

Absolutely normal, and nothing to worry about. All of the antaresia species are prone to going off their food in the cooler months, sometimes for months at a time.

 

[onelife]

don't panic, when my stimson hit maturity she will stop eating for at least 3mths from June but holds condition very well - they will eat when ready and I will offer every 3-4 wks but rarely takes it and is nearly 6yrs now and a healthy 1.3kgs

 

[pythoninfinite]

Both of the responses are on the money - Antaresias will go off food for months at a time, especially the males at this time of the year. I wouldn't bother offering food for the next two months at least, in fact it may not begin feeding again till October-November. It will be absolutely fine during this time, but it is best to leave it to its own devices and reduce handling to almost nil during this time.

Jamie

 

[SKYWLKR]

Try feeding again in September. It'll smash it by then. A hungry snake is a happy snake.

 

[radioinvader]

Thanks for the responses, guys! It's a huge weight off my mind knowing that this is normal. I'll try again in a couple months, and until then I'll let the little guy be .