william-snekspeare:

thelazypetowner:

So I’m sure most people have seen this comic on tumblr, posted/drawn by @william-snekspeare here. This is a very popular comic, one of many, that often goes viral every once in awhile, even on other websites (along with other similar comics). Lately it’s been going around again, and I thought I’d make a post about it to give some background information and dispel any misconceptions.

I personally commissioned this specific scene in comic form (and I have the physical copy as you can see above). I commissioned this back when I had owned Soba (my first ball python) for less than a year, when I was new to ball pythons. I had commonly heard–as is popular in the ball python community–that these snakes are “picky eaters” and going off feed for “no reason” is “normal” (to the point that you should expect it). Well, he went off feed, and it came off as what you see in the comic–him “not finding” food or “ignoring” it. I thought it was funny at the time, him coming off as dumb and cute, which is why I had this commissioned a few months later. This comic has nothing to do with how snakes “prefer live food” or anything like that. There’s no statement being made here, just to dispel that information going around.

That being said, I think it’s good to let it be known that the situation which this comic was based off is NOT cute or funny (at least, not in practice). It’s better to be said that ball pythons are “sensitive to their environment”, and as such, minor inconsistencies with their husbandry of any aspect (ex. slightly too cold, not enough hiding places, food doesn’t smell like food, etc.) can make them go off feed. Going off feed should never be assumed as normal, especially for a young ball python. Rather, it’s best to think “what is wrong and how can I fix it.”

If I had known this when I started keeping, I would have been able to avoid the brief period when Soba (quite literally) starved. He went from ~90g to ~60g within one month, and that is absolutely NOT normal and very concerning. By all means, nothing like that should have happened unless he had an internal parasite or something.

So, yes, this is a cute comic. I still love it, and it’s okay to think it’s funny. But I just wanted to take the opportunity to explain the background and purpose of the comic. I see many, many people constantly post things like “this is literally my snake”, “my snake does this all the time”, etc. But if your case is similar to what Soba’s was like, please take the time to double check your husbandry. If your young ball python isn’t eating, don’t assume it’s “normal” and that it will “eat when it’s hungry.” I can certainly guarantee that Soba appreciated that I learned better so I could improve his livelihood–and fill his tummy. :)

(For those curious, Soba was born around June 2015. He is a black pastel orange ghost.)

First image: April 2016, 395g (after I realized what I was doing wrong)
Second & third image: March 2018, 1140g

Oh goodness, I had no idea. I didn’t even know this cartoon was being used to spread the misinformation that ball pythons only like live food. I really thought this was just one particular silly moment, and didn’t see the harm. You know?

OP is absolutely right. If your ball python isn’t eating, check your husbandry. Make sure they’re not losing weight. Really keep a close eye on youngsters. I drew this comic and I never meant for it to spread the message that it’s OK to let your ball python starve.

Take care of your noodles and learn from your mistakes. They depend on you, after all!