Albino Tiger Pythons

I have a Albino Tiger Ball Python – I have had her a little over a week – the last time she ate was about 2 weeks ago – I offered her a rat and she would have nothing to do with it – so I removed it – she has been spending a lot of time in her water bowl and this morning she was still in the bowl – she was very cold – so I removed her and now she is in her hide – I also noticed some little brown spots on her that I have never noticed before – what could that be and should I be concerned about her spending so much time in water bowl and getting cold – temp in the aquarium is 80

Answer:

Hello, this is Dr. Benedetta, and I would like to help with your question about Tiger Lil!
The fact that she did not eat the rat you offered it’s not too concerning at this point, but it is unusual that she is spending time in the water bowl, and the excessive moisture and low body temperature may have caused a fungal/bacterial infection on her skin.
It is important that she has a heat source, and a gradient of temperatures in her enclosure. She does need to have humidity of at least 40%, but the substrate needs to be dry and clean. A heating pad under a glass terrarium is a good way to ensure there is a warm dry spot that she can use all the time, without the risk of burns.
If the brown spots get larger, and the skin does not look healthy, it is best to have her seen by a veterinarian, so she can be treated. Many times once the right gradient of heat and humidity is achieved, the skin will heal.
As for food, some snakes will only eat live prey. Even if they eat frozen rats, the rats need to be fully defrosted and warmed up in hot water, as well as dangled in front of the snake, to create the illusion they are alive.
It is ok for them to not eat for many months, as long as they maintain their body weight. I strongly recommend to acquire a good snake husbandry book, and study it well, you will find it is an excellent resource!