BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hello, I have a 3 year old male ball python who has refused to eat for a few months. At first the temperature was off but it has since been adjusted with a new ceramic heat emitter. He has done this before for 9 months then eventually accepted food. Before this he was a very good eater, always on frozen thaw rats.
She shows an interest at first then goes nose to nose and shakes back and forth, then he will just stay like that it or turn away. Ironically enough last time he ate he only struck when I picked him back up to put him back in his enclosure.
Any ideas?

Sounds to me like he's just being a male ball python. All of mine were voracious eaters their first year but when they reached adulthood some would go off feed for the entire winter. Some of my adult females now go off now and them also for a few months. I've been keeping ball pythons for decades and still can't figure them out. Good thing I keep boas, too, or I'd be tossing a lot of wasted thawed rats!

Thanks for the reply! No boas sadly haha.

Before I had boas I used to keep a large king snake as a disposal unit for uneaten rodents. Just hate to throw em out!
Ball pythons can be a pain, but I'll always have a few of them. Just like them, they're so sweet. What types do you have, any interesting color morphs?