BP Won't eat?

[Aerial]

I've had him for about 4 weeks now and so far he won't eat

It's my first ball python, so i make be doing something wrong im just not sure what???

I tried to feed him 1 week after i got him (he received no contact etc), but no such luck- i feed him f/t mice which i heated in the microwave until they were warm and then kind kind of "walked" them around him with a pair of tongs- today i tried to feed him again, but he wouldn't eat.

His tank is a stable temp of about 82 day time and 78 at night, with a heatpad on one side and hides on both. 20g long. Water bowl in between.

Am i doing something wrong? again, my first BP, i keep mostly fish so this is new to me

Should i try to feed him something different???

thanks
tim

[Elise.m]

I wouldn't heat the mouse up in the microwave. That could've been the problem. They're very picky about their prey. Some won't eat cuz it's too cold, some won't eat cuz it's too hot. Heating the mouse up in the microwave runs the chance of the mouse blowing up, and you having mouse insides to clean up.

If the person you got the ball from was feeding it live, I would feed him a few live meals and then try to make the switch to f/t.

Your warm side needs to be in the 90-92 range. Then cold side about 85. Ambient temps need to be about 80. Also the biggest factor is a nice tight fitting hide.

Edit: Oops, missed the size of the tank. If he's still small, then a 20g is too big. Put him in a 16 oz tub or a ten gallon tank and that'll make him feel more secure.

[seeya205]

I wouldn't heat the mouse up in the microwave. That could've been the problem. They're very picky about their prey. Some won't eat cuz it's too cold, some won't eat cuz it's too hot. Heating the mouse up in the microwave runs the chance of the mouse blowing up, and you having mouse insides to clean up.

If the person you got the ball from was feeding it live, I would feed him a few live meals and then try to make the switch to f/t.

Your warm side needs to be in the 90-92 range. Then cold side about 85. Ambient temps need to be about 80. Also the biggest factor is a nice tight fitting hide.

Edit: Oops, missed the size of the tank. If he's still small, then a 20g is too big. Put him in a 16 oz tub or a ten gallon tank and that'll make him feel more secure.

I have housed a baby in a 20 long, you just have to fill it up with plants and stuff! You can also use crumpled newspaper to fill up the empty space. You need two identical hides, one on the cool side and one on the warm side. The hides should be tight fitting and have one small opening. Only feed once every 5 days. If he refuses then wait 5 days before trying again. I would feed live until it has eaten several meals before attempting frozen. Babies like to hunt for the food! Cover the sides and top of the tank for added security. If they don't feel safe then they won't eat! You need digital thermostats to read belly temps or the warm(90-94) and on the cool(80-84) side! The ambient(air) temp has to be at least 75 degrees! It your temps aren't right then they can't digest their meals so they won't eat! No handling until it eats 3 or 4 times then only once a week to start! No handling until after 48 hours of a feeding! To thaw out a mouse, put it in a ziplock bag and put that in a sink full of warm(not too hot) water for an hour or so then take it out and give the head a blast from a hair dryer for a minute or two. The head should be a little warmer than the rest of the body so it can eat the head first! Good luck! Pics of your setup would help us better!

[BiggBaddWolf]

I have one that didn't eat awhile back, I was holding it with the tongs trying to entice him, but no dice, so I just put it down on his rock and left it, and before long he took it off the rock and ate it...Not saying that would work with yours but might be worth a try. Also it is just the time of year when they may be fasting!!!!

[kc261]

Stop heating the mouse in the microwave. You are probably partially cooking it, and snakes aren't designed to eat cooked food. This also probably changes the smell, and that may be why your snake doesn't recognize it as food.

It sounds like you do not have an adequate hot spot, and over all your temps are too cold. This can lead to several problems, including feeding refusals, regurges if it does it, and respiratory infections. If the coldest it gets is 78, you are probably ok as far as regurges and RIs, but the lack of a proper hot spot could be related to the feeding refusals.

If your snake is still little, a 20g tank may be big an intimidating for him. You can try cluttering it up with extra hides, crumpled newspapers, or fake plants to help your snake feel more secure. Also, make sure that 3 sides of the tank are covered.

Finally, when feeding, it is a good idea to prescent first. This means let the snake get the smell of the food for about 1/2 hr before you offer it to the snake. This way the snake knows food is coming and will be ready and waiting. This is especially important when trying to convert a live eater to f/t.

If you do all of this, then wait a week for your snake to get used to the changes, you may find that your snake eats just fine. If not, I'd suggest feeding live until you get him eating consistently, then trying to make the switch to f/t.

[seeya205]

Finally, when feeding, it is a good idea to prescent first. This means let the snake get the smell of the food for about 1/2 hr before you offer it to the snake. This way the snake knows food is coming and will be ready and waiting. This is especially important when trying to convert a live eater to f/t.

Yes, this is a good idea! I do it every feeding for an hour or two to make it really hungry and craving that rat!!!

[shescountry89]

NEVER de-thaw a mouse or rat in the microwave, that leads to a very disgusting disaster you have to clean up!

[Aerial]

thanks for the replies. i usually only put it in the microwave for 5-10 secs after its thawed so it warmed up... hes like 23'' i think (not sure on that) i imagine hed pretty cramped in a 10??? i will definitely bump up the temps- how should i heat the mouse or is just thawing enough?

thanks for all the info
tim

[Kaorte]

You can thaw the rodent in warm water until it is warm all the way through.

Do you know how old he is or how much he weighs? Sometimes moving them to a bigger enclosure can actually make them less likely to eat.

[Kyle@theHeathertoft]

My BP eats well but he's a lot less excited over wet prey. A neat trick I have is to stick the mouse in a ziploc baggie, squeeze as much of the air out as I can, and run hot water over the baggie for a few seconds...heats the mouse up enough to get him all excited and thinking it's alive, and the mouse stays dry.

No microwave needed.