New User-Feeding Help Please!

[rickIM]

My girlfriend and I "rescued" a 2 1/2 ft regular ball python about a month ago. She has had a corn snake for about 3 years but this is our first ball. The previous owners kept her in a garage with only a heat lamp and a single log to hide under. Now she has the heat lamps, heating pad, gauges and 2 housings. For feeding they would simply drop a live mouse in her terrarium. We noticed that she has a few scars from bites. We were told the last time she ate was around April 1st and we've tried to feed her every week since she came home with us. She still doesn't want to eat. Here is what we have tried: putting her in a tub with a live mouse (supervised), tub with freshly killed mouse, putting a freshly killed mouse dipped in chicken broth in a bowl inside her terrarium and putting live pinkies in a bowl in her terrarium. Even with with freshly killed mice she backs away quickly after touching them. Our room is dark and quiet when feeding. What are we doing wrong/ what else can we try? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks guys!

[The Serpent Merchant]

pinkies are way to small, I would try a live rat pup or hopper mouse inside her cage (supervised of course)

A few things about her current cage.

Does the heating pad have thermostat regulating it?

What about thermometers do they have probes or are they just stick on?

Check out these 2 links:

Cage heating: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...04#post1845904

BP caresheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

and Welcome to BP.net!

[rickIM]

No probes, just gauges. After reading that write up I think I'll go to WalMart and get one of those units. She is never really interested in the rock enclosure with the heat pad under it. She spends 98% of her time under her log day and night. I also noticed she hasn't been as active as she was at night when we first got her at the end of April. Temp is about 85 during the day with the hot spot about 90, night temp about 75-80 and humidity is always around 60%. I've also noticed she has never used her large bowl for soaking, just for drinking at night. Is this an indication that she's too cold? Ps Aaron, I love the name of your husky.

[rickIM]

Also, she had checked the heat pad before and it was only warm. After reading your article we checked again and it was way too hot. That explains why she doesn't go under there. Getting a controller tomorrow!

[The Serpent Merchant]

Most BP's do not soak in their water dished, so that is normal.

Get a thermostat and some better thermoneters and you should be in good shape.

Thanks, I'm a total Trekkie lol. My spider BP is named Q. (another next generation star trek reference

[rickIM]

Thanks for the help dude. I hope the rat pups and temp changes help her get over her fear of being bitten and make her less stressed. It's still weird to see one of natures perfect killers afraid of a dead mouse. Recently started getting into the next generation on netflix...it's pretty awesome. Just finished the beta zoid marriage episode.

[Kaorte]

Just a suggestion, you could try filling the tank with fake plants or if you want something cheaper, crumpled up paper. The extra stuff will provide cover and make your snake feel more comfortable. I've had this work on a couple picky eaters.

[angllady2]

If she's been attacked by food, she will be nervous and slow to eat for a little while. I've had it happen with rescues before.

The key is patience and persistence. Don't offer more than once a week, you'll only stress her out. Offer late in the evening if you don't already, since that is the natural time for them to hunt. Try and make as little fuss about feeding as possible.

Gale

[Mike41793]

Blackout the sides and back of her tank with black consruction paper or something to make her feel more secure in the tank and add lots of crumbled up newspaper or fake plants like someone above said^ to make her feel more secure.

Also try live rats as that may be what she used to eat.

[rickIM]

Now that we have the UTH controller she has been staying inside the dark rock enclosure and avoiding the exposed half log. One problem down! Ill wrap the terrarium in black paper tonight and throw some shredded newspaper inside. We have only been feeding once a week at night so we will keep that up and try rat pups or fuzzys tomorrow. Thanks for all the advice everyone! Ill keep updating as things happen. Crossing my fingers.