New to Balls and this forum

[DBacker65]

Greetings!

I have been gaining lots of great knowledge on this website and through this forum. I just got my first ball last night. "Jack Sparrow" (wish I knew if he is indeed a boy) is about 4-5 months old a little over a foot long.
I need to measure exactly and begin keeping track. I got him from a local hobby breeder who has several snakes. He is in good health and very friendly. My set up is a 20 gallon tank with a screen top. I chose reptile bark for the substrate, I think it is Aspen Fir. I made two hides and put one at each end. I have a heater pad underneith the tank and a spot light on top. I picked up a decorative water dish that looks like a rock. He has been raised on mice, pinkies and fuzzies and has been eating once a week. Sunday is feeding time, I am wondering if I should attempt to feed him or should I wait since he is still adjusting to his new home. Since bringing him home last night I have not handled him at all.
I have been wanting a ball python for a while and read lots of books on them prior to actually getting one.
Another question is can I feed him twice a week? Say Sunday and Wednesday to fatten him up and help him grow?

[sophie42204]

Welcome, DBacker! I'm relatively new the hobby myself, but the general rule of thumb is to wait at least 2 weeks before handling and/or feeding your BP. This gives them time to acclimate to their new surroundings as they can be somewhat 'shy' animals.

As far as feeding, the general rule there is to feed once a week. Keep in mind that you do have to be careful about overfeeding as captive BP's are prone to obesity if fed too much. Obesity can lead to health problems and ultimately a shorter life span (in extreme cases).

Glad you found us!! I've learned a great deal since becoming a member here and I'm sure you will too. This is a great community with very knowledgeable herpers!

[rex322]

i fed mine 3days after i got him and he ate. it is a general rule to wait at least one weak, but i dont see the problem with trying. you shouldnt feed him twice a week, never. hatchlings 5-7 days, adults 7-10 days. also if he doesnt eat for a while its ok unless he looses a significant amount of wait. after feeding him, you will want to wait 48-72hrs until you handle him to avoid regurgitation. if he does regurgitate, check temps/humidity and do not try to feed for two weeks. if he keeps regurgitating, seek vet help. to measure your snake, its probly easiest to downlaod the snakemeasureing program in the downloads section of this site. dont handle him for at least one week, but perferbly 2-3 weeks unless necassary (cleaning). also, when he goes into shed, it is not a good idea to handle him since it is a stressful time. you said hes friendly, so you probly wont have the problem i have with mine. mine sometimes strikes at me, and has bit me twice. it just feels like a pin prick, or a bee sting. if yours does, unless in a shed, keep trying, dont let him think he can avoid handling by snapping or hissing. some say not to feed during a shed, but i fed mine when he was in shed and he has no problem. as far as i know of, the substrate you are using is ok. i use astroturf, since its easy to clean and change. im fairly new, so i hope i helped. i got my 1st BP, Rex, on 3/22/04. welcome to the forums, always great to see new members!

[sophie42204]

I must admit, I fed Sophie a week after we got her (she had just eaten the day before), and didn't wait 2 or 3 weeks before handling.

She is going into shed (eyes cloudy since yesterday), so I haven't been handling her at all. I did try to feed her yesterday though, but she wasn't interested--but as Rex pointed out, that's normal when they are in shed. It is also common for them to go off feed sometimes, and as Rex pointed out, unless they are losing weight, no need to worry.

She has never been aggressive, which is good, but when handled she does move a lot which can be a sign that she's not at ease or nervous, so I've been leaving her alone a little more lately.....in any case, good luck, I'm sure you'll do fine.

[Marla]

Welcome, and congratulations on your new snake! It's generally best to wait a week or two before feeding to give them time to settle in, but if you wanted to compromise and go for Monday night (5 full days since you got him) it will probably be fine if he's otherwise satisfied with his setup. He should be eating small adult mice or at least fuzzies, though, as pinkies are too small and nutritionally inadequate. It sounds like you did your homework when setting up his home, and that's great to hear. How are you monitoring his temps and humidity?

Again, welcome and congratulations!

[gozetec02]

Welcome to the forum. And its great that you have shown so much interest in the well being in your snake. I myself just got a baby ball python sunday before last. I fed him a Fuzzy mouse two days after and he ate like a champ. It could be a good idea to let your little BP gain some weight just incase he goes off feed. I fed him on that tuesday and fed him again on sunday. Two close feedings IMO should be enough to get him started but i wouldnt do this all the time. Just feed the appropriate size prey item and you should be ok. Just keep us posted if he goes off feed or shows any signs or if you just have a question. There is no such thing as a dumb question around here because its for the well being of your herp.

Again welcome to the forum there are many experienced herpers here.

[maniac]

My little guy ate the night I got him. I didnt have to wait 2 long(Plus i was anxious to see him eat) and he took the mouse like a pro. You should try feeding him as soon as your next sunday comes by. Like someone had mentioned in this forum before, " its amazing how balls have there own unique personality" so a 100% accurate caresheet cant really be written. I would suggest that if your ball refuses the mouse just wait till the next day or so. And dont make the same mistake I did.. Get drunk and think your snake is happier livin in a tree in ur room, he will get lost and mostt likely end up with RI (like mine did) or some expensive disease or parasite that will be a burden on you till your little guy heals. Best of luck with your new ball--

[Wizill]

And dont make the same mistake I did.. Get drunk and think your snake is happier livin in a tree in ur room, he will get lost and mostt likely end up with RI (like mine did) or some expensive disease or parasite that will be a burden on you till your little guy heals. Best of luck with your new ball--

hahahaha, oh my god.

[Marla]

I would suggest that if your ball refuses the mouse just wait till the next day or so.

If you want him to eat for you and he refuses a meal, wait until the next regularly scheduled feeding time before trying again. I'm pretty sure there are several of us here who have made this mistake at one time or another and learned the hard way that feeding attempts too close together just put more stress on the snake and result in its being less likely to eat.

[gozetec02]

I agree with marla i had a rescue that refused meals everytime but i tried to feed him every day. I waited a week and he fed with no problems. Stress plays a role in the well being of your animal or for anyone for that matter. If you were stressed out constantly and did not get a chance to relax then you would start having health problems.