Feeding Problems

[lukedauito]

im new at bp's so bare with me i used to have corns and stuff and they ate thawed no problem. but with ball pythons whom ever i recieved advice from they said to feed every 7 days and so i have been but some smaller of my bp's have not been eating and ive had them for 2-3 weeks now and its bothering me. the person i bought them from said they would eat f/t but they fed them live, and pointers on why they have been taking to eat so long?

[The Serpent Merchant]

There are alot of things that can cause a BP not to eat. The answer to these questions will help us figure out what you need to do. (Just copy and paste the questions into a post in this thread.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Questionaire

[KMG]

How are you thawing the feeders? I have found some of my snakes will only eat a very warm feeder. I warm them in water and use the hottest tap water I have.

I thaw them in water. Drain the water and refill with fresh hot water for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure they are warm to present a good heat signature.

[lukedauito]

yeah that is exactly what i do.

[lukedauito]

1. How long have you had your ball python?

3-4 weeks

2. How old (or how big) is your snake?

3x 1100 gram
3x 300-400 grams
3. Does it eat on a regular schedule?

i do not know yet

4. How long since its last meal?
one 300 gram has eaten last weekend
1100 grams ate today
1100 grams at a baby mouse


5. What type/size prey is being offered?

large like biggest gurth point i suppose

6. How often do you offer food?

every weekend if they refuse during the week or when i try to feed others

7. What type and size of enclosure does it live in?

rack system

8. What are you using as substrate? If it has depth, how deep is it?

paper towels with newspaper on top

9. What type of heating do you use?

belly heat with thermostat

10. Do you use a thermostat to control temperatures?


yes
11. What do you use to measure/monitor temperatures?

i keep the thermo roughly around the same spot 85 ish

12. What are the surface and ambient temperatures in the enclosure?

lower than that

13. What is the average humidity level?

id say around 50

14. How many and what type of hides does the snake have?

none, i figured from it being in darkness at all times it wont need it

15. Is water readily available at all times?

yes

16. Does the snake live alone or does it share the enclosure with anything else?

alone

17. How often and for how long is the snake typically handled?

every other day

18. Does the snake have any medical history (old injuries or illnesses)?

no

19. Do you have any other reptiles? Have you brought in any new reptiles recently?

besides the bp's no

20. Is there anything specific or unique about your situation that we should be aware of?

im new in bp's

[NormanSnake]

I'd bump that hot spot up to 90-91 and put some hides in. that should fix your problems.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I'd bump that hot spot up to 90-91 and put some hides in. that should fix your problems.

x2

The hot side of the cage should be 88-92 degrees, and the cool side should be 78-82 degrees 24/7 365 (unless breeding)

What is the temperature of the room that the rack is in?

[lukedauito]

ehh just regular room temp

[The Serpent Merchant]

ehh just regular room temp

Room temperatures vary greatly... For instance here in Florida my house stays in the mid to upper 70's year round, while up north in the winter room temperatures can easily be 20-30 degrees cooler.

Room temperature is very important when you are using a rack as it determines the cool side temperature of the tubs. Heat tape doesn't increase the temperature of the air inside the tub, just the surface temperatures. In many cases people with racks need to have a space heater by the rack to boost the temperature in that part of the room. You need to keep the air temperature above 75, but closer to 80 is preferred.

[Inarikins]

Also, stop handling immediately until they're eating regularly.