Help!!!

[Brad91]

I got a snake about a week ago that won't eat... The guy I got it from clearly didn't know what he was talking about when it comes to snakes and hr told me it sheds fine, eats small weaned rats every saturday, was a male. On and on. Well being curious I checked after I got the snake from him and came to the conclusion that it was a female. Mistake number one on his part. That same night the snake shed it's skin. No big deal, right? Wrong. She shed from the tail forward... Mistake number two... Number 3 has had me so frustrated that I just don't know what to do anymore... She won't eat. I started with a live small rat like he said, when that didn't work I tried prekilled. Still nothing. I tried a large adult mouse, nothing. Prekilled, still nothing... The only thing I haven't tried is force feeding and I really don't want to... I just don't feel comfortable with it but I don't know when she last ate and I'm really starting to worry... Please help. I don't want to lose her. She's one of my favories and of course the most expensive one i've got...

[NormanSnake]

If it's only been a week and you've tried feeding her several times, she's probably stressed out. Stop handling her, touching her, opening her enclosure, EVERYTHING for a week. only open the cage for spot cleaning. Spot clean and nothing else. Do this for a week, and then try feeding her again. one week is not going to hurt her. Most snakes can go months without eating. How old is she? Hatchlings can go a few weeks, adults can go months with no food.

[jeanus]

So far no worries glad its a girl how was she checked if its older popping doesn;t always work and she may need to be probed. She just got rehomed that puts her under stress. That would count for the shedding and the eating. If the shed came off its a good shed, no eye caps or sticky peices that stay stuck = good shed. All sheds are different diet, humidity stress, temperature, and the unknown all contribute to how a snake sheds check temperature and humidity. For feeding worries give her a few weeks in a quiet spot not handling her just an occasional peak to check, let her become aclimated to her new digs. Then try another rat, I try a smaller one then if she eats a slightly lager one the next week. Its also breeding season so ball pythons all tend to go aff feed occasionally. But its probably the stress from moving. Wait a few months before realy worrying, trying to feed her weekly if she still doesn't take it ok. BAll pythons can go months without feeding, so after a few months there are other tricks such as trying mice, afs, exposing the brain of a prekilled, coating the food with chicken broth, feeding in a paper sack. Just check in the forums and you will find other methods its a common problem. There are others with much more experience on the forum that can give excellent advice too.
Good luck plese keep updated Jean

[Brad91]

No idea on age. The guy never gave me one but he did say she was around 300 grams. I need to get a scale so I can check for myself but that seems about right.

[NormanSnake]

She will be fine at least a few weeks with no food. Just leave her be and make sure your temps are right. Make sure you have two snug fitting hides and most of all just leave her alone! She should eat in a week or two, but just keep leaving her alone until she eats. Also, only offer food every 5 days or so. Offering too often will stress her out even more and it can make her fear feeding time.

[TheSnakeGuy]

Just relax. Let that snake acclimate to it's new home. And if it's 300 grams it's probably 3-6 months old.

[Brad91]

Thanks Jeanus. As far as gender, I don't know the age but she's not very big. I popped her to check but just to be 100% sure I had a guy that breeds them for a living check her too and he said the same thing.

[The Serpent Merchant]

No idea on age. The guy never gave me one but he did say she was around 300 grams. I need to get a scale so I can check for myself but that seems about right.

Well 300 grams means less than 6 months old (except in very rare cases)

As has been said 1 week without eating is nothing to a BP. They can and will go off feed for weeks and sometimes months at a time for no apparent reason.

1. How are you housing this snake?
2. How are you heating the cage?
3. What are your current cage temperatures?
4. How are you measuring temperatures?
5. Does the cage have hides? if so How many and what type?
6. What size/type cage do you have?

Overall your new snake needs time to adjust to his/her new home.

Are you sure you know how to sex a snake? If done improperly not only will you not actually know what the gender is, but you can also easily injure the snake in the process.

[Brad91]

Well 300 grams means less than 6 months old (except in very rare cases)

As has been said 1 week without eating is nothing to a BP. They can and will go off feed for weeks and sometimes months at a time for no apparent reason.

[LIST=1][*]How are you housing this snake?

She's in a terrarium.

[*]How are you heating the cage?

Two heat lamps and a UTH.

[*]What are your current cage temperatures?

86 on the hot side 74 on the cool side.

[*]How are you measuring temperatures?

Those cheap plastic things that stick to the back... (I need to save up for a digital thermometer.)

[*]Does the cage have hides? if so How many and what type?

Yes but unfortunately only one right now... Its a half log type right in the middle of the cage.

[*]What size/type cage do you have?

It's a 50 gallon terrarium type. Not all that huge after you figure in the water bowl that takes up 1/4 of the cage.

[NormanSnake]

The digital thermometer is a priority! Those stick on ones are not accurate, they're made for fish tanks! Go and get yourself an accurite at walmart for $12 and make sure you're not burning that poor girl up!

EDIT: Also, hides hides hides! She needs to feel secure in her enclosure, that tank is huge for a little BP! Clutter that thing up as much as possible.