New Owner, a few questions...

[GoodCode]

We just got our first ball python about 5 weeks ago, and have a few questions. Hopefully the helpful people here can assist. Full questionnaire is below, but here are the basics:

She's an 8 month old standard ball. We got her on April 18 from a local pet store and had her in a 16.5 gallon sterelite. 2 hides, 2 digital thermometers, UTH with rheostat and a humidistat. Temps were around 85 warm, 74 ambient. Humidity around 75%. She'd move between hides, and occasionally poke her head at the roof. We did handle her the second week daily for about 10-15 minutes.

She has refused to eat since we got her (5 weeks ago), offering once a week. On the advice of people at a reptile show we moved her into a 6 quart shoebox container 3 weeks ago. No room for 2 hides, so only a single hide on the warm side. She's been very docile since the move, spending most time inside her hide. Humidity around 80% now, temps still 85 warm, 74 ambient.

It's been 3 weeks since the move...still no eating. She's down to 180 grams now from 198 grams 3 weeks ago.

Things we've tried with her:
1) Made her hide smaller. She now fits snugly within it.
2) Made her enclosure smaller (from 16.5 gallons to 6 quarts)
3) Braining....yum....
4) Dipping in chicken broth
5) Feeding bin.
6) Leaving the rat in & covering the bin

Other than the weight loss, she seems healthy. Skin is vibrant colored & not flaky, eyes are clear, no signs of respiratory issues. She's pooped twice since we've gotten her...once 4 weeks ago, and again today (which seems weird given she hasn't eaten in 5 weeks).

THE QUESTIONS:
1) Is a 6qt container big enough for an 8 month old? It seems awefully small, but I've seen a few places that claim problem eaters/nervous snakes do better in small "shoebox" enclosures.

2) Is 1 hide okay? I've read we should have both a "warm" hide and a cold, but there is simply no room for 2 in the small container.

3) How worried should we be? I know adult snakes can go months without eating, but what about a 7 month old?

4) What else should we try? We're considering switching from rat pups to mice, but they were feeding her pups at the petstore. Is this a reasonable next step?

5) Is consistency key? We've tried a number of things, and I'm worried the changes might be freaking her out. Should we just try leaving things alone for a few weeks?

6) How long do we wait before seeking veterinary help?

Thanks in advance!



FULL QUESTIONAIRE:
1. How long have you had your ball python?
5 weeks


2. How old (or how big) is your snake?
8 months. 180 grams. Not sure of length....


3. Does it eat on a regular schedule?
No


4. How long since its last meal?
5 weeks


5. What type/size prey is being offered?
Frozen thawed rat pups


6. How often do you offer food?
Once a week


7. What type and size of enclosure does it live in?
6 quart sterelite "shoebox" enclosure.



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


9. What type of heating do you use?
UTH with rheostat


10. Do you use a thermostat to control temperatures?
Yes


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


12. What are the surface and ambient temperatures in the enclosure?
74 ambient, 84 surface (hot side)


13. What is the average humidity level?
80%


14. How many and what type of hides does the snake have?
1 hide, opaque plastic container with hole cut in side


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?
Once a week, 20 minutes when cleaning the enclosure


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?
No


20. Is there anything specific or unique about your situation that we should be aware of?
No

[coldbloodaddict]

Have you tried live? If not I would...

[NH93]

I would bump those temps ASAP!! Should NOT be below 75F! Bump the ambient to 80F and hot spot to 90f!
I am not familiar with tubs, so I cannot help much there. To me the 16gal sounded right for the age of the snake, but they vary so much in size when they are young. Personally I would have kept her/him in there and blacked out 3 out of 4 sides with dark paper, and added much more decor. You probably need to add a 50W red bulb (just UVA, not UVB) to bump those ambients - only in the glass vive though. The humidity should be around 60-70%, and 80% only for shedding.

What happens with temps too low and humidity too high, such as potentially in your case, is respiratory infections. This is why it is important that you bump up those temperatures about 5 degrees F for both the cool and warm side.
If you add a heat bulb it will decrease humidity as well. Also, digital thermometers and hygrometers are essential because the dial ones are incredibly inaccurate. You'll want a probe thermometer to measure where the UTH is. You can look at the care sheet on the main page for more info on how to do that correctly

On that note, I find it hard to believe that in a glass vive with paper towel that the humidity would be 80% (or anywhere close to that); in which case, your hygrometer is probably inaccurate, or you live in a VERY wet area of the world! On the plus side, this means that those low temperatures that need to be bumped up aren't as hazardous. But they are not only important for RIs but for digesting food as well. Keep in mind that ball pythons are from the forests of Africa.

You should be feeding to the widest part of the snake's body; i.e. matching it to the width of the prey, or 10-15% of the body weight. I'd stick with rats. If you can find a size smaller and a size larger to try out, that would be what I would do. When mine stopped eating for a month (and he should be on the small rats but he's still on weanlings), he got nervous of the weanlings and I had to jump down to pups for 2 weeks until he would eat consistently again.

Offer about once a week as you have been.

Just remember to really clutter up that vive with hides and decor (could be tissue boxes and crumpled up paper balls, doesn't have to be expensive) for security, and black out the sides and back. And BUMP THOSE TEMPS!
One final note is, don't handle until s/he has eaten a few times for you. I know it's difficult... but really try not to. Ball pythons can be picky and can stress easily at times, and the first thing that seems to happen when they are stressed is they stop eating. Because s/he's been moved around now, I think s/he'll need more time to settle in. It might take some time so be patient.

All the best!

[queenelvis82]

Hey there! Just a quick question about my BP's enclosure. I have two UTH, one for the hot side and one for the cool. The hot side is at 90-94 F and the cool side is 80-84 F. However, the ambient temperature stays around 68 F. Is it necessary to get a ceramic heater to boost the ambient temp to 75 F? My BP spends most of her time in the hides and is feeding regularly so I know she is content with the husbandry. I would like to know if she will be more comfortable if I boost the ambient temp to 75 F.
Please, let me know your opinion.
Thanks!

[bearded_guy]

Yeah, ambients aren't too controlled by UTH's as I've recently learned. If you can't increase the ambient of the whole room, then my suggestion would be to get an overhead ceramic lamp. It's working good wonders for my BP.

[NH93]

Just want you to keep in mind that ball pythons are from Africa. They like it hot and (for the most part) humid! I agree with Bearded Guy. A ceramic heater sounds quite necessary in this situation. Also, you might not need the second UTH with a heat lamp placed overhead of the middle of the vive.

[queenelvis82]

Thanks for the advice! Will make sure Gozer's enclosure is kept a bit warmer for her!
Cheers!