Ball Python Off Feed

[Redsandjunkie]

My adult male mahogany ball python that I got a month and a half ago, Ripley, hasn't eaten for the last five weeks. He ate the first week after I brought him home, but not since then. I've been handling him once or twice a week at night for about half an hour to an hour. He seems very comfortable with being handled as he tries to escape from his tank almost every night and moves around a lot when being handled. I read on this care sheet: [http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care.../Ball-Python/] in the "What food to feed a ball python" section that you should "continue your husbandry routine as usual, but keep the amount of handling to a minimum." Is it bad to handle your ball python when they have been off feed for a while? If he continues to not eat, at what point should I become concerned? The person I bought him from said that he would occasionally feed him live rats "just for fun." Could he not be eating because I've only been trying to feed him f/t rats?

[anicatgirl]

Yes, if you have a problem eater, handling is a no-no until he gets back to it. What does your husbandry look like? Temps, humidity, maybe a pic of your setup?

[boafa]

Yes keep feeding him live for a few months... Then try f/t....

[Redsandjunkie]

I try to keep the temperatures at 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side and 90 on the warm side. Since it's summer it gets up to about 95 on the warm side in the afternoon. I keep the humidity between 50-65% by putting a damp towel on top of the screen and occasionally misting. I also forgot to mention that I think he has a retained eye cap from the last time he shed, which was before I got him.

[anicatgirl]

I try to keep the temperatures at 80 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool side and 90 on the warm side. Since it's summer it gets up to about 95 on the warm side in the afternoon. I keep the humidity between 50-65% by putting a damp towel on top of the screen and occasionally misting. I also forgot to mention that I think he has a retained eye cap from the last time he shed, which was before I got him.

That warm side is too warm.... At 95. May need to change the location of the tank within your house to a better insulated/cooler spot. 90 is ideal. The damp towel you might want to replace with foil, towels can mildew. Cover the top like 90% with foil, leave a gap on either end and around the light, fixed my humidity issues.

Heat pad too, or just the light? Measuring temps and humidity with the digital thing in the corner?

IMO I would leave baby alone for 5-7 days, no handling at all, then try to feed a live.

[Redsandjunkie]

I tried putting aluminum on top of Ripley's tank before and it didn't seem to help, kept drying out too quickly. I guess I must have done it wrong somehow. Could you show me a picture of what your tank lid looks like for reference? I check the towels regularly to make sure there's no mold growing on them, and turn them inside out each time I dampen them so it doesn't have a dark spot to grow in. I don't have an undertank heater on his tank. Yes, I measure the heat and humidity with the thermostat that's in the corner. There's a probe on the other side as well so it tells me the temperature of each side. I've never fed either of my two bp's live rodents before. Could you tell me how to do that? I'd hate to do it and make some stupid, obvious mistake and have him get injured.

[anicatgirl]

Using Eco Earth or Cypress will also massively aid in humidity. There are a lot of weaknesses with aquarium tanks, as you will find out. I have that static cling fish tank background stuff on all sides of my tank, minus a window on the front, to keep my girl from feeling exposed at all. And foil on the sides to help with ambients, but you obviously don't have that problem.

As for feeding live... I will take my critter keeper (my girl used to be picky so I fed her live for awhile. Now we are on to frozen rats ) Go pick up an appropriate sized feeder. I get mine at the snake breeder's from whom I got my snake. Depending where you are and what resources you have, might have to do research to find a place that sells live feeders (as places like Petsmart don't) Rats if they have one in the right size category, a mouse if not. Feeder should be about as big around as snake's largest girth. Should leave a noticeable but not huge bump after feeding. I always wait til it's dark. I get off work around 11 pm, come home, husband will have turned off all the lights an hour before. Just open the tank carefully and let the feeder go run around. Stick around and watch in case the feeder tries to go after the snake. Mice are less aggressive, but I have seen some rats which I would be afraid for me, much less my girl. If it's like a fuzzy rat you can gently hold it with tongs or use tongs to set it in front of the hide. Either way I would expect snake to notice the smell pretty quick and show up looking hungry. Once they have it wrapped and dispatched, you can step away; snake knows how to get the rest of the job done safely.

Meow for note, feeding live can come with other issues. If snake refuses to eat you will be stuck with a live feeder. If it is a rat pup, you have the added issue of it not being old enough to take care of itself. I have a mouse cage and all the accessories for such an occasion. Orrrr you can learn how to properly and humanely dispatch the feeder yourself in order that you could add it to your mousecicle supply. I don't have the heart for this though. Or if you're super lucky and feel like the extra drive, some breeders may let you bring it back and owe you one next week. That's what I did for awhile; just took it back if she didn't want it.

Hope the insight helps.

[CORBIN911]

Using Eco Earth or Cypress will also massively aid in humidity. There are a lot of weaknesses with aquarium tanks, as you will find out. I have that static cling fish tank background stuff on all sides of my tank, minus a window on the front, to keep my girl from feeling exposed at all. And foil on the sides to help with ambients, but you obviously don't have that problem.

As for feeding live... I will take my critter keeper (my girl used to be picky so I fed her live for awhile. Now we are on to frozen rats ) Go pick up an appropriate sized feeder. I get mine at the snake breeder's from whom I got my snake. Depending where you are and what resources you have, might have to do research to find a place that sells live feeders (as places like Petsmart don't) Rats if they have one in the right size category, a mouse if not. Feeder should be about as big around as snake's largest girth. Should leave a noticeable but not huge bump after feeding. I always wait til it's dark. I get off work around 11 pm, come home, husband will have turned off all the lights an hour before. Just open the tank carefully and let the feeder go run around. Stick around and watch in case the feeder tries to go after the snake. Mice are less aggressive, but I have seen some rats which I would be afraid for me, much less my girl. If it's like a fuzzy rat you can gently hold it with tongs or use tongs to set it in front of the hide. Either way I would expect snake to notice the smell pretty quick and show up looking hungry. Once they have it wrapped and dispatched, you can step away; snake knows how to get the rest of the job done safely.

Meow for note, feeding live can come with other issues. If snake refuses to eat you will be stuck with a live feeder. If it is a rat pup, you have the added issue of it not being old enough to take care of itself. I have a mouse cage and all the accessories for such an occasion. Orrrr you can learn how to properly and humanely dispatch the feeder yourself in order that you could add it to your mousecicle supply. I don't have the heart for this though. Or if you're super lucky and feel like the extra drive, some breeders may let you bring it back and owe you one next week. That's what I did for awhile; just took it back if she didn't want it.

Hope the insight helps.

Is that your Frankenstein tank?

[anicatgirl]

Is that your Frankenstein tank?

YUP! I was unprepared for the fish tank to not work so well, my research apparently did not extend far enough, so all of that ridiculousness keeps my girl nice and comfy until I move her up to a rack this year. Darkened sides with background, then there is foil taped to that. Heat retention. Foil on top for humidity. Heat lamp for ambient help. And a reptifogger to keep the humidity perfect I know it looks a mess, but she feeds well and is never defensive. Her comfort is far more important than what the outside of the tank looks like to me.

[Mittens]

Man, I'm having to drill more holes on my tub to bring down the humidity haha Glass enclosures are getting more and more appealing now (humidity sky rockets in the summer here).