Advice on a new adult Ball Python!!

[Gilmore]

Hi

A week ago I just bought an adult BP from a friend. It,s 7 years old and it´s 4 feet long and well rounded. I was wandering when it is safe for me to handle him and when to give him his first meal. I have left him alone in his enclosure for a week. Previous owner handled him every day, and gave him a large hamster every 3 weeks, and never had any problems with the BP in the 7 years he owned him. How much time should I give it to adapt to his new home? In 3 days it,s time for his regular meal, should I try to give it to him or wait longer? I don´t want to rush into anything, but I was wondering if that old Ball is faster to adapt than a younger one from a store or a Breeder. As I said the Ball has been in his cage for a week now, and he crawled straight in a hide and has been in there the whole time, I can´t see any signs of him beeing out of the hide. The enclosure should be fine, 35 gallon. 90 - 85 hot, and he has hides on both hot and cool sides, and a large waterbowl, the humitidy is about 50%. I wanted to wait for him to get out of the hide and explore the cage before I start taking him out. But I can´t see that he has any interest of leaving the hide at nights. I have checked the cage every hour of the day and nights too, but I´ve never seen him out roaming. The enclosure is in a pretty quiet room. He has daylight and a nightlight 12/12 hours. I hope I can get some advice from you guys. Thank you!!

[hafnon]

What kind of enclosure was the adult in before......If it was handled that regularily then it should have no proble acclimatising to you....It may just have been in a less "open" enclosure and is not used to that....I have often had balls that were brought home from other people eat the same day...you won't know if you don't try....just a bit of a bummer it was fed on hamsters which may mean its imprinted on them and won't take rats again....also since its on hamsters that may mean it was origionally wild caught as an adult and that may complicate matters a bit

[Gilmore]

Where I live (Iceland) hamsters are the ony rodent big enough for an adult BP we can get. Rats are not available and mice are too small, so we have to stick to hamsters, and they are very cheap anyway, so it´s not a problem. The BP was in a enclosure that was more open than I am giving him. I hope that will give him the security he needs. I will feed him tomorrow and see what happens, I really don´t beleave that he refuses, he has not ever refused meal in 7 years.

[hafnon]

then all should be fine then

[Gilmore]

I tried to feed him last week, but he had no interest. Then I noticed that he was in a shed cycle, and not strange that he would not eat. Yesterday he had a complete shed, and now he is all nice and shiny. Last night he went out of his hide on his own for the first time, and began exploring his suroundings, very active indead. I tried to offer him meal, but he still shows no interest. What should i do, give him more time, or try to handle him more, and offer him again next week??? Can it be a seasonal strike on food, cause it´ getting close to winter?

[Adam_Wysocki]

or try to handle him more

How about handle him less. New ball python + over handling = fasting.

Also, check your temps ... 82-84 on one side, 92-94 on the other 24 hours a day using a good digital thermometer that records HIGHs and LOWs. If you're keeping your temps right it shouldn't matter how cold it's getting.

Hope this helps.

-adam