She wont eat...

[SnakeEyes]

So my new girl, have had her for about 5 days wont eat. She weighs in at 58g so I got her a little hopper for her first meal, I have it in the tub with her now, has been in there awhile, is actually over in the corner asleep, while Jade, my 2 week old BP, is sitting in her hide, I did have everything removed but she seemed to be a little scared and just around the tub for a bit then curled up in the corner, so I put her hide back in ontop of her to make her feel a little more secure. Im about to toss it in my males take cause he'll eat anything I throw in there, he actually just ate an adult mouse. So, any suggestions? If she was older I would be so concerned, but its not like she has much weight to play with.

[rabernet]

Have you ever had any experience getting a new hatchling started before?


I would suggest reading this first. I believe Adam sets his up in six quart tubs? Hopefully he'll chime in if I'm wrong.

http://www.8ballpythons.com/journal/...ingseating.htm

[xdeus]

A couple suggestions...

Leave the hide on her when you feed her. They're ambush predators and feel most comfortable striking when they're in their hides.

Feed her about an hour after it gets dark. Place the hopper in her cage and then leave (with the lights off).

Find out what she was eating before you got her. If it was hopper mice, then you're good to go. If it was something else, then feed her whatever she was eating.

If she was eating mice hoppers, put a little bit of mouse bedding in her cage about 30 minutes before you try to feed her.

Finally, don't try to feed her for another week. And don't handle her until she starts eating.

Good luck!

[rabernet]

A couple suggestions...

Leave the hide on her when you feed her. They're ambush predators and feel most comfortable striking when they're in their hides.

Feed her about an hour after it gets dark. Place the hopper in her cage and then leave (with the lights off).

Find out what she was eating before you got her. If it was hopper mice, then you're good to go. If it was something else, then feed her whatever she was eating.

If she was eating mice hoppers, put a little bit of mouse bedding in her cage about 30 minutes before you try to feed her.

Finally, don't try to feed her for another week. And don't handle her until she starts eating.

Good luck!

Lawrence, I don't think she's ever been fed - sounds like a fresh import that was sold at a show:

while Jade, my 2 week old BP, is sitting in her hide

[crisstyle21]

A couple suggestions...

Leave the hide on her when you feed her. They're ambush predators and feel most comfortable striking when they're in their hides.

Feed her about an hour after it gets dark. Place the hopper in her cage and then leave (with the lights off).


Good luck!

Yes this always works for me when I got my baby Het pieds. You have to share there personality. There frightened. If you where caged in a new room and some big giant is watching you eat, will you eat a burger that he put for you? The truth is new snakes especially babies take time to get used to there enviroment (tanks,enclosures etc), There nocturnal animals they will feed better at night just as there instincts tell them too. If lights out doesnt work. Do a method where you pre kill the mouse and throw it in the hide with the snake. That should work but if the snake still refuses dont leave the mouse in there for a whole day take that mouse out after 13-18 hours. Hey good luck. Dont worry the baby Bp will eat eventually. There good docile snakes there known too be good eaters. Thats why there so successful when it becomes to breeding

[crisstyle21]

Lawrence, I don't think she's ever been fed - sounds like a fresh import that was sold at a show:

Oh my god imports are so hard to care for. Imagine getting a imported adult!!??. I guess having imports makes your skills of being a breeder and keeper so damn talented.

[lord jackel]

Where did you get a 2 week old snake if you aren't breeding them?


Anyway...new born balls usually don't even have their first meal till almost 10 days after birth (till they have had their first shed)...in your case the most you can expect is that the snake has eatin only once (maybe).

I would suggest you get rid of the hopper (they move too quickly) and get her a pinkie rat which is a better size to start with. Put the pinky in and leave it over night (no risk to the snake)

Keep the hide at all times.

[kavmon]

small enclosure, smaller hide, warm 90 deg.

try a live mouse fuzzy, once a week.


vaughn

[rabernet]

Oh my god imports are so hard to care for.

Not really, they just need to be well hydrated and set up properly.

[lord jackel]

Not really, they just need to be well hydrated and set up properly.

I agree with Robin they aren't hard to care for if you have previous experience with balls...but they really aren't for newbies as they don't allow alot of room for error.

Follow the link that Robin provided above to Adam's site...it is the best recipe for success.