Feeding Ahh!!

[bjfoste1]

Alright guys its been a good three weeks now and my ball python still has not eaten. Im getting very agravated!! The last time I offered him food was about 5 days ago and then again today and he refused both. He acts interested and then refuses. It seems as though hes more afraid of the mouse then the mouse is of him. About a week ago I got different hides and started using a heating pad instead of a light. The temps are about 90-94 on the hot side and the cool side about 77 to 82. But he seems to only utilize the hot side and before I changed everything he was only utilizing the cold side Hes about 2.5-3 months old and Im starting to wonder how long he can keep going refusing these meals with out dying. I know pythons can go long times with no food but even this young??? It scares me, please eat snake ******** ha ha

[JLC]

What size and type of enclosure is he in? And where is the enclosure located? (Is it in a busy or noisy place or drafty place?) How often do you handle the snake? And how often are you tweaking and changing the enclosure?

So long as the snake is maintaining good weight, he'll be fine. Be patient and persistent and don't get in too much of a hurry to "make" him eat. Doing so tends to make you go backwards instead of fowards. Get the environment as secure as possible...with the temps and humidity maintained as consistently as possible....and then simply be patient. Don't handle him until he's eating regularly for you. Don't offer food too often. Just once a week.

[Brimstone111888]

Are you still trying f/t? I assume he is really small. What I did to get my girl to eat, was I left a small live fuzzy mouse in her enclosure with her. She eventually ate it within an hour. Try live and try smaller prey.

[bjfoste1]

What size and type of enclosure is he in? And where is the enclosure located? (Is it in a busy or noisy place or drafty place?) How often do you handle the snake? And how often are you tweaking and changing the enclosure?

So long as the snake is maintaining good weight, he'll be fine. Be patient and persistent and don't get in too much of a hurry to "make" him eat. Doing so tends to make you go backwards instead of fowards. Get the environment as secure as possible...with the temps and humidity maintained as consistently as possible....and then simply be patient. Don't handle him until he's eating regularly for you. Don't offer food too often. Just once a week.

He is in a 20 gallon. This was my first time tweaking the enclosure this week. And the enclosure is located in my room. How long is to long to go with out eating? Like more than a couple of months?

[shag]

Adults have gone for over 5-6 months with out eating theirs lots of post on here about that. I agree with the smaller pray its a good place to start and no interaction for 2-3 days before you try again. Mine can some times get picky if his F/T isn't warm enough. I've had him come out to have a look and then turn around to his hide. I go and warm it up more with the blow dryer for a minute and then his all over it. You can try pre-senting I put the F/T on top of his enclosure for 5 minutes or so to see what his reaction is. If you see him poking his head his most likely interested, if he doesn't strike be patient and maybe do a little wiggle or two to get him going. If he turns back try warming it up more and then pre-sent again to see if comes out. If he does you can try again, if not its not going to happen. But the key is to be patient it can take mine a few minutes before he decides to have a go at it, he'll sit their nose to nose with his pray flicking his tongue at for while and then with out notice he hits it. Some times it looks like a staring contest its funny. Very extremely rare for an animal to starve him self unless theirs a medical reason like parasites.

[bjfoste1]

well i would not consider 2-3 months adult. But he eats live...so your saying a leave a small fuzzy in his cage just running around until he decides to eat it? Do you think he would know hes there if he is burrowed in his cave. Also isnt a fuzzy really small for a 3 month old python.

[whippet]

I JUST went through this...Here is what I wrote on the cornsnakeforum and it gives exactly what I did...and the results!
Since then she has eaten again too!

***********************************8
I am crying...I am sooo happy! It has FINALLY HAPPENED! My baby albino ball python ATE! On her own!!!
She arrived on Halloween....
she would not eat...not live, not f/t, not brained...nothing! I tried everything. One week I put her in a bag with something overnight.
One week I left it in her tank.
Last week I was so upset because she was only 75 grams and she lost 5...her skin was loose...her spine sharp. She was such a little one. *and maybe my worry was making me see things*
So after talking to many people and buying the best bp book I could find *the one by nerd* I forced a pinkie mouse into her mouth, closed her mouth and pulled it back so it was stuck in her teeth. She swallowed.
I rejoiced...but was so afraid for her.

Then tonight...One week later, I got her a new really small hide and I decided to try one more trick. One she could barely fit in.

I thawed a large f/t fuzzy then dipped it in boiling water until I pulled it out steaming. Let it cool just long enough to stop steaming.
Then so she could not see me..I "walked" it with long tiny tongs across the entrance to her cave......
SHE STRUCK!
SHE COILED!
SHE SWALLOWED!
and I cried! Silent as a mouse I took a picture *forgot the flash but thank goodness she didn't notice* Silently tears streamed down my face....
She ate all on her own...and frozen too!
Then happy as a lark she curled up under the bigger log hide and practically licked her lips.
I am the happiest snake owner in the world right now....
truly
Isn't this the prettiest picture you have EVER seen...