feeding f/t

[Estowe]

my lil guy hasnt eaten since i got him, which has been two weeks. ive tried feeding him twice and he just didnt seem interested. im feeding f/t and thats what i was told he was eating when i purchased him.

i've tried to dangle it in front of him for a few minutes and he started to creep up on it like he was going to strike and he kept getting closer until his face was touching the mouse and then he just turned away and didnt seem interested any longer.

i thawed the mouse for two hours, pre-scented the room and slowly heated the mouse with a hair dryer.

i also tried to leave it in his feeding enclosure with the lights off for 30 minutes and that didnt work. so i figured i would leave it in his cage to see if he would eat it in there where he was more comfortable.

sorry the post is so long, and i know other people have ball pythons that havent eaten in months but im just wondering what i could be doing wrong or what i could do to help him eat.

thanks.

[starmom]

First, don't freak that he has missed only 2 feedings.
Now, take a look at your husbandry and make sure that is as close to awesome as you can get it: temps good? humidity? size of the enclosure? hides? blah blah blah?
Now for the prey, is it thoroughly thawed? Smooshy belly?
Also, don't heat it slowly- bleck, that's like cooking it! Zap it on the head with a hair dryer on high speed for about 60 seconds.
Take it to the snake and pray

[Stewart_Reptiles]

In most cases when someone has a feeding issue with a new snake it is often husbandry related!

How old is your BP?

How big is your BP (weight)?

What type of enclosure do you use?

How big is your enclosure?

Is your enclosure in a low traffic area?

What are your temps (cool & warm side)?

What is your humidity?

What type of thermometer/hygrometer do you use (dial,stick,or digital)?

What kind of hides do you provide (log, homemade, cubbyholes etc) and how many do you have?

Are your hides tight (all side touching your BP's body) and identical?

Have you handled your BP since you got him and if so how often?

[Estowe]

temps good, enclosure is 20L and the snake is 2 and a half feet long. i havent taken him to the vet to get wieghed yet. i only have one hide right now but im getting another one in a week. as far as i know husbandry techniques seem good.

i have a glass tank enclosure, i use digital thermometer/hygrometers, he loves his hide, and i have handled him a few times since i got him, the only issues i have is humidity which is usually at 30-40%. the temperature has been fluctuating a little bit like 3-5 degrees because i dont have my thermostat yet.

also, i just ordered a johnson controls thermostat but its not a proportional one. whats the difference?

[starmom]

Bingo bingo bingo bingo!!!!!
I think it might be husbandry!!!!
Glad to hear you're on top of it though
Just offer every week and he might take it and might not but things will get better once you've got the environment more stable.
Check out the sticky on glass tanks to give you more pointers on humidity control, etc

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Well 2 tight identical hides would be a must (avoid log hides)

You also need to stop any handling until your BP eats for you.

It is highly recommended that any new BP is left alone with no handling for a period of a least a week before offering food.

A 20 gallons tank could be a bit overwhelming also, you can try adding some crumble newspaper inside your tank or you can downsize.

Your humidity should be 50%-60% at all time.

What are your temps?

All those might seems like little things however when all put together this could very well be why your BP is not eating.

[Estowe]

thanks alot, those little issues adding up are probably exactly whats going wrong!

but i have a question, is it a big deal that i didnt get a proportional thermostat? they are alot more expensive but are they worth it?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

is it a big deal that i didnt get a proportional thermostat? they are alot more expensive but are they worth it?

As long as you are using something to control your temps and avoid over heating it's ok, it can be a switch dimmer or lower end thermostat than soon as you can, I highly encourage you to invest in a quality thermostat.

[Estowe]

its not a cheap one. like the zoo med ones.

its a prewired johsnson controls thermostat off of reptile basics. its $79.99
so i figured its at least a decent one that could last me a while and would work pretty well.
am i wrong?

[Somed00d]

First of all, 2 weeks if not a long time to go without food. I have a male breeder that has not eaten since january (5 months!). He still wants to breed and has lost about 200g but he is doing fine..

Personally I would try braining the mouse.. basically you cut the head open to expose the brains and the snake can't resist most times..

Also, make sure to get the humidity higher. you will probably have to cover a portion of the screen top to be able to hold the humidity. like starmom pointed out check out the sticky on glass tanks..