not eating

[lala-bp]

1st off thank you all for all your information.
we got our baby ball about 4 weeks a go, not sure how old he/she is but is about 14" long, the 2nd week we had him/her we tried to feed live and frozen pinkeys. with no success we called the pet store where we purchased him/her, they said its normal for the b/p's to be finicky eaters and give it a week.

fast forward to week 3 we tried again and still not eating. so we took him/her back to the pet store where he stayed 2 days so they could observe how the snake was acting and assist feed if needed.

he/she was force fed and was left a lone for a few days and what seemed to be stressed, not roaming his/her tank like he/she did the 1st few weeks. after a few days he/she seemed to be back on track ( normal routine) roaming around.
now feeding time again and my question is should we assist feed again or let him/her be. will he eat if he is hungry or will he refuse depending on stress level and temp/ humidity?
also when we handle him he has never hissed or tried to bite, but with sudden movement from us will tuck his head back fast.
sorry for the long post but we are concerned about him/her..
thank you
nick

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Force feeding should only been done as a last resort there are many reasons why a BP refuse a mealn and usually when it is a young BP it is often husbandry related.

Also when you acquire a new BP it is always a good idea to feed live until the animal is well established (4 to 6 feeding).

Remember getting your new animal to eat is the priority, switching is only secondarily.

Additionally pinkies are not suitable for a BP, most hatchling are started on hoppers and quickly move to adult mice.

Now a few questions

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?

How often do you handle your BP?

[lala-bp]

he/she is about 4-5 months old ( weight i will get tonight)
glass tank 35 gal
she is in our livingroom. witch is only active 3-8pm
temps highside 90-95 lowside 80-85
humidity stedy at 50%
hides are one tree type branch/ hiding spot touches him/her
with the other half log without touching. he/she dont use this one its on the cooler side. and they are not the same.
wife handles her about once a day .
thank you for you help

[TheMolenater2]

Ball pythons can go for months without eating, and force feeding probably shouldn't be used unless your python has lost a lot of weight Its a last resort.

[Mike Russell]

A 35 gallon seems pretty big. Try not handling him and leaving him alone until he starts eating for you. Usually when you first get a ball python, it is a good idea to not handle him for a week or two.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

he/she is about 4-5 months old ( weight i will get tonight)
glass tank 35 gal
she is in our livingroom. witch is only active 3-8pm
temps highside 90-95 lowside 80-85
humidity stedy at 50%
hides are one tree type branch/ hiding spot touches him/her
with the other half log without touching. he/she dont use this one its on the cooler side. and they are not the same.
wife handles her about once a day .
thank you for you help

35 gallons is too big for an animal that size I would recommend you to downsize to a 10 gallons tank or even better a 15 quarts tub.

Security is very important even more so with young individuals.

You need to provide 2 tight and identical hides so your BP can thermo regulate and feel secure.

The hides must be snugs will all side touching your BP's body

Until your BP eats with consistency, no more handling.

Move your BP in a new enclosure providing optimal husbandry and leave him alone (NO handling for a week).

Once a week has passed offer a live mouse and see how it goes.

If your BP eats I would still recommend to limit your handling (2 to 3 time a week) until, your animal is consistent.

Once your BP is consistent and well established you can try to switch to F/T.

And remember force-feeding is not the solution at this point.

[lala-bp]

thanks to everyone who responded, we will make the necessary adjustments and keep you all updated. thanks again