Ball Keeps Missing Dead Prey.. help!

Hey, i'm new to the forum and I signed up cuz i need a little help....
I've been trying to get my ball to eat dead prey, and i defrost it in warm water and then but it in a plastic tub on a heating pad to warm it up a little, or if i don't have time iI put the hairdryer on low and do it that way. My ball always strikes, but always misses, and then he sulks back into his hide and wont try again.
I've also tried to leave it in his cage over night after the hit and miss to see if he'd take it then, but he still wont, even when i cover up his tank. So I think he's willing to take the dead mouse, but why does he keep missing?
Any help would be much appreciated =)

Welcome to BP.net :). Have you tried doing the zombie dance with the mouse?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by llovelace

Have you tried doing the zombie dance with the mouse?

---

lol yupp, that mouse was doing Thriller, and my ball just flicked his tongue at it, and slithered into the other hide... i feel bad for the guy, cuz he gets excited and strikes at it, but when he misses he seems to get all sulky and just gives up =(

is it in the process of shedding. if so it could have a hard time seeing it

:welcome:to BP.net.

After you thaw the prey, put the hair dryer on high and blow it all over the prey for about 20-30 seconds then give a 10-15 second blast right on the head before offering it. It sounds like you aren't getting it hot enough for him to have a good heat signature to target...

Hi,

There are a couple fo possibilities really.

It could be too cold for him to zero in on, in which case the hairdrier trick mentioned above should work.

Or he might not want to eat for security or other reasons - in which case he is telling you, in the only way he can, to get that thing out of his face. :P

When he strikes at it does he have his mouth open or closed?

Has he eaten for you before and how long have you had him?


dr del

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ronniec02

is it in the process of shedding. if so it could have a hard time seeing it

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

:welcome:to BP.net.

After you thaw the prey, put the hair dryer on high and blow it all over the prey for about 20-30 seconds then give a 10-15 second blast right on the head before offering it. It sounds like you aren't getting it hot enough for him to have a good heat signature to target...

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

There are a couple fo possibilities really.

It could be too cold for him to zero in on, in which case the hairdrier trick mentioned above should work.

Or he might not want to eat for security or other reasons - in which case he is telling you, in the only way he can, to get that thing out of his face. :P

When he strikes at it does he have his mouth open or closed?

Has he eaten for you before and how long have you had him?


dr del

---

He just shed, so i don't think he's having trouble seeing it.

And I have tried blasting it with the hair dryer with extra heat on the head, but maybe not for long enough =\

And when he has tried to strike at it, I hadnt been paying attention to whether or not his mouth was open... The first 2x I tried the dead mouse, i believe it was, but not sure if it was this last time.

I've had him since the beginning of February because my friend's mom wouldn't let him keep it, and i've aaalways wanted a snake and he sold him to me for only $100 with the tank, heating pads, and everything so i def couldn't say no >.< I love him to death, and he's the first snake i've owned, but i researched and read a whole lot before i got him just so i was prepared :P

My friend had been feeding him live mice, so i did that for a bit (under supervision) but he's a really shy, timid guy and lets the mice get way too close before he gets interested and decides to eat... So i wanted to switch him to dead ones because i'm scared the mice will end up hurting my timid little guy :(

Do you use feed tongs? and how do you hold and present the prey?

If you aren't using tongs, get some. When presenting the prey, grab it by the skin on it's back or by the scruff of the neck, put it on the substrate and wiggle it about 4-5 inches in front of the snake. Let him come to it. Try to make it appear as a live mouse would...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Do you use feed tongs? and how do you hold and present the prey?

If you aren't using tongs, get some. When presenting the prey, grab it by the skin on it's back or by the scruff of the neck, put it on the substrate and wiggle it about 4-5 inches in front of the snake. Let him come to it. Try to make it appear as a live mouse would...

---

yea, that's what i've been doing... i've had to dance around with the mouse for quite awhile before he will strike, and i know by the time he goes for it it's lost most of its heat, which is probably why he keeps missing :( I pre-scent the room and everything, but he just never seems to get a good feeding response.

And i've just been worried because he looks way too thin, and i don't think my friend knew how to take care of him right at all. When i got him he was in a 10 gallon tank had only one hide (on the hot side), no thermometers, tiny water bowl, and no humidity gauges, and i question if he was previously underfed. =\ I just want him to be a fat happy snake, but he's sooo timid and shy that I really don't want to use live :(

Maybe forget the tongs and just leave it to him from the start?