My ball python wont eat

So i just got a female pastel and a male spider both are 1000+ grams. I have them in 2 41qt tubs and ive been offering them food about once every 3 days. Should i put them in a 28 or 32qt tub or just wait till they eat. The guy i got them from said they eat ft so thats what ive been giving them. Should i try to put a live rat in there. And whats some ways i can get them to eat.

How long have you had them? Can you tell us more about their setups, such as temps, humidity, heat source, etc.?

Offering food every 3 days can be stressful to snakes, so maybe waiting every 7 days would help.

ive had them for a week and a half im using flexwatt heat tape im keeping it a 90 on hot side and 80 on cool side. there on aspen bedding.if there cage is to cold or hot would it effect there eating.

Since you just got them, I would leave them alone for at least 5 days. This means no handling or offering food. They may just need time to adjust. Maybe even try putting a hide in the tub.

And offering food every 3 days does sound excessive. Like the previous poster, try once a week.

Also feeding live may help. I've gotten a few f/t feeders to eat their first meal with me using live rats.



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It is usually best when getting a new snake, to give it atleast a week to adjust to its new home and surroundings without messing with them. I would say, they need some time to adjust. Wait atleast another week before trying to feed.

Also, do you have any hides in their tubs? Or do you have them in a rack where the three sides or closed in? Sometimes moving a ball python to a larger enclosure can stress them slightly to where they stop eating for a little bit. Keep in mind as well, this is breeding season. Most males and some females stop eating during this period.

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

It is usually best when getting a new snake, to give it atleast a week to adjust to its new home and surroundings without messing with them. I would say, they need some time to adjust. Wait atleast another week before trying to feed.

Also, do you have any hides in their tubs? Or do you have them in a rack where the three sides or closed in? Sometimes moving a ball python to a larger enclosure can stress them slightly to where they stop eating for a little bit. Keep in mind as well, this is breeding season. Most males and some females stop eating during this period.

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Yes i do have a hide in there i think i might just put the in a 32 qt because a 41 might be to big

Our Ball sometimes refuses a rat. In fact, he refused a male white f/t rat last night. We wiggled that thing for at least 5 minutes, but Basil was uninterested, so we dropped it in and left Basil with the rat for 3-4 hours.

When we went back to check, the rat was gone and was at least halfway down his body.
We also did this when we first adopted him and he refused f/t. Basil was used to live, but leaving the rat in there worked.

Try leaving the rat with them for awhile. It hasn't failed us yet. :)
Best of luck.

They've got plenty of weight, you just got them, and it's the middle of the winter breeding season.

Off them food once a week, and don't worry about it until May.

X2 on the wait a week and then offer the only other question I have is how are you thawing/heating the prey. I leave mine over night in the fridge to thaw warm in hot tap water to temp then heat with a blow dryer in the room to just about 100F then offer. If I dont heat them correctly I get a refusal everytime. My large girl is she and I have to just drop the prey in her tank and walk away its almost always gone in a couple hours. Hope this helps :)