Ball python won't eat?

About four months ago, I recieved a female ball python. She has the standard morph and is around 3.5 feet long. Unfortunately, I don't have her age.

We have tried just about everything to get her to eat. F/T mice in both white and brown, live mice, live rats. What we're currently trying is F/T rats, I know they're the right size because I have a friend who breeds them and he came over to give me advice. A technique he gave me is to dangle the rat above the snake's head and move it around, then touch her on the nose with it, we have tried that. He also told us to put the snake in a smaller bin (also heated) with the rat for 36 hours. Neither have worked.

She doesn't seem interested in anything. She won't strike, or even examine any food we try and give her.

She doesn't seem sick. She isn't lethargic, and she does move around her tank, mostly at night, and uses the hides we have in there frequently, and she drinks water.

The substrate I use is ZooMed's Aspen Bedding. The hotspot is set at 87, and the rest is around 76. The two hides are a half log and a fake rock that is hollow. We bought them at a pet store.

The former owner did not tell us what she had been eating, and unfortunately we have lost contact with him.

She has shed since I received her, and it went fine. That was about a month ago.

How much does she weigh? How big is the enclosure? How many times have you been handling her? The majority of feeding issue with new owners how 98% Husbandry related.

The best way to offer frozen to a snake is to thaw at room temp, warm up with a hair dryer and grab it from behind the neck and move it around as if it was alive.

Putting a f/t rat with a snake for 36 hours only contribute to more stress if the animal does not want to eat, overnight is more than necessary already.

Now the issue is that if the animal was not eating F/T in the past you may try to convert an animal when you should really have the animal to eat for you successfully first and for at least 3 to 5 times.

I don't have her weight, unfortunately, we have no way to weigh her atm but will get it soon, I already have plans for my friend to come over tomorrow and bring his scale.

The enclosure is 18 x 18 x 24, glass with a screen top, but the screen is mostly covered with insulating tape. The humidity inside is 60%

I don't handle her much, maybe once a week? She does fine when I do as far as I know, she doesn't strike or anything.

Is that LxWxH? If so, I would switch her over to something shorter with more floor space. They are thick-bodied and terrestrial so while she may explore around on a branch every once in a while, they really don’t need the height. It would be more beneficial IMO to have more length and width so she could stretch out her body fully since she is a decent size snake.




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A few things that stuck out to me:

- touching the snake with the ptry item will more often stress the snake than get it to eat

- there should be no handling if the snake until it is eating regularly

- leaving the prey item with the snake for 36 hours is wrong for two reasons. 1) if the snake is going to eat it, it won't happen after just a few hours and 2) at room temp for 36 hours the prey item is starting to rot and build bacteria

- using a seperate feeding tub is old school and proven counter productive. It will:
a) lead to refusals due to moving the animal and stressing it
b) lead to regurgitation if the snake does eat due to moving it after it has eaten
c) increase your chances of being bitten

Nevermind, she just ate her f/t rat :D
thanks for the advice though

This works a treat ..



Make sure it's evening as they're nocturnal , mine prefer low light / dim light and all four now only strike from within their hides .
Heat well with hairdryer then offer with tongs - dangle in front of the hide entrance - offer IMMEDIATELY whilst still warm - they cool down substantially each second. If there is the slightest interest shown , reheat and offer instantly- repeat as many times as it takes .


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