2 males refusing to feed .. solutions?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mercerasian

Right now, you should be feeding him a prey size of about 10-15 grams, this is about the size of a rat fuzzy but I don't know what size mouse that would be. Any larger and it might be the reason he doesn't want to eat. I'd say just try to get a prey that's not about to die, because you're basically trying prekilled if the mouse is almost dead. Also, did the breeder specify if he was feeding live mice or rats?

Are you moving him from an enclosure to a feeding bin? If you are, don't anymore. The move from a "safe" enclosure to a box can be stressful for the snake and make him not want to eat. If you're worried about him ingesting substrate, just put newspaper on top of his bedding or something. The topic of whether or not to feed on top of substrate is debatable but I feed my BP on his aspen bedding and I haven't had a problem yet. Feeding your BP in your tank won't make him more aggressive, that's a myth. However, I like to try and make sure I never directly handle the prey I feed my BP. Dump the prey from it's container right into the tank or use tongs to pick it up and drop it in if you're feeding live, if you're feeding F/T use tongs to hold the prey by the back of the neck when you're presenting it to the snake. This way I never have the problem of the snake smelling prey on my hands, only on the tongs.

Now to the issue of feeding time, I like to feed my BP at around dusk just when it's starting to get dark and he gets more active.

Also, you can try more often than once a week. You can try every 4-5 days. My BP is a real good eater and he's fed an appropriately sized prey every 4 days.

---

I am feeding him live, as that it was the breeder was feeding him. The breeder suggest a hopper mouse, or rat pinkie, but the store I went to didn't have any rat pinkies, so I went with the hopper. When I got the prey in there, it looked like it was the right size (compared the thickest part of the mouse, to the thickest part of the snake). So, I don't think it was too large. I didn't think that the prey was about to die...it seemed pretty active when I bought it. I was surprised to open the box at feeding time, and see the mouse practically dead.

Yes, I moved him from his normal enclosure to a feeding bin. That's what I did when I had a corn snake, and it worked fine. I did it to avoid any possibility of the snake confusing me for food when I would reach in to pick him up, versus feeding time. At the next feeding attempt, I will put the mouse in the normal enclosure. Ingesting substrate wasn't an issue yesterday, as I am using carpet. However, I am having difficulty maintaining humidity in the enclosure, so I was going to get some sort of loose substrate that would hold moisture better.

I tried to feed him last night between 6-6:30 (after us humans finished eating). I figured since they are nocturnal, he may be more accepting to eat in the evening, rather than the middle of the day. Perhaps I will try again on Friday...I have the day off work, and can run to pick up another prey item, and then feed him in the evening. He will likely be on a schedule of a meal every 7 days, just because I am the one taking care of it. My wife doesn't want anything to do with the snake, including buying it's live prey (she's a little squeamish about it, lol). Being that I am off work Fri-Sun each week, once I get a successful meal, I will go every week on that day.

Thanks for all your help here, it is much appreciated. Maybe I should have done more research before getting my bp...but then again, I imaging something still would have come up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by yellowbelly76

I am feeding him live, as that it was the breeder was feeding him. The breeder suggest a hopper mouse, or rat pinkie, but the store I went to didn't have any rat pinkies, so I went with the hopper. When I got the prey in there, it looked like it was the right size (compared the thickest part of the mouse, to the thickest part of the snake). So, I don't think it was too large. I didn't think that the prey was about to die...it seemed pretty active when I bought it. I was surprised to open the box at feeding time, and see the mouse practically dead.

Yes, I moved him from his normal enclosure to a feeding bin. That's what I did when I had a corn snake, and it worked fine. I did it to avoid any possibility of the snake confusing me for food when I would reach in to pick him up, versus feeding time. At the next feeding attempt, I will put the mouse in the normal enclosure. Ingesting substrate wasn't an issue yesterday, as I am using carpet. However, I am having difficulty maintaining humidity in the enclosure, so I was going to get some sort of loose substrate that would hold moisture better.

I tried to feed him last night between 6-6:30 (after us humans finished eating). I figured since they are nocturnal, he may be more accepting to eat in the evening, rather than the middle of the day. Perhaps I will try again on Friday...I have the day off work, and can run to pick up another prey item, and then feed him in the evening. He will likely be on a schedule of a meal every 7 days, just because I am the one taking care of it. My wife doesn't want anything to do with the snake, including buying it's live prey (she's a little squeamish about it, lol). Being that I am off work Fri-Sun each week, once I get a successful meal, I will go every week on that day.

Thanks for all your help here, it is much appreciated. Maybe I should have done more research before getting my bp...but then again, I imaging something still would have come up.

---

No problem. It's what these forums are for.

By the way, that is actually the only way I operate. I never jump into anything without doing almost every bit of research I can. Before I even had my BP, I had read enough to even give advice on topics such as proper temps and humidity and what size to feed/how to feed. I do it with all my hobbies so that I'm never unprepared for a situation and then realize it's too late to do anything.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mercerasian

No problem. It's what these forums are for.

By the way, that is actually the only way I operate. I never jump into anything without doing almost every bit of research I can. Before I even had my BP, I had read enough to even give advice on topics such as proper temps and humidity and what size to feed/how to feed. I do it with all my hobbies so that I'm never unprepared for a situation and then realize it's too late to do anything.

---

I normally do more research ahead of time...I did plenty prior to get my corn a while back. However, this time around my research wasn't as thorough because the snake was a half gift for my son (I wanted a bp too), and the reptile expo was soon after the decision was made to get one. We shopped around before the expo, and people at various pet stores were suggesting that bp's don't need much in the way of humidity, just heat. When I stumbled upon this forum, after getting the bp, that suggestion went right out the window. Now I am trying to play catch-up.

Saw this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...e-Basics-*DUW* and was thinking about converting to one of the unused tubs we picked up for household goods. However, with all the money I just put out for digital thermostats, thermometers, and UTH, it'll take some time to get funds for another set to put on a tub. I want to start the tub, and try to get it all proper BEFORE moving the snake into it.